Principal Conductor – Max Barley 

Guildford Chamber Choir appointed their new Principal Conductor, Max Barley, with effect from September 2018. Max succeeded Steven Grahl who led the choir for 11 years before becoming Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and Conductor of Schola Cantorum. 

Max began his musical life as a chorister at King’s College, Cambridge, later becoming organ scholar of St John’s College, Oxford where he read Modern Languages and was responsible for directing the chapel choir. He studied conducting in London and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, and reently gained a Distinction in his Masters degree in choral conducting from the Royal Academy of Music, studying conducting with Patrick Russill and organ with David Titterington.

In addition to taking over as Principal Conductor of Guildford Chamber Choir, Max is currently Director of Music at Holy Trinity Sloane Square, Eltham Choral Society and Wimbledon Youth Choir. Formerly Assistant Director of Tiffin Boys’ Choir and Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, Max has also worked regularly with several other London choirs in addition to working on choral courses in the UK and China including Eton Choral Courses, the National Children’s Choir, and National Youth Choir of Wales.  Max is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.



On his appointment, Max wrote: “I’m thrilled and honoured to be given the opportunity to work with such a musically quick-witted group of singers, and to build on Steven Grahl’s wonderful work. The choir's energy for and joy in their singing was clear from the word go. I am excited about what lies ahead.”  Guildford Chamber Choir looks forward to continuing its musical journey with this exciting young conductor.