St Peter's Choirmaster Biography.

Richard McLester took on the role of Director of Music and Choirmaster in September 2009.

Musician, composer and producer, Richard works from his studio with his company Conical Sphere. He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, electric and bass guitar, classical tenor, harmonica and drums to a high performance standard.

Past highlights have included performing as piano soloist at Poole Lighthouse for Mayor of Poole's Civic Awards Ceremony January 2010, 2009, and 2007, winning an endorsement award from digital music manufacturer Roland, providing piano accompaniments for Bournemouth Theatre in Education productions at the Russell Cotes Museum, being resident pianist at The Harbour Heights Hotel in Poole October-January 2008.

He has been involved as Musical Director of Poole`s Passion Play "Through The Eyes of a Child" in 2009 and 2011, Assistant Musical Director of Poole's Passion Play alongside David Owen Norris in 2010, and organising and performing at various large scale concerts in churches and theatres with alternative rock band Oposium.

Richard is also known for his artistic endeavors with pianos, including playing a piano in the sea in front of councillor Mrs Judy Butt in 2007 and as a result appearing on BBC South Today.

More recently Richard spent 2009 performing in various venues with a piano that was set on fire whilst he played it.

Richard`s strengths lie in his abilities to improvise and in creatively arranging music, especially when combined with visual arts or film.

Since taking on the role in 2009, Richard has worked hard to put a solid infrastructure of teaching to existing base of comitted singing at St Peter's. This has involved training choristers for their RSCM Exams, 8 of whom entered in 2012.

In order to support choristers learning and training, Richard has begun writing a series of Workbooks designed for teachers or choirmasters. Aimed at complementing the 'Voice For Life' series with practical examples, the first of these books is now available for order online (via this website).