Christopher Churcher
Biography
Christopher Churcher (b.2004) is one of the UK’s most exciting young voices in classical music and has won over half a dozen national awards including the 2022 NCEM Young Composer’s Award and the 2021 Sir David Willcocks Carol Competition. Described by both David Hill as ‘a remarkable talent’ and Iain Burnside as ‘prodigiously talented’, Christopher is earning international acclaim for his distinctive musical style, which fuses a communicative harmonic language with striking natural imagery and aesthetics.
His music has been commissioned and performed by some of Europe’s leading choirs, orchestras and chamber ensembles including VOCES8, The Bach Choir, Ex Cathedra, the Consone Quartet and the Southbank Sinfonia, as well as broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Amongst Christopher’s recent recording projects, notable highlights include the filming of his composition Goldenrod for bassoon and piano, commissioned by Ashby Mayes. Additionally, multiple organists have created films of his prelude This Shining Night, including recordings captured in Merton College Chapel, Oxford and a performance and recording by Richard McVeigh.
Christopher with VOCES8 at St. Leonard's Church, Hythe in 2022
In recent years, Christopher has cultivated a partnership with Somerville College Choir, Oxford, resulting in a rich array of collaborations. The choir has commissioned and performed numerous works, commissioning the first of Christopher’s Pride Motets for their pride contemplation in June 2023. In 2024, Christopher was commissioned to compose a new work, Light, for inclusion in their forthcoming album slated for release later this year. Recent high-profile commissions include Skysongs, a song cycle commissioned by Iain Burnside for Harriet Burns and Ian Tindale, and a new piano sonata commissioned for the Australian virtuoso pianist Piers Lane, which will receive its premiere in 2025.
Christopher is pursuing his undergraduate studies in music at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, and studies composition under the mentorship of Cheryl Frances-Hoad. Alongside his composition work, Christopher is a baritone and pianist. As a choral singer, he sings regularly with Somerville College Choir and Schola Cantorum of Oxford and has toured internationally to countries including India, Germany and Sweden.
