Martin Palmer is the Director of Music at Truro School, where he has built up one of the biggest and busiest music departments in the Southwest – the department now puts on just under 60 concerts each year and employs 35 of Cornwall’s top specialist music teachers, offering pupils numerous opportunities to learn and perform at a variety of levels and in many different styles.

Although born in Cullompton, Devon, Martin Palmer spent the majority of his formative years in Northamptonshire, where he attended Wellingborough Grammar School, was the organist at Wellingborough United Reformed Church and a cellist in Northampton County Youth Orchestra. During his year off he taught part-time for the Northamptonshire Music Service and worked for the organ building company Grant, Degens and Bradbeer.
As a student he spent four years at the Royal Academy of Music where he studied the organ, cello, composition and conducting, and took the London University degree. The RAM was an exciting place to study and gave him opportunities to meet and work with composers such as Sir Michael Tippett, Peter Maxwell-Davies, Lutoslawski, Penderecki and Stockhausen. He subsequently went on to gain his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists and Royal Academy of Music Performer’s Diploma.

Whilst at the RAM he also spent five years singing with the London Philharmonic Choir, which gave him invaluable choral experience working with London’s top choral conductors and opportunities to perform and record alongside the world’s top orchestras, conductors and soloists.

The next decade was spent in London as conductor of the Camden Chamber Orchestra, Kensington Chamber Orchestra & Choir and as Director of Music at St John the Divine, Kennington and Kensington United Reformed Church. At the same time he worked as Assistant Director of Music at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, and Kings College School, Wimbledon, before becoming Director of Music at Forest School, London, and subsequently Truro School.
He has been Truro Choral Society’s Music Director since September 2009 and is also the organist at Newquay Parish Church, indulges in modern languages, house renovation, tree house construction, has three exhausting young children and enjoys eating maltesers in large quantities.
 

Response from Martin (August 2009):

Dear All

As you read this I hope you are enjoying your month off and some of the wonderful, warm, summer sunshine! Russell Pascoe and I really enjoyed your performance of the Creation at the end of last term (again in sun) and are looking forward to working with you in September.

We have a real feast of music for you this academic year, beginning with Russell’s Salmow Kernewek and Handel’s Zadok the Priest, quickly moving to the Christmas Messiah in the Cathedral, then a vast Carmina Burana before Easter and more Handel and Beethoven back in the Cathedral in June.

I am very excited about our future together and am looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday September 8th.

Martin Palmer