St Mary's Shop

Stephen Binnington was born in Beverley, East Yorkshire.

Educated locally he was taught the piano by June Stephenson and the cello by Jill Booth.

He was a chorister at Beverley Minster and studied with the Minster organist, Alan Spedding.

He continued his studies at the Royal College of Music where his professors included John Birch, Hubert Dawkes and Herbert Sumsion.

In 1976 he was appointed Director of Music at Port Regis School, Shaftesbury.

His career as a freelance musician has taken him to Canada, Malta, Germany and many parts of England.

For sixteen years he was conductor of the Blandford Choral Society and has regularly conducted at the Milton Abbey Music Festival. A well known accompanist, Stephen is regularly invited to accompany singers and instrumentalists, and perform chamber music with established ensembles in concerts throughout the country. He has given organ recitals in many places throughout the country - from the smallest of village churches to such notable venues as the Temple Church and St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Throughout his career he has championed works by living composers, commissioned new works and given scores of first performances.

Since 1998, he has devoted some time to composing and several instrumental works have now been published including a Trio for 2 Oboes and cor anglais by Phylloscopos Publications.

He is married with two children and lives in an idyllic part of rural Dorset.