John Birch was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1941. He grew up in a Christian home and experienced personal faith from an early age. Music -- particularly Church music -- has always played a very important role in his life. He started playing the organ in church at the age of fifteen. On completing his schooling he spent six years in the printing trade and qualified as a Hand Compositor. To further his music studies, he left the printing trade to attend University to read for a Bachelor of Music degree focusing on organ, conducting and church music. He later studied Church Music at the Royal School of Church Music in Croydon, England.

His first teaching post was that of Director of Music at Kingswood College, a private church school, in Grahamstown, and at the same time, he was organist at one of the main churches in town. In 1979, he moved with his family, to Cape Town where he became Head of Music of a large Music Department in a State School and was organist and choirmaster at St John's Parish. He has had extensive experience in teaching, playing the organ, choir and orchestra training and conducting, and score arranging. He has arranged and conducted Festivals of Church music for orchestra, choir and organ. His main interests are in Baroque music and English Church music and his compositions have received a number of awards. He and his wife are currently residing in the United Kingdom. He has the following qualifications: B.Mus.; H.D.E.(PG); ARCM; LRSM; RULM.

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