I am currently Director of Music at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford. My 1990 Fellowship took me to China, where I worked with choirs of young people in schools, universities and Children's Palaces (public facilities for extra-curricular activities) in 15 cities over two months, introducing them to Western choral music and bringing Chinese music back to the UK.

Throughout my career as a teacher and head, I recognised the unique and universal importance of music in all our lives, especially singing. I led the first tour by a UK school choir to China and my Fellowship enabled me to develop my choral conducting in both secular and sacred settings here and abroad. I engaged with several organisations following my Fellowship, gave illustrated lectures about it, and also arranged a number of gatherings with other Fellows in the same theme.

There is no doubt that both my own musical activity and the impact on choirs I worked with in this country were hugely enhanced by the experience of working with over 60 choirs in China. The Fellowship took place at a seminal turning point in Chinese history – a time when massive change was beginning, felt increasingly in our day.