Paul Adrian Rooke (Musical Director) was born in 1945 in Peterborugh and educated at Bishop's Stortford College and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Here he read for an Honours Music degree, studying with Peter Tranchell, Phillip Radcliffe, George Guest and Raymond Leppard. After graduating he spent 36 years teaching music in secondary schools, first at The Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe and then as Director of Music at Hatfield School. From 1977 until 2000 he was Director of Music at Hitchin Girls' School. He retired from teaching in 2002 and established himself as a free-lance musical originator and editor. In January 2004 he completed a transcription onto computer from the composer's manuscript of the music drama, The Queen of Cornwall by Rutland Boughton, commissioned by The Rutland Boughton Music Trust. He then transcribed and edited Boughton's Reunion Variations and String Quartet No. 2 ('From the Welsh Hills').  Having last year edited Boughton's Oliver Cromwell Symphony and finished the composition of his own Symphony No. 2 in C, both of which were premièred in November 2005 to great acclaim. Such was the interest generated by this concert that the Oliver Cromwell Symphony was recorded onto CD by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Dr Vernon Handley, with Roderick Williams as Baritone soloist. This recording was issued on the Dutton label early in 2007 and has sold well.

Meanwhile, Paul was originating music for Volumes 37 (Music for Violin) and 4 (Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf) for the Elgar Complete Edition. Volume 37 was published on2 June 2007, the 150th anniversary of Elgar's birth. Volume 4 is due to be published in December 2007.

In January 2007, together with some business partners, Paul established a publishing firm, the main aim of which is to produce musical materials to enable performances of Elgar's music. These consist of vocal score, full scores and instrumental parts of Elgar's choral works. So far, scores so produced have been used for performances in Solihull, Coventry, Oundle, Worcester (for the 2007 Three Choirs Festival). The quality of the scores and parts has been most favourably commented upon by conductor, singers and instrumentalists alike.

Paul has conducted and composed from his student days.   The list of compositions includes various carols and solo songs as well as the song-cycles Crimson Joy, A Memory for Darkness, When I Was in Love with You and The DTS.   There is also a String Trio, a Flute Concerto, the opera The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke, Jubilee Overture (written to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Hitchin Concert Orchestra in 1989) and Ariel and Caliban (a Suite for Wind and Percussion commissioned in 1990 by North Hertfordshire Youth Orchestra). His Symphony No. 1 in D was given its première by Hitchin Symphony Orchestra in November 2001 and was very favourably received. A commission by Stevenage Choral Society for the Stevenage Jubilee Arts Festival of a choral work involving children's choir, adult choir and orchestra resulted in The Selfish Giant. This was given its première at The Gordon Craig Theatre (Stevenage) by Kingshott School Chamber Choir, Stevenage Choral Society and Hitchin Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robin Osterley. Future plans include the composition of a work for baritone solo, male voice choir and orchestra to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of Stevenage Male Voice Choir, a pianoforte concerto for Samantha Ward and a third symphony.  

In April 1984 Paul conducted in the presence of the composer a most successful production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by John McCabe. The following September he became Conductor of Hitchin Concert Orchestra (now Hitchin Symphony Orchestra) and now has a wide repertoire of 20th century British pieces and some adventurous modern works by Jeremy Aknai, Malcolm Arnold, Gordon Crosse, Douglas Coombes, John McCabe, Martin Vishnik – and himself. 

In the latter half of 2004 Paul deputised on a number of occasions as conductor of Stevenage Male Voice Choir when its permanent conductor, Martin Hurrell, was unable to do so because of commitments with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. When Martin later decided to resign as conductor of the choir, Paul was invited to become its permanent conductor with effect from January 2005. He was delighted to accept.  

Paul has also recently (2006) been elected Music Adviser to The Rutland Bougton Music Trust. Amongst his first duties in that capacity was the attendance at the recording sessions in Watford Colosseum of Boughton's Oliver Cromwell Symphony (see above).  In the summer of 2007, he was oresent at a subsequent recording in Watford Colosseum, this time of some of Boughton's Songs of the English, again using a score and orchestral parts which Paul had prepared.

Paul is delighted that his own web site, designed by his son Nicholas of Moondog Designs, appeared on the internet in November 2001 and now regularly has 150 'hits' per month. For those interested, the address is:  

 www.pauladrianrooke.com