Colin Mawby is an English organist, choral conductor and composer.
Education
From 1961 he was Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral, then from 1981 he was the choral director at Radio Telefís Éireann. He subsequently studied at the Royal College of Music with Gordon Jacob and John Churchill. He became Assistant and then in 1961 Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral.
Career
He was awarded Knighthood of the Order of Saint Gregory in 2006. Mawby received his earliest musical education at Westminster Cathedral choir school, where he acted as assistant to George Malcolm at the organ from the age of 12. The boys performed 14 or 15 services a week and had 10 hours of rehearsals a week, learning plainchant and polyphony.
During this time he worked with Adrian Boult and Malcolm Sargent.
Whilst there he conducted the first performance of the early music vocal ensemble Pro Cantione Antiqua. He has also collaborated with the London Mozart Players, the Wren Orchestra, the Belgian Radio Choir and the British Broadcasting Corporation Singers.
He performed for the Queen of England at Street Paul"s Cathedral, for President John F. Kennedy at Westminster Cathedral, and at Saint Peter"s Basilica for Pope John Paul World War II In 1976 he moved to Dublin where he became choral director at Radio Telefís Éireann in 1981. He founded the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir and the RTÉ children"s choir (RTÉ Cór na nÓg) in 1985.
He also founded the RTÉ Chamber Choir.
Mawby retired to East Anglia in 2001 but returned to County Dublin in Ireland briefly but moved to London, then Dublin again and now is living in London. In 2006, Mawby was awarded by Pope Benedict XVI the Knighthood of the Order of Saint Gregory, "in gratitude for past and continuing services to church music".