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 Director of Music

  Mark Quarmby 
  B Mus, LTCL, L Dip A, A Mus A

Mark Quarmby graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium studying organ under Norman Johnston and piano under Marjorie Hesse. He has given recitals throughout Australia, Europe, North America, Asia and New Zealand. For over 20 years he was associated with the music of St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, playing the organ for national live broadcasts, visits of the Queen, funerals of State governors and national memorial services. In August 2009 he was appointed Director of Music at St Stephen's, Macquarie Street.

In Europe he has played in the Cathedrals of St Paul's, London, Canterbury, Salisbury, Oxford, Winchester, Lichfield, Westminster Abbey plus Notre-Dame, Paris, with recitals in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, and Holland. In 2009 he gave the opening recital of the American Guild of Organists Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, playing a whole program devoted to organ music written by Australian composers.

He has been the President of the Organ Music Society of Sydney, has served on the committee of the Royal School of Church Music (NSW) and is currently a National Director of the Organ Historical Trust of Australia and teaches piano, organ and musicianship at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, and privately.

 Choral Director

  Anthony Pasquill
  B Mus, DipABRSM

About to embark on a professional life embracing the roles of conductor and educator, Anthony has already enjoyed a distinguished career at his relatively youthful age.

Born in 1984 in Royal Leamington Spa, Anthony began his musical training in the choir of Lichfield Cathedral where he was head chorister under the guidance of Andrew Lumsden. During this time he gave concerts at Les Soeurs de l'Assomption; a concert and Eucharist in Cologne Cathedral and also a full choir recital in Frankfurt Cathedral, Germany. As a chorister he has also appeared with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Michael George and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at Coventry Cathedral, as well as Midnight Mass in 1995, both of which were televised by the BBC.  

Educated at Shrewsbury School (UK), he gained his Diploma in clarinet performance a year before his A-levels and made his conducting debut at St John Smiths' Square, London with the orchestra before obtaining a place at Leeds University to study clarinet performance in 2003. There he received his Bachelor of Music (Performance) in 2007. During this time he completed a year abroad at the University of North Texas, studying composition, contemporary clarinet performance with Dr Elizabeth McNutt and conducting with Clay Couturiaux.

Returning to Leeds in 2006, Anthony was appointed conductor of the Leeds University Union Music Society Chamber Orchestra (LUUMS) and assistant of the LUUMS Symphony Orchestra. He was also involved with LS2 (School of Music Contemporary Music Ensemble (2007), the University of Leeds Philharmonia (2006-7) and the University Liturgical Choir.

Since moving to Australia, he has worked with the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra and has performed with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 he assisted in the preparation of the surrealist two act opéra bouffe Les mamelles de Tirésias by Francis Poulenc and in 2010, Benjamin Britten's comic opera Albert Herring at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he is studying for his MMus in conducting with Maestro Imre Palló.

Anthony was appointed Assistant Chorus Master of Willoughby Symphony Choir at the start of 2009 and completed his year with the choir preparing Bruckner's Mass in E Minor and Dvorak's Spectre's Bride. Later this year he is conducting a performance of Haydn's Creation with the Macquarie University Singers.

In 2010 he was engaged as Choral Director at St Stephen's Uniting Church.

He is currently Musical Director of Sydney based chamber choir Bel a cappella who have sung concerts around Sydney since his appointment in 2008. Most recently was a performance of Britten's A Boy Was Born and Arvo Pärt's Berliner Messe at St. Scholastica's Chapel in Glebe. 2011 sees the choir performing alongside the newly formed Marrickville Symphony Orchestra as well as a performance of Rachmaninov's Vespers in November.

He is currently involved with the Symphony Australia Core Conductors program which is designed for musicians aspiring to a career conducting around the world and has already spent time working with the Auckland Philharmonia and their Chief Conductor Eckehard Stier as well as a week in Melbourne with Sebastian Lang-Lessing.

2012 will see him work alongside the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs as their assistant chorus-master, during which he will be preparing the choirs for concerts with many international conductors at the Sydney Opera House.

 Assistant Organist

  David Tagg
  ATCL

David Tagg started playing the organ at his family church, Killara Uniting. He attended Knox Grammar School where he started and continues to study with Peter Kneeshaw AM. David has had the opportunity to play at a number of venues including the Sydney Town Hall, St. Mary's Cathedral, Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral and has given a number of recitals around Sydney.

Upon leaving school he was appointed Organ Scholar at St Stephen's in 2009 and held this position for two and a half years. In June 2011 he was appointed Assistant Organist. In 2011 he accompanied Stainer's 'The Crucifixion' with a massed choir in a St Stephen's Good Friday concert. For the past three years he has played at the Sydney Opera House's Open Day celebrations.

David has been awarded the Associate Diploma of the Trinity College of Music, London with Distinction in organ performance and completed a Bachelor of Design in Architecture degree at the University of Sydney in 2011.

The St Stephen's Brass Ensemble

The St Stephen's Brass Ensemble was formed by leader Byron Westbury in 2011 from members of his Five Cities Brass Quintet. They regularly lead the music at Christmas, Easter and HymnFest in addition to playing concerts throughout the year.

From left to right:

Trumpet II - Brian McGuiness

Trombone - Ben Lovell-Greene

Trumpet I - Byron Westbury (leader)

French Horn - Radu Boros

Tuba - Joshua Jaworski

Telephone: (02) 9221 1688

FAX: (02) 9230 0316

Email: office@ssms.org.au