 Simon grew up in Suffolk and was head chorister, at St Edmunsdbury Cathedral. Much later he enjoyed a choral scholarship at St John’s College, Cambridge, whilst studying for his degree in Theology. During this period he cut his teeth as a soloist around and about the various colleges, and in oratorio engagements at cathedrals and churches throughout the country. Upon graduating, he worked as personal assistant to composer John Rutter for three years, after which he took up a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music in London, to study with Ashley Stafford.
Simon has given recitals singing a wide repertoire including English and French song, Lieder and operatic arias together with substantial dramatic works such as Britten’s Abraham and Isaac and The Journey of the Magi. During 2003 he premiered solos in John Tavener’s brand new epic (7 hour duration) The Veil of the Temple, which called for him to sing a 15 minute unaccompanied gospel at 5am! He did so again at the Lincoln Center, New York (the US premiere) and at the BBC Proms, his solo debut there. This version has since been released as a CD on RCA. In 2007 he gave a Cantata concert at Temple Church with the Temple Players. He has appeared as a soloist with The Monteverdi Choir conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner in the USA in Haydn masses, and in Europe and the Far East in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas; for Polyphony, in Hyperion recordings of James Macmillan’s Seven Last Words, conducted by Stephen Layton; at the Three Choirs Festival under Hickox, and for Laurence Cummings at the Spitalfields Festival singing as principal tenor soloist in the Monteverdi Vespers; Messiah for the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh and for Sir David Willcocks in Bern – amongst many others!
Simon has dipped his toe into the operatic pool, creating the role Owl, as part of the vocal group I Fagiolini, in a brand new work, The Birds by Ed Hughes, which premiered at the City of London Festival in July 2005. More recently, Simon played Eco and covered Second Shepherd in Monteverdi’s Orfeo, conducted by Emmanuelle Haim in Théâtre du Châtelet, Opéra de Lille, and Opéra du Rhin. He has recorded Barber’s operetta A Hand of Bridge – conducted by Marin Alsop, with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Naxos). In 2008 he will appear as the Sailor in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas as part of the Temple Festival in London.
Simon has often been invited to sing with top-notch consorts such as The Tallis Scholars, I Fagiolini, The Netherlands Bach Society, Polyphony, The Monteverdi Choir, The Cardinall’s Musick, The Cambridge Singers and The Gabrieli Consort.
Recent recordings include some Caccini songs with La Nuova Musica (www.lanuovamusica.co.uk), Charles Wood’s epic St Mark Passion (Evangelist) with the choir of Jesus College, Cambridge and the Monteverdi Vespers with The Rodolfus Choir. Future engagements include a recital of Bach, Handel, Caccini with La Nuova Musica in Aldeburgh, John Passion Evangelists aplenty, Israel in Egypt with The Holst Singers and Academy of Ancient Music conducted by Stephen Layton, and concerts and a recording of Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Purcell Quartet (2009).
Simon is taught by David Maxwell Anderson.
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