My husband, John Poole, who has died aged 86, was director of the BBC Singers for nearly 20 years. Under his leadership they earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest professional choirs.
Born in Birmingham, John was the son of James Poole, a toolmaker at the Austin motor works, and his wife, Nellie (nee Jones). As a young boy, he composed tunes on the piano and devised programmes to “broadcast” from his bedroom. He joined a choir and became the organist at a local church. In addition to his devotion to music, he loved physical exercise.
John was educated at King Edward’s school, Five Ways, and gained his degree in music at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1955. He was blessed with inspiring teachers – including Dennis Davenport at King Edward’s and Jack Westrup at Balliol – who profoundly affected his development as a person and musician.
After national service, John taught at Latymer Upper school, Hammersmith (1957-64). Former pupils remember his enthusiastic teaching and open, friendly personality. He was also organist at St George’s, Bloomsbury, the London University church at the time, and founded the Bloomsbury Choral Society. In 1964 he became musical director of University College London, where he was noticed by the BBC, leading to his appointment as conductor of the BBC Symphony Chorus in 1968.
The most important period of John’s career began in 1972, when he became director of the BBC Singers. A committed advocate of new music, he gave first performances of numerous works, the best-known probably being Giles Swayne’s Cry (1979). The conductor Barry Rose described him as “a superb, instinctive and unfussy choral conductor in so many styles – and totally unflappable’’. For Dame Sarah Connolly, John was “kind, witty, eccentric and individual”.
In 1966 John married Anne Toler, and they had three children. She died in 1986. John and I met through through friends in Los Angeles, and married in 1987. We moved to France, where John was music director of the Groupe Vocal de France (1990-95), specialising in contemporary repertoire. Then he founded the Académie Internationale in Parthenay – a workshop for singers and professional conductors.
In 2001 John joined the conducting staff at the University of Indiana, at Bloomington, remaining there until 2009, when we moved to Bellac in the Limousin.
John had a remarkable gift for friendship; over more than six decades former students became lifelong friends. Some came to France in recent years for singing holidays with him.
He is survived by me, his three children, David, Matthew and Christopher, and his grandchildren, Madeline and Toler.
