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The English organist and choral conductor, David Andrew Flood, received his musical training as an Organ Scholar of St John’s College Oxford with additional postgraduate work at Clare College Cambridge.
Appointed Assistant Organist at Canterbury Cathedral in 1978, David Flood served under Allan Wicks until 1986. In addition he was assictant director of the Canterbury Choral Society (1978-85), founder and director of the Canterbury Cantata Choir (1985-1986); Canterbury Music Club 1984-1986 and 1988. From 1986 to 1988 he assumed the responsibility of Organist and Choir Master at Lincoln Cathedral, and was also Musical Director of the Lincoln Choral Society. In 1988, he returned to Canterbury to succeed the retiring Dr Wicks as Canterbury Cathedral Organist and Master of the Choristers. The choir of Canterbury Cathedral performs every day at the highest standards, with a repertoire of music spanning 600 years. Flood has made a sequence of highly acclaimed recordings with them together with regular TV and radio appearances. The choir continues to tour extensively in Europe and in North America. He was also director of the Canterbury Singers (1996-1999).
Responsible for not only the daily sung services, which are naturally the most important part of his work, David Flood has been involved in many national and international occasions. He was organist for enthronement of Archbishop Runcie in 1980, visit of Pope John Paul II in 1982; was responsible for the music at the enthronements of Archbishops Carey (1991), Williams (2003) and Welby (2013) and the 1998 and 2008 Lambeth Conferences. His reputation as one of Britain’s foremost choir trainers has crossed continents. A much sought after organist, guest clinician and festival conductor, he is in demand both at home and abroad. He has given many organ recitals throughout Europe and is always in great demand in the USA, where he travels two or three times each year. In 2008 he directed the Washington All-State Honor Choir and every year hosts an American Childrens’ Choir Festival involving over three hundred voices.
In 1985, David Flood conducted the Whitstable Choral Society in their summer concert of Songs of Coast and Countryside, at St. Alphege Church Whitstable. When in 1995 he accepted the position as Musical Director of the Whitstable Choral Society, his energy, vitality and extensive musical knowledge were immediately apparent. Under his direction the choir has gone from strength to strength with many enjoyable concerts of the great choral works.
The University of Kent honoured David Flood in July 2002 when he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Music and in November 2008 he was elected to an Honorary Fellowship by Canterbury Christ Church University, followed by a Visiting Professorship in 2012. These are in recognition of his work in Canterbury Cathedral and in the wider community. He is also a Visiting Fellow of St John’s College, Durham in 2007. Other awards and honours: honorary senior member at Darwin College University of Kent; FRCO 1976, member of Royal Society of Musicians 1997; Honorary FGCM in 2000. |
