Who's Who

Robin Griffith-Jones is the Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple at the Temple Church, and a Senior Lecturer in Theology at King’s College London. His chief care is for those who work or live in the Temple, the services of the Church, and its roles in the life of the Temple, London and the nation through the 850 years of its history to the present day.

Robin worked at the auctioneers Christies on leaving Oxford in 1978. After working, 1984–86, with Mother Theresa’s Sisters in India and with the longterm homeless in London, Robin studied theology in Cambridge. He served as Curate (assistant minister) in outer Liverpool, 1989–92, and as Chaplain at Lincoln College, Oxford University, 1992–99. Robin was appointed Master of the Temple in 1999.

Robin has published widely on the New Testament, and on law and religion and architectural history. His books on the New Testament and early Christendom are The Four Witnesses (about the gospels, 2000),
The Gospel According to Paul (2004), The Da Vinci Code and the Secrets of the Temple (2006), and Mary Magdalene (2008, with the title Beloved Disciple in the USA). All are available through amazon.com. Robin admits wryly that his little book on the Da Vinci Code has sold more copies than will ever be sold of all his other books together!

The Temple Church is famous as ‘the mother-church of the Common Law’. Robin ran the public discussions on Islam and English Law which began with the then Archbishop of Canterbury’s famous lecture on sharia law in the UK. Robin edited the consequent book, Islam and English Law (2013).

The Temple played a central role in the gestation of Magna Carta, and in the spread of the Charter’s principles to America and throughout the world. In the Temple Church itself, in use by 1162, are the effigies of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and hero of Runnymede, and of his son the 2nd Earl, one of the Charter’s Surety Barons. Robin co-edited Magna Carta, Religion and the Rule of Law (2015), edited and produced the widely-read booklet Magna Carta 1215–2015 and curated the Magna Carta exhibition that is still on show at the Temple Church.

The Temple Church itself is one of London’s famously historic and beautiful churches; its Round Church is modelled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Robin co-edited The Temple Church: History, Architecture, Art (2013) and Tomb and Temple: Re-Imagining the Sacred Buildings of Jerusalem (2017).

Close

Mark Hatcher was educated at Exeter College, Oxford where he read jurisprudence. He won the Winter Williams Law Prize in 1977. Mark was called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 1978, having been awarded a Harmsworth Exhibition and an Astbury Scholarship.

After a short period in practice, he joined the Law Commission to work on family law and private international law reform initiatives. He then worked at the House of Lords for three Lord Chancellors and was Assistant Secretary of the Law Reform Committee.

He founded the public affairs consulting practice of Coopers & Lybrand before becoming a member of the Global Regulatory and Professional Affairs Board of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mark became the Bar Council’s first Director of Representation and Policy in 2006 and until recently was Special Adviser to the Chair of the Bar.

He trained for the priesthood at St Augustine’s College of Theology and was ordained in 2012. He served his Title at St Saviour’s, Brockley Hill before becoming Reader of the Temple in 2015.

Mark is a Bencher of Middle Temple, an Honorary Bencher of Inner Temple and a member of Lincoln’s Inn. He is married to Clare, a City solicitor and they have a daughter.

Close

Matthew studied Fine Art at Middlesex University.  Before joining the Temple Church team in 2018 he was verger at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford for 23 years including 10 years as Dean's Verger.

Matthew has a keen interest in Choral Music and Art History and has researched in particular 17th Century glass in the Oxford Colleges.

Matthew is your first point of contact for venue hire and general enquiries.

Close

Thomas Allery is Director of Music at Temple Church where he leads the programme of liturgical and choral music in the church, leading the chorister educational programme, and directing the choirs in services and concerts.

Thomas enjoys a varied career spanning work as an organist, harpsichordist, and director. Having studied at Oxford University and the Royal College of Music, Thomas completed an Artist Diploma in harpsichord at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he studied with James Johnstone and Carole Cerasi. From 2014 – 19 Thomas was Director of chapel music at Worcester College, Oxford and was also Assistant Organist of Magdalen College.

Outside of choral music, Thomas is in regular demand as a continuo player on organ and harpsichord, for chamber music and orchestral repertoire, known for his improvisatory flair. He is the regular continuo player of award-winning chamber ensemble, Ensemble Hesperi. With this group, he has performed at numerous leading festivals in the UK and abroad, broadcast and recorded, often presenting the programmes of rarely heard Scottish baroque music which has become their signature repertoire. In 2014-15, Thomas was a Junior Fellow in Harpsichord and Continuo at the Royal College of Music and was a Britten-Pears young artist as a continuo player, performing Bach cantatas under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe at Snape Maltings. In 2023 he made his debut directing the London Mozart Players.

Teaching and outreach are central to Thomas’ work. He is passionate about encouraging students to develop a range of musical skills from a young age, often creating educational resources which link performance with musical theory, aural awareness, keyboard understanding, and harmony to encourage the development of a well-rounded musician.

Thomas teaches basso continuo at the Royal College of Music and is currently undertaking research into historical continuo treatises from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and exploring how they can be used in keyboard education today.

Close

Charles Andrews is Liturgical Organist of the Temple Church, London and professor of organ and Organ co-ordinator at the Royal College of Music. Charles studied at the RCM with David Graham, Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, John Barstow and John Blakely with the aid of a Douglas & Kyra Downie Award.
Before joining the Temple Church Charles was Associate Director of Music at All Saints, Margaret Street in the West End of London from 2011-16. Recently four live performances with the Temple Church Choir have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, including the first performance of Carmina tempore viri by Kenneth Hesketh last year. Plans for 2023 include recording works associated with Henry Walford Davies and George Thalben-Ball, former Organists of the Temple Church.

Close

Born and raised in Scotland, Catherine studied French at St Andrews University, gained a Graduate Diploma in secretarial skills in Edinburgh and moved to Paris.  She has many years administrative experience in the commercial sector both in France and in London – particularly in the food industry and the wine trade.  

Catherine joined the Temple Church team in 2010.  As the wife of a church musician and mother of a chorister, music and Church have played and continue to play a huge part in both her family and professional life.

She is the first point of contact for all enquiries relating to Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals and Memorial Services.

Close

Susan is a music graduate who has worked in arts administration for over 20 years. She has worked for a number of prestigious organisations: the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Westminster Abbey Choir, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the World Orchestra for Peace and an artist agency managing opera singers.

Susan has a keen passion for choral music and architectural history and feels very much at home working for Temple Church.

Close

Benjamin is a singing teacher to the Temple Choristers, and also sings with Temple Choir. He has an international career as a countertenor soloist as well as being a private singing teacher, and is the co-founder of Sloane Square Choral Society.

Benjamin’s parents both moved to the UK in the 60s to study Early Music. His mother, a Canadian soprano, and his father, a lutenist from New Zealand, decided Benjamin should have a quintessentially English education. He was Head Chorister at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, and a Choral Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, where he read Philosophy. He then undertook postgraduate vocal studies, as well as the Opera Course, at the Royal College of Music. For more information on his solo career, please see www.benjaminwilliamson.com

Benjamin has been teaching children and adults of all levels privately for over a decade, and has prepared children for ABSRM Singing Grades, as well as for chorister auditions. He is the co-founder of Conservatoire Audition Preparation Studio which provides workshops, seminars, mock auditions, and filming opportunities, and many of his students have taken places at Music College.

Benjamin has a scientific understanding of the voice, and uses effective physiological and psychological exercises to help students develop healthy and efficient vocal habits. He has attended courses including 'Training in Classical Voice' with Janice Chapman, ‘Tension Release’ with the British Voice Association, and ‘Exploring Breathing Methodology’ with speech therapist Ron Morris.

Close

Michael Jamieson Smith studied at the Royal College of Music followed by work with Margaret Hyde. Whilst at the college he was awarded the Countess of Munster and Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarships, and was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Competition, held at the Wigmore Hall. 

Michael started out as a member of the Kent Opera Company, where he sang chorus and understudies touring the U.K as well as Spain and Singapore. His operatic roles have included: Camille (The Merry Widow), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Basilio/Curzio (The Marriage of Figaro), Ferrando (Cosi Fan Tutte), Jenik (The Bartered Bride), Don José (Carmen), and Prologue (Turn of the Screw) with L’Opera National de Lyon.  

He has also appeared at the Royal Opera Covent Garden with the English Bach Festival's production of Gluck's 'Orfeo Et Eurydice' and has sung in the Aix-en-Provence Festival. With L’Opera National de Lyon he toured to San Francisco where they performed Prokofiev's 'L'amour Des Trois Orange'. 

As a concert performer, Michael has worked widely throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, notably Evangelist (St John Passion) in Geneva, and a tour of Germany and Scandinavia singing Britten’s, ‘Heart of the Matter’, a rarely performed piece which he repeated with ‘Winter Words’ as part of the Rochester Cathedral Concert Series. With his accompanist, Roger Sayer, he has given recitals around the country including Schumann’s, Dichterliebe. He has appeared at the Bath Festival performing Janacek’s ‘Otcénas’, The Fairfield Halls, Croydon, and The Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. 

As well as his work at Temple Church, Michael teaches singing at The Judd school, Tonbridge and King's School, Rochester where he is also the voice coach for the choristers at the Cathedral. 

As a Lay Clerk in the cathedral choir, Michael has made many recordings and has toured with them to U.S.A, Holland, Hungry and Malta. Their tour to Rome in 2004 also included a private audience with Pope John Paul II.  ​​​​​

Close

Before joining Temple Church as chaperone to the choristers, Jane previously worked as a photographer’s agent and then as a casting agent for children and adults in tv, film and theatre until she left to start a family.

Whilst her son was growing up, Jane helped run various children’s play groups and, after gaining her chaperone licence, she returned to work, chaperoning children on set within the entertainments industry.

Jane looks after the choristers at all their rehearsals, services, events and trips. 

Close

Parnell works with Jane as chaperone to the choristers at services and events. The rest of the time, she is a cello teacher, a nanny and Mum to a chorister of her own at another UK choral institution!

Close

Emily was Organ Scholar at St Peter’s College, Oxford where she read music, sang and directed a variety of choirs and works including Bach’s St John Passion and Tallis’ Spem in Alium with eight chapel choirs.

Shortly after graduation, she moved to Paris hoping to master the French language and pursued a career as a singer, working with ensembles such as Les Elements, Arsys, L’ensemble Jacques Moderne and Les Jeunes Solistes. She was also Assistant Conductor and accompanist of the Paris Choral Society and directed the boys at the Maîtrise of St Louis en Ile.

Shortly after her return to the UK Emily began working at various secondary schools in South London, teaching singing, piano, theory and directing choirs.

Emily directs the Merbecke Choir which is an excellent adult chamber choir based at Southwark Cathedral.

Emily lives in South London with her husband and three children, all former choristers!

Close