John Sutton MBE is retiring from conducting Winchester choirs. After a conducting career spanning over 45 years, his last concert, consisting of a massed choral sing of the Verdi Requiem, will be performed at The Anvil, Basingstoke, on 11 May, in honour of his work. John started his musical career as the youngest
double bass player in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. While at school he was a founder member of the group that went on to become the 70s cult band, Mott the Hoople. He gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music where he studied singing with Mark Raphael, double bass with Eugene Cruft and conducting with Sir Adrian Boult! His eclectic love of music has taken him throughout UK and Europe, performing with a variety of musicians from Pierre Boulez to the Walker Brothers; and an enormous number of venues from Ronnie Scott’s to the Royal Albert Hall! He has brought pleasure through music to many thousands of people as a performer, conductor and teacher, with the philosophy
that music can be a medium through which communities at large can benefit. John has helped to raise many tens of thousands of pounds for worthy causes including Hampshire hospices as Musical Director of
the Voices for Hospices Choir and Sinfonia. In the New Year Honours 2023, King Charles III recognised his contribution to choral singing and charity fundraising by awarding him an MBE. He is immensely proud of this recognition, not only for himself, but for the many singers, players and others who have supported him over the many years.
www.anvilarts.org.