Ronald Frost, Director of Music

The post of Director of Music in any parish church is demanding and varied, ranging from conducting the choir to playing for childrens services and giving concerts. St Ann's has a long tradition in music, with a weekly series of Organ Recitals and a busy schedule of services requiring appropriate choral contributions and accompaniment, all of which are managed and organised by the Director of Music.

Ronald Frost was born in Bury, Lancs, in 1933, and has held the post since 1978. Following an education at Bury Grammar School, he went on to study Organ at the Royal Manchester College of Music, achieving his ARCO (1953) and FRCO (1955) winning the Limpus Prize for both, and graduating with a BMus (Dunelm). In 1956 he was appointed Accompanist to the Halle Chorus until 1972, when he became Chorus Master, retiring from this post in 1992. From 1976 until 1996 he was Principal Organist of the Halle Orchestra, working with many great conductors and performers.

From 1956 until 1970 Ronald also held the post of Tutor in Organ Studies at the RMCM, becoming Director of Studies in 1970 and overseeing the transition of the college as it became the Royal Northern College of Music in 1973. In the same year, he was appointed Principal Tutor in Organ Studies, a post he kept until his retirement from work at the college in 2001.

He has many accolades to his name, including FRMCM(1971), FNMSM(2001), FGCM(2003), and most recently FRSCM(2005). Throughout his life he has worked in a professional capacity as a Recitalist, Harpsichordist and Accompanist, performing at many prestigous venues, and with a great number of world-class musicians, as well as maintaining a high standard of music in the choir at St Ann's and other churches.

Outside of music, he has great interests in painting and drawing, walking, dogs, and avidly supports his home town, Bury FC. Occasionally they win.