A NEW man has taken on responsibility for ensuring the rafters are raised at Great Malvern Priory.

Piers Maxim, a former chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral and choral scholar at Clares College Cambridge, has been appointed as the church’s new director of music.

Mr Maxim boasts an impressive CV, having performed at both the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and the wedding of Prince Charles and the late Lady Diana Spencer while at St Paul’s, before embarking on a varied career that has taken in stints as Chorus Master at Scottish Opera and the national opera company of Belgium, La Monnaie.

He is also a soughtafter composer, producing a Millennium Commission that was performed at Southwark Cathedral in front of the Queen, and recently winning the Longfellow Cantata Composition Competition in the USA for his cantata Song of the Silent Land.

Mr Maxim said: “I’m so pleased to be joining the team as director of music, taking over from David Iliff who leaves the music ministry at the Priory in a very healthy state.

“My family and I look forward to meeting the congregation and getting fully involved in the Great Malvern community.”