Music Staff
Leonie Hempton BMus(Cond) DME, Director of Music
After graduating from Sydney Conservatorium, Leonie spent four years in England developing her skills as a pianist and accompanist. As a music educator, she has had vast experience in many areas of music and music education. She has taught in a number of secondary schools and worked as a vocal coach for the State Opera and State Theatre Companies of South Australia, as well as teaching at NIDA in Sydney. Leonie has conducted many community, university and school choirs. She has been Director of Music at St Peter’s Cathedral since 1996, and also teaches music at Marryatville Special Interest Music High School.
Shirley Gale AUA, Principal Organist
Shirley Gale studied piano from an early age with the late George Pearce and Lance Dossor. She is an Associate of the Adelaide University in Performing Arts, majoring in performance in piano and won several scholarships including the Elder Scholarship. Her organ studies began under the late Harold Wylde and the late Dr. Jack Peters and she became Organist at the Marion Methodist Church. She taught piano at Annesley College and Pulteney Grammar, subsequently taking charge of Junior School Music at Pembroke School for 22 years during which time she toured as Organist/Pianist for the Pembroke Girls’ Choir throughout South Australia, interstate, Japan and Europe. Presently she is Principal Organist at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Adelaide.
David Swale AM; MusB(Cantab) MA PhD(Adel) FRCO, Organist Emeritus
David Swale was born at York, England, where from the age of 8, he sang in the Cathedral Choir under the direction of Edward Bairstow, whose versatility and musical skills provided many possibilities for further consideration. After military service in Palestine, and four years at Caius College, Cambridge, he taught at Christ's Hospital in Sussex, and went from there to St Peter's College in Adelaide. He taught musicology at Adelaide University, being for a time Dean of Music and later, of Performing Arts. He was organist and director of music at St Peter's Cathedral for 37 years and since retiring, has found much pleasure in being mentor to organ scholars.
Edward Ananian-Cooper LTCL AMusTCL BE(Hons), Gregorian Choir Director
Edward Ananian-Cooper has been associated with the Cathedral Choir since joining as a treble at age 8. He has conducted the gentlement of the choir since 2007, and he regularly directs the full choir's weekday evensongs. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours at the University of Adelaide, and ran his own engineering business for five years. He is currently studying violin and piano privately, as well as conducting at the Elder Conservatorium.