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The English baritone, composer and arranger, Philip Lawson, was educated at Pound Hill Primary School and Hazelwick Comprehensive School, Sussex drom 1962 to 1975. In 1975-1976 he was Organist at Worth Parish Church, Sussex and Lowfield Heath Parish Church, Surrey. From 1976 to 1979 he studied Music at York University, specialising in Choral Conducting, Composing, Organ and Singing. Achieved a First Class in Year 1 assessment, graduated with B.A. (Honours) degree.
In 1978, Philip Lawson founded and conducted York University Motet Choir. He was Choral Scholar in York Minster Choir, singing counter tenor in 1976-1978; and baritone in 1979. From 1979 to 1982 he was a freelance singer in London. During this period he was Permanent Lay Clerk at Southwark Cathedral, and regularly worked with the BBC Singers, Taverner Choir, Opera Rare, St. Paul's Cathedral Choir, Westminster Abbey Choir, Westminster Cathedral Choir, all major London church choirs. From 1982 to 1994 he was Director of Music of a school in Salisbury, Wiltshire in the UK where he was in charge of two choirs for whom he wrote much music, and was also a baritone Lay Clerk in the choir of Salisbury Cathedral singing eight services a week. He also arranged music and played piano for a local jazz band, Take 7. During this time he was also a freelance baritone with many solo engagements, and regularly worked in London with The Sixteen, Collegium Musicum 90. From 1988 to 1994 he he was Director of Music at Chafyn Grove Preparatory School.
In 1994, Philip Lawson joined The King’s Singers as first baritone, with over 1,500 concerts performed worldwide and for ten years he is the group's principal arranger. Ten arrangements were recorded on The King’s Singers CD "Simple Gifts" which won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album in February 2009. He has given choral workshops and master-classes worldwide. He made with the group over 20 CD/DVD recordings; many appearances on TV and Radio.
Philip Lawson is one of the most sought-after arrangers for a cappella ensemble. He accepts regular commissions for arranging and composing and now has a catalogue of over 100 published works. He also manages his wife's business which deals in new and secondhand sheet music. |
