Stephen Shellard comes from Dublin. He began his musical career as a
Chorister in the choir of St Bartholomew’s Church, Ballsbridge, later
moving to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where he became Head Chorister and
Winstanley Scholar. He continued his musical education at Trinity College
Dublin, during which time he became the youngest ever Alto Lay Vicar
Choral in the 800-year history of St. Patrick’s. After completing his BA at
Trinity College in 1990, Stephen moved to join Worcester Cathedral Choir
as an Alto Lay Clerk, and later became the Senior Lay Clerk. In February
2023, he stepped down from this role after 32 years’ service, in order to
focus more fully on his conducting career.
Stephen’s solo career has included working with the Worcester Festival
Choral Society, as well as many other choral societies. He has sung and
recorded with specialist early music ensemble ‘Musica Contexta,’ singing
solo on their debut recording of Sheppard’s Cantate Mass for the Herald
label (HAVPCD195) and on the group’s three-disc Palestrina project for
Chandos. Their recording, Music for Holy Saturday (CHAN 0679), was in
the Editor’s top ten choice in the July 2002 issue of Gramophone, and was
nominated for a Gramophone award, as well as being chosen as Critic’s
Disc of the Year choice in the December 2002 issue. Stephen also sang
solo in the group’s Wigmore Hall debut in 2001, which was broadcast on
Radio 3. Other solo engagements have included Britten’s Abraham and
Isaac, and Handel’s Messiah with Sir David Willcocks, both at the 2002
Three Choir’s Festival and Bach’s St Matthew Passion with ‘Armonico
Consort’, of which he was a founder member.
In October 2003, Stephen sang solo in the choir’s debut at the Wigmore
Hall with Emma Kirkby, in recently discovered works of Alessandro
Scarlatti. He has also featured on the group’s recordings of works by
Scarlatti and the Victoria Requiem on the Deux-Elles label.
In 1998, Stephen founded the Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir to
further his lifelong passion for conducting. He made his orchestral
conducting debut in Worcester Cathedral in March 2000, with the
combined Chamber and Cathedral Choirs and the London based
Westminster Chamber Orchestra in Bach’s St. John Passion. Since then, he
has developed the choir’s repertoire and conducted them in
performances including Brahms’ Requiem(version with two pianos);
Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Nelson Massand Durufle’s Requiem. Stephen
has also directed the choir in seven recordings: Sing Choirs of
Angels (2002), Jerusalem(2004), A Worcester
Evensong (2006), Hodie (2009), Rise Heart(2011), The Guest (2013)
and Royal Worcester (2018)
In 2019 Stephen was appointed chorus master to the Elgar festival. After
the pandemic halted its projected first appearance in 2020 the chorus
made its debut in the 2022 festival with The Spirit of England.
Stephen has a thriving private teaching practice, and he also teaches
singing at the Elgar School of Music. He holds Performer’s Diplomas in
Piano (LRSM) and Singing (ARCM), and he is currently studying for an
MMus in Conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.