Former Music Director (1982-2022)

Christopher Fifield first conducted Lambeth Orchestra in 1979. He was its Music Director for 40 years from 1982, retiring in 2022. 

Conducting engagements have taken Chris to Germany, Singapore, Sweden, Norway and Iceland as well as elsewhere in the UK.

Chris comes from Croydon, London. After studies at Manchester and Cologne he joined Glyndebourne where he served on the music staff for many years. 

He made his first recording for Sterling label in 2003 of Frederic Cliffe's Symphony No.1 and the tone picture Cloud and Sunshine, followed by the Symphony and orchestral music of Xaver Scharwenka in 2004, orchestral works by Andreas Halleen and Philipp Scharwenka in 2006, Franz Xaver Schynder von Wartensee in 2007, and in 2008 he recorded orchestral works by Richard Franck with the Wurttemberg Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2009 he recorded the symphonies of Robert Hermann.

As well as a conductor, he is a music historian and has several published books to his name, including two editions of 'The Life and Works of Max Bruch', 'True Artist and True Friend', a biography of the conductor Hans Richter (an extended edition which was published in 2016), and two editions (2003 and 2012) of the 'Letters and Diaries of Kathleen Ferrier'.

In response to a commission from the Tillett Trust, he wrote 'The Rise and Fall of a Musical Empire: A History of the music agents Ibbs and Tillett' in 2005. 

His most recent book, and the subject for his doctorate' The German Symphony between Beethoven and Brahms', was published in April 2015 by Ashgate.