Conductor

A graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, Hilary Punnett is a freelance conductor, organist and singer in the London and Essex area, where she was from 2019-2022 Assistant Organist and Director of the Girls’ Choir at Chelmsford Cathedral. 

Hilary completed her M.Mus. in Organ Performance at McGill under the tutelage of John Grew and William Porter and was awarded the W. Douglas Clark Memorial prize and the Douglas Mackey prize for her studies. During her time in Montreal, Hilary was Assistant Organist at Christ Church Cathedral. In 2011 she moved to England, spending two years at Southwell Minster as Organ Scholar, where, in 2012, she was also Director of the Minster Girls’ Choir. From there she moved on to become the inaugural Travis Organ Fellow at All Saints’ Church, Northampton, where she accompanied the choir in their 7 weekly sung services. From 2014-2019 Hilary worked at Lincoln Cathedral as Assistant Organist, where she regularly accompanied and conducted the acclaimed Cathedral Choir, trained the probationer choristers, and was Director of the Lincoln Cathedral Consort. 

Hilary has also worked with community choirs and school choirs around the UK, such as Lincoln Minster Preparatory School Choir, Lincoln Diocesan Ladies’ Choir, Chiara, and Cranmer Company of Singers. Hilary is currently Director of Ingatestone Choral Society and the Stondon Singers, and regularly supports the Royal School of Church Music both as tutor at their residential courses and as Area Team Leader for Essex and East London.