The School of Music and Fine Art is delighted to announce that Grenville Hancox, well known for his work as an educationalist, performer and conductor, together with his groundbreaking research with Stephen Clift on the benefits of singing for health, is the new Honorary Professor in Music, Health and Wellbeing.

He was awarded the MBE for services to Music in 2005 and presented with a Civic Award by Canterbury City Council for services to the community through music making in 2006.

Professor Kevin Dawe, Head of the School of Music and Fine Art, commented, “We are really excited about all the possibilities that this creates for the School, and look forward to working with Professor Hancox on both regional and international projects.”

Professor Hancox has directed many orchestral and choral performances in the UK and Europe including some of the most challenging works in the choral repertoire and as a clarinet player has performed extensively throughout the UK, in Europe and the USA appearing amongst others with the Sacconi and Maggini String Quartets and the London Mozart Players.

Until March 2012, he was head of department and director of music at Canterbury Christ Church University having been made the first professor of music in Kent in 2000. Co-founding the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health (2003) and forging a very special relationship between the university and the former master of the Queens Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies are two examples of many achievements whilst in post.  He has a successful record of fund raising for research projects and for ensuring music is at the heart of any thriving healthy community.

As a Trustee of the Creative Foundation in Folkestone Professor Hancox has championed engagement in the arts as a means of social regeneration and since leaving Canterbury Christ Church University, founded the Canterbury Cantata Trust to emphasising the importance of group singing for all in the community and to encourage younger people to be involved with their communities through practical music activities. In  2010 he established Skylarks, a singing group for people with Parkinson’s, with groups in both Canterbury and London.