David Bednall is a highly experienced accompanist and choral director and has worked with a number of professional performers and ensembles. He has worked with the choirs of The Queen's College, Oxford, Gloucester and Wells Cathedrals and is currently Director of the Bristol University Singers.

He relishes the uniquely satisfying experience of a successful musical fusion with other performers and has recently worked closely with singers. In particular he has worked extensively with the tenor Richard Rowntree giving recitals around the UK and abroad. Notable performances have included the Finzi Song Cycles A Young Man’s Exhortation, Oh Fair To See and Till Earth Outwears and Britten’s Winter Words. They also performed the Lili Boulanger cycle Clairières dans le ciel in the American Church in Paris in 2005. They have a particular interest in the songs of Michael Head and have released an acclaimed CD of a number of his songs on Lammas. David has written songs specifically for Richard and these appear on this recording.

He has given a number of recitals with the bass Christopher Sheldrake including Finzi’s Earth and Air and Rain and Let Us Garlands Bring and Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad. Other notable work includes recitals with the baritone Stephen Foulkes including a concert for the English Poetry and Song Society which consisted of settings of poems by Housman. This is available as a live CD on Dunelm Records and has been excellently received. In 2004 he performed Britten’s Canticles II, III and IV in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a staged adaptation with the tenor Iain MacLeod-Jones and other instrumentalists. He has appeared with all of these singers in the annual St Cuthbert’s Festival in Wells as soloists and in ensembles.

As a choral conductor he has much experience working with the professional choirs of Wells Cathedral, Gloucester Cathedral and The Queen’s College, Oxford, involving work with both adult singers and boy and girl choristers. He was Director on the CD Lux æterna with Gloucester Cathedral Choir and on a live recording on Langlais Messe Solennelle and Finzi Lo, the full final sacrifice with the choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford. He directed the Chapel Choir in the tour of Paris in 2000 which included singing mass at Notre Dame.

He is Director of Cantilena and has directed many major works with them including Handel Messiah, Bach St John Passion, Magnificat and Easter Oratorio, Vivaldi Gloria, Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs and Archer Requiem. He has privileged to work with the Pfretzner String Quartet for many of these concerts along with other professional musicians.

He has played the organ on numerous occasions with Orchestras including The Emerald Ensemble, Sarum Chamber Orchestra and Wells Cathedral School Orchestra. He also played the substantial piano part in David Briggs Creation with The Philharmonia in the 2001 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester.