Paul Inwood

Bio

Paul Inwood is an internationally known composer and workshop presenter. He graduated summa cum laude from the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, and first worked as a liturgical book publisher’s desk editor and as an organist at several central London churches. His first organist appointment began in 1963 at the age of 16.

Paul then worked for 14 years as editor and music specialist at the St. Thomas More Centre for Pastoral Liturgy in London, at the same time serving five years as a cathedral organist, and another five years as a diocesan director of music. In 1982, he was director of music for the Papal Mass at Coventry Airport with Pope John Paul II, which gathered 375,000 people. Since 1976, he has been a member of Universa Laus, the international study group for liturgical music, and was a president from 1986 to 1994. In 1998, he was the only speaker from the English-speaking world invited to contribute to an international conference at the Vatican on papal liturgies for the millennium year 2000, and in 2017 was a speaker at another Vatican conference organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture.

From 1991 to 1995, he lived in Southern California, teaching in a seminary and working in parishes, but returned to England as cathedral and diocesan director of music for the Diocese of Portsmouth, England, where he was later also diocesan director of liturgy for 13 years. Since 2019, he has returned to the cathedral as “acting organist.”

Many of Paul’s compositions, including “Center of My Life,” were originally published in England by his imprint Magnificat Music, and re-published worldwide by OCP, starting with the St. Thomas More Group collections. Paul edited Hymns for All Seasons: The Complete Hymns of James Quinn, SJ (OCP, 2017), is the author of the hymn book Come, Praise the Lord, A Collection of James Quinn Hymns, released by OCP in 2018, and is a member of the Collegeville Composers Group responsible for the Psallite project. In 2009, Paul was named NPM Pastoral Musician of the Year. In 2015, he was the winner of an international competition for the official Vatican Hymn for the Holy Year of Mercy, sung and prayed in many languages by millions of Catholics around the world.

Paul has extensive liturgical knowledge and experience, dynamic musical skills, and a commitment to a wide range of styles in liturgy and liturgical music. He has written many commissioned works, and offers events exploring many aspects of music and liturgical ministry in the parish. In addition to his workshops, he is available for choir festivals.

Paul lives in England with his wife, Catherine Christmas, also an accomplished organist, cathedral music director and diocesan liturgy director.