About

Simon Lloyd studied at Wells Cathedral School and The University of Manchester before moving to London as Organ Scholar of Westminster Cathedral. He subsequently spent five years as organist at St Etheldreda’s, Ely Place – a stunningly beautiful 13th century chapel, before moving to his current post as Organist & Director of Music at the Carmelite Priory in Kensington in 2012. Here, he is fortunate to work with wonderful consort singers and perform in – he would argue – one of London’s best acoustics. The choir has been noted for its innovative music programming, including ‘Cardoso450’, an extended exploration of Portuguese polyphony to mark the 450th anniversary of the birth of the Carmelite composer Frei Manuel Cardoso. The choir’s CD of two Cardoso masses alongside their Palestrina models (Toccata Classics 0498) was ‘highly recommended’ by Rebecca Tavener (Choir & Organ). The world premiere recordings were described as ‘a glorious tribute to the composer’, and the choir praised for its ‘fine legato ... power, emotion, and joyful esprit de corps’. 

Simon has taught academic music at Wells Cathedral School, one of the UK’s five specialist music schools, since 2019. From September 2023 he assumed the post of Head of Academic Music. He also coaches the school’s harpsichord pupils and co-ordinates the provision of Early Music, gradually winning the next generation over to quarter comma meantone temperament. His move to Wells followed six years as Choral Specialist and Organist at St George’s Junior School in Weybridge. The chamber choir he created there toured Europe, sang Mass at Westminster Cathedral, and were finalists in the Barnardo’s National Choral Competition.

Beyond these positions, Simon regularly plays continuo with the City Bach Collective, with whom he recorded for BBC Radio 4’s ‘Bach: Man of Passion’. He enjoys editing polyphony (with a zero added barlines policy); a new complete edition of Cardoso’s works is an ongoing project. Further typesetting work has included new Vesperals and Grand Organ Festival publicity for Westminster Cathedral. At home, he curates an increasing collection of instruments and a diminishing collection of single malt Scotch whisky.