Musical Director, Les Shankland

 Les Shankland has been Musical Director of the Chapter House Singers since January 2008. 

 After reading music at Edinburgh University, he was awarded a scholarship to study choral conducting at the Hochschule in Vienna. Since then he has worked extensively with many choral and instrumental groups throughout Scotland. He co-founded Pocket Opera, an amateur company specialising in taking small-scale opera performance to rural venues and for two years was Musical Director of Edinburgh Grand Opera.

 Les is perhaps best known in Edinburgh music circles by his long association with Old St Paul’s Church, where he was Director of Music for many years. He continues in his role as a full-time teacher of Music at Bo’ness Academy in West Lothian. 
           
 He enjoys composing and arranging music, results of which having been heard both in concerts and on BBC Radio.