Christopher Dowie was born in Dorking in 1944 and educated in Sutton in Surrey. He was Organ Scholar at Hertford College, Oxford after which he became a school teacher in South London for 10 years.

He was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at Wimborne Minster in 1977 and continued to hold this post until October 2006. Since leaving the Minster he has continued his work as a free-lance musician in Dorset and further afield.

He has been the Accompanist and Assistant Chorus Master of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus since 1992 and plays Organ and Harpsichord with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. He has also played for a number of amateur Music Societies.

Christopher is Founder-Conductor of Wimborne Choral Society and of the Wessex Singers and has been Guest Conductor of the Dorset Guild of Singers on several occasions.

His other musical activities cover a very broad spectrum, taking in playing with the BSO Tea Time Trio, performing “One-Man” Evenings of Songs, Stories and Piano Music and organising and promoting Concerts and Recitals for Wimborne Music Society.

His output as a Composer includes three Cantatas for Chorus, Orchestra and Soloists, some Church Music and a variety of Instrumental pieces.

The Wessex Singer's resident composer is Liz Radford. Liz has been a professional composer for many years, writing music for TV, (BBC, ITV, C4, MTV), radio and film, as well as songs, classical choral works and commissioned pieces. The Wessex Singers have premiered her last three Choral pieces, and the relationship with the chamber choir is a very special one for her.

As well as composing music, Liz has performed widely as a musician, playing in over 30 countries as a keyboard player and violinist, performing with artists as varied as The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Boy George!

She now travels less widely, and concentrates on writing, playing and recording from a home-based studio with her partner, (website is here).

In 2009 The Wessex Singers are welcoming their twinned French Choir "La Valmontaise" for a visit, and a joint concert is planned in Wimborne, for which her latest piece "Quel Bonheur" has been written.