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Ben Gunner
Our Musical Director, Ben Gunner, founded the Royal Free Singers in 1973, while teaching music at the Princess Margaret Royal Free School in Windsor. It is now called Trevelyan School, but we are still called the Royal Free Singers and we are still proud to call Ben our Musical Director after all these years!
Ben Gunner studied organ, singing and conducting at Trinity College of Music, London. He was Head of Music at the Royal Free school from 1977 to 1989. He sang with many of London’s leading chamber choirs throughout the 70’s and 80’s, an experience which inspired him to set up his own choirs and orchestra. In the early 1980s he founded Schola Tamesis, a choir and orchestra specialising in the baroque and classical repertoire.
In addition to the Royal Free Singers, Ben is also the Conductor of the Orchestra of London and undertakes freelance conducting engagements in Europe, as well as being Director of Musica Europa, a concert tour agency.
“I still remember the first time we sang with about 15 parents from our school back in 1973. We were in the geography room, we had no piano and keyboards hadn’t even been invented! I had no idea that RFS would grow from those humble beginnings into the wonderful community of 100 singers and friends that it is today. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved - both musically and socially - and always delighted to welcome new members into our family.”
