Our Music Director

Sam Hayes was born in Aldershot. He studied Music at Cambridge University, and Choral Directing at the University of Uppsala, in Sweden, and at the Conservatoire Camille Saint-Saëns, in Paris.

A fellow of the Royal College of Organists, he won both of the major prizes in the Choral Directing Diploma examinations in 2006. Since 2005 he has been Director of Music at Great St Mary’s, The University Church, Cambridge. He taught for the Music degree course in the University of Cambridge for ten years, and has held the position of Musician in Residence at King Edward VI Upper School, Bury St Edmunds since 2010.

Sam now lives in East Surrey and is delighted to have been appointed as the first Music Director of Phoenix Choir of Crawley. Outside of Music, his interests include travelling, particularly in the   Balkans, gastronomy, cats and classic cars.

Our Accompanist

Sam is ably assisted by our enthusiastic and sympathetic rehearsal   accompanist, Gina Eason. Gina accompanies on both the piano and the organ in Surrey and Sussex. She also plays the cello and recorder and is a keen composer of works,  including small scale choral music, much of it for use in Church  Services. In her spare time Gina’s interests include outdoor activities such as cycling and bird watching, and she is an enthusiastic gardener.