Jonathan Willcocks and Guildford Choral Society share chemistry

As musical experiences go, talking to an enthusiastic, experienced and forward looking conductor is one of the best there is. Music should be infectious, inspiring and magical and every time a choir, orchestra, ensemble or soloists steps onto the stage, they have a unique opportunity to move every single member of the audience. It’s that sort of passion that spurred Jonathan Willcocks into making his first job application in 35 years – for the position of musical director of the Guildford Choral Society.

“This is very exciting for me,” he says, as we find a spare table at the Refectory at Guildford Cathedral, where Guildford Choral Society performs on a regular basis. “Starting to work with a new choir is like a marriage. We’ve had our first date, where I took the choir for a rehearsal as part of the interview process, and now we get to see how the chemistry works, where the buzz is and how we can commit to each other for future success.”