BIOGRAPHIES
MICHAEL BAKER was born in Halifax and attended local schools.
After holding scholarship at the Royal School of Church Music, he took up
the organ scholarship at Jesus College, Cambridge in 1967, remaining there until
1970,when he moved to Chesterfield to succeed Charles Bryars as Organist and
Master of the Choristers at the famous Parish Church.
While
at Cambridge, he played in numerous concerts for Richard Hickox, particularly in
the early days of the Wooburn Festival. Richard
has a 1ong association with the Northern Sinfonia and an old link was re-forged
in 1980 with Michael's appointment as Chorus Master of the Bradford Festival
Choral Society, a choir of which Richard was Principal Conductor for many years.
In a busy and varied life of conducting, examining and teaching, the Church
remains the focal point of Michael's musical life.
The High Church ceremonial and the enthusiastic commitment of generations
of choristers and choirmen provide a continual source of inspiration and the
future is viewed with great enthusiasm.
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