William Dore read Music at Jesus College, Oxford where, as Organ Scholar he
studied organ with Nicolas Kynaston and John Wellingham. He directed the College Choir and the
Music Society and was active both as an organ soloist, accompanist, and collaborative musician on
the piano throughout the University. He was Organ Scholar at Norwich Cathedral, accompanying
daily services, concerts and their tour to Scandinavia and recording for Channel 4. He was appointed
as Organist and Assistant Music Teacher at Ipswich School where he was active in promoting the
Chapel Choir and introducing tours abroad alongside his classroom and private teaching. He
returned to his old school, Ampleforth College as Assistant Director of Music in 1994 and succeeded
his first teacher, Simon Wright as Abbey Organist in September 2005. He has maintained a busy
schedule both in the classroom, and in directing ensembles, including the Schola Cantorum, the
College Orchestra and the Big Band alongside his work as a freelance musician.
Performances as a Soloist
William has given organ recitals at many major venues which include Oxford Town Hall, Norwich
Cathedral, St Pauls and Westminster Cathedrals, York Minster, Bridlington Priory, Hull City Hall and
many smaller venues. He has also recorded for Priory Records, a disc titled: ‘Influence of Plainsong’,
which included works by Jeanne Demessieux, Charles Tournemire and Philip Moore on the organ of
Ampleforth Abbey. He gives frequent performances in the Abbey, notably as soloist with the
Orchestra of Opera North in Saint-Saen’s Organ Symphony for the Ryedale Festival, and of
Messiaen’s La Nativite and L’Ascension.
Performances as a Collaborative Musician
William has made many appearances as organ and piano accompanist throughout the North of
England with various amateur and professional ensembles. These have included Tenebrae,
Manchester Camerata and ‘Sounds Baroque’ (Cambridge Baroque Soloists) as a continuo player, and as a piano accompanist, with young soloists from Future Talent and with many other soloists
including Marcus Farnsworth (baritone) and Matthew Sharp (cello).
He has also undertaken many tours as organ accompanist in Europe and the Far East.
Videos below, working with Emilia Jaques (Soprano).
William has taken part in many other ensembles as a pianist, embracing many genres including jazz,
pop and folk. The link below is of a work composed by Pietro Lusvardi for Saxophone, Piano, Double
Bass and Percussion.
As a Conductor
William has been very active as a director and band leader. He founded the Ampleforth and Ryedale Concert Choir in 2004 and ran the Ampleforth Schola Cantorum conducting performances of many major choral works both in the Abbey and in other local venues. These have included the Northern premiere of Philip Moore’s Requiem in 2016, Requiem by Brahms, Mozart, Durufle and Faure, The Creation (Haydn), Petite Messe Solonelle (Rossini), St Nicolas (Britten), Vespers of 1610 (Monteverdi), Chichester Psalms (Bernstein) and Messiah (Handel). He also founded the Ampleforth College Big Band, taking it to play in two major jazz clubs in London, and to the Cork Jazz Festival. He has recently been appointed as Director of the Chanticleer Singers,
a chamber choir based in Malton, North Yorkshire.
