People
Malcolm Pearce
Malcolm Pearce received his early musical training as a Quirister at Winchester
College. He studied at King’s College, London and the Royal College of Music, winning the Walford Davies
prize for organ performance in his final year. He was a founder member of the unique youth choir and
orchestra Gli Amici della Musica in his home town of Bournemouth and has since directed various choirs and
orchestras, as well as being in demand as recitalist, accompanist, continuo player and consort singer.
He was Director of Music at Magdalen College School, Oxford for over 26 years, a rôle
from which he recently stepped down in order to develop his interests in organ performing, accompanying and
composition. Current performing projects include Musical Banquet, a trio specialising in the Jacobean and
Restoration song repertoire, and a percussion and organ duo. As a composer he has undertaken commissions
from a number of choral societies and other organisations (such as the St Alban’s International Organ
Festival and the Cookham Festival) and his work has been recorded and broadcast on Radio 3. Recent
commissions have included the Fantasy-Partita for organ (2005) for the restored historic organ at St.
Botolph-without-Aldgate in the City of London.
He has a growing list of musical topics on which he lectures for local branches of
the National Trust, and has led workshops on various musical subjects. An enthusiastic player of the
baritone saxophone and Northumbrian smallpipes, he is probably the only professional musician ever to have
had published a book on the trolleybuses of his native town.
Current Works on Our Catalogue
John Frith
John Frith was born in Hampshire, England, and has had a lifelong love of music. His
professional training began at Dartington College of Arts where he studied composition with Richard Hall. He
continued his musical education at The Guildhall School of Music, where he studied horn with Anthony
Halstead and composition with Edmund Rubbra, winning the Brass and School Composition Prizes in 1970 and
1971.
Having combined professional horn playing with teaching for some years, John now lives in
the West Midlands, England. He recently retired from Worcestershire Youth Music where he had the dual role
of Brass Teacher and Composer in Residence in county schools, developing creative projects with young
children.
John has written extensively for wind, brass, strings and voices and has published many
pieces for various combinations of instruments including large orchestral pieces, some of which have been
both professional recorded and broadcast by the BBC.
Current Works on Our Catalogue
