Judy Martin, Director of Music
Judy was organ scholar of Selwyn College, Cambridge between 1986 and 1989 where she studied conducting under Dr Andrew V. Jones. On graduating, she worked as an organist and conductor with posts at Exeter College, The Queen's College and at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. At this time, she founded the nine-voice professional vocal ensemble, Voces Sacrae, a group she continues to direct. Voces Sacrae has appeared on BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4, on national television in Australia, and has performed at venues both at home and abroad. The group has recorded seven compact discs, most of which feature first recordings of contemporary sacred music including the music of Michael Finnissy, Gabriel Jackson, Michael Berkeley, Edmund Rubbra, Bob Chilcott and Magnus Williamson.
In 1991 she spent six months in Sydney, as part of the Music Department at Christchurch St. Laurence, conducting, teaching and playing the organ. She also holds a PGCE (Secondary) Music qualification and in 1995, after two years of teaching, she was appointed Head of Music at The Abbey School, Reading, UK. Having relinquished this post in order to pursue a career as a conductor and teacher, Judy co-founded the professional eight-voice choir at the church of St Mary Magdalen in Oxford, with whom she performed and recorded regularly in association with Oxford University Press, promoting contemporary choral repertoire. In 2001, she was appointed Director of Chapel Music at Worcester College, Oxford where, in addition to maintaining the college's chapel choir of men and boys, she also founded a new mixed choir which rapidly gained an excellent reputation both within the university and further afield.
Judy is actively involved with Royal School of Church Music choirs and courses. She was, until recently, Assistant Director of the RSCM Southern Cathedral Singers. She has also been a tutor of the RSCM Millennium Youth Choir, which performed in London’s Millennium Dome on New Year's Eve 1999. She was awarded an honorary ARSCM in 2006 for her services to church music.
Appointed to the post of Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin in 2003, Judy’s work at the cathedral centres on the provision of music for the five choral services held in the cathedral each week during term time. She maintains a high profile in the musical life of the city and is in demand as an adjudicator for choral competitions both in Dublin and around the country. She directs both the cathedral choir and also the cathedral's Girls' Choir and this work, together with her enthusiasm for the promotion of contemporary choral music, maintains the educational ethos which has been part of the life of the cathedral for the past 500 years. Contact Judy by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
