Director of Worship and Music Arts
From an early age David Clifton has been involved with church worship music. After receiving a scholarship to join Peterborough Cathedral choir, he attended The King’s School Peterborough, a choir school founded by Henry VIII, where his interest in the arts grew into a full-fledged passion.
He went on to study painting, ceramics, and education at Bishop Otter College, Chichester, and received his Bachelor of Education degree from Sussex University. During his time at college, he also studied music, played in several contemporary music groups, and signed his first recording contract.
He spent the next season recording, writing, and touring with some of the UK’s leading music artists before dedicating more time to composition, recording, production, and consultancy work with record companies.
More recently, David has combined his professional experience with his role as a church musician. He served as the director of music at St. Paul’s, Onslow Square, and on the worship leadership team of Holy Trinity Brompton, both in central London, England. Leaders at Holy Trinity, Brompton, developed the Alpha course, and David led the worship and taught at many of the worldwide Alpha Conferences. In 2005 Bishop Sandy Millar invited him to become the director of music at the Tollington Parish, also in London, where he oversaw the music of three churches—St. Mark’s, St. Saviour’s, and Emmanuel.
In the fall of 2009, David moved from London to join the Apostles Anglican staff as Director of Music and Worship Arts. His role includes a wider responsibility within the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) to assist local and AMiA churches in the training and development of worship leaders, music directors, and worship teams.
At Apostles, David continues to hone his vision of faith and the arts within the context of creative excellence: “I very much hope to inspire people to realise that we all have a creative streak within us that can be explored with great reward, and also to help our musicians, artists, writers, and poets to develop their gifts and grow in their skills. There is no reason why sacred music and art cannot once again set the standard of the day as it once did in the time of Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Messiaen, Blake, and many other great Spiritually-inspired artists.”
When asked to share two unusual things about himself, David responded:
“Hmm…well, I was once in a TV film with Ewan McGregor, who borrowed one of my vintage guitars for the scene we were filming together. And for my fortieth birthday I flew in a two-seat WWII Supermarine Spitfire MKIX for half an hour, and was allowed to fly it for ten wonderful minutes. The most powerful and expensive piece of machinery I have every played with!”
One of David’s eight godchildren recently gave birth to her first child, making David a great godfather!