Gary Sieling was born in Bedfordshire and educated at Dunstable Grammar School. He read for his BMus degree at the University of London, Goldsmiths’ College and while a student played for the debut of the London Cantata Choir with whom he is still associated. He studied organ with Peter Moorse, Nicholas Danby at the Royal College of Music, Dr Peter le Huray at St Catherine’s College Cambridge, and Jane Parker-Smith. He was awarded FRCO in 1981 and MA in Performance from Anglia Ruskin University in 1997, studying organ with Nicholas Kynaston at Caius College Cambridge.
Gary was organist of Dunstable Priory and then Assistant Master of Music at Peterborough Cathedral. During his time there he was Conductor of the Peterborough Philharmonic Society, Director of the St Peter’s Singers, and Founder and Associate Conductor of the City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. He also taught organ and piano at Oundle and Stamford Schools. He played for the Cathedral Choir on two tours of America in addition to regular TV and radio broadcasts and recordings.
After 6 years in London as Director of Music at Bromley Parish Church and All Saints Blackheath, Gary has now relocated to Reading. He is Associate Director of Music at St Giles-in-Reading, Director of the Berkshire Baroque Consort and the Founder and Director of the chamber choir ‘FineChants’ which has recently sung at Brussels, Cologne and St Paul’s Cathedrals. He works as a freelance organist, harpsichordist, conductor, adjudicator, and examiner for the Royal College of Organists. He spent the summers of 2009 and 2011 as the Music Adjudicator to the Sri Lanka Performing Arts Festival.
His CD recordings include one for Priory Records from Chelmsford Cathedral featuring the major organ works of Stanley Vann, sometime organist of Peterborough Cathedral, and the ‘Kenneth Leighton Memorial Album’ which Gary compiled and published. Gary has also recorded a CD of harpsichord and organ music at Bromley Parish Church. Organ concert venues in this country include St Paul’s, Canterbury and Westminster Cathedrals, King’s College Cambridge and Westminster Abbey. He has made ten international concert tours visiting Denmark, Germany, Italy and USA.
Gary likes to relax by travelling, exploring old churches, and messing about on the Kennet and Avon canal in his narrowboat.