Vienna Choral Society's Director and Accompanist

Director - Paul Patton

Now in his third season as Musical Director of VCS, Paul Patton is Director of Music at Emmaus United Church of Christ in Vienna. He previously served as Minister of Music for the Church of the Holy Comforter (Episcopal) in Vienna, Virginia for eleven years (1995-2006). As Accompanist for Voce Chamber Singers, Northern Virginia’s premier chamber chorus, Mr. Patton’s performance has received critical praise in The Washington Post. He is also an adjunct professor of religion at Northern Virginia Community College.

Paul received his Master of Music (magna cum lauda) degree from the University of Southern California and his Bachelor of Music (with honors) from the New England Conservatory of Music. Mr. Patton received his Master of Divinity (summa cum laude) degree and Master of Sacred Theology from Yale University Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. He has studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg, Germany, and with concert pianist Susan Starr in Philadelphia. With extensive experience as a pianist, organist, conductor, and accompanist, he has also composed choral pieces and liturgical music.

Mr. Patton worked for the Dutch National Ballet (1979-1985) and New York City Ballet (1987-1990) as a rehearsal and performance pianist and participated as solo pianist in gala ballet performances in Berlin, Cologne, London, and Amsterdam. He also served as repetiteur and orchestral pianist for the Bremen Opera House in Germany (1974-76, 1978) and faculty accompanist-coach for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (1976-77).

Paul is a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians, the American Guild of Organists, the Choristers Guild, and the American Choral Directors Association.

He resides in Vienna with his wife of ten years and two daughters.

Robert Leggett, who directed the Vienna Choral Society from 1990 until 2004, now dedicates more time to his vision at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship.

Accompanist - Tom Leich

Tom Leich continues as full-time accompanist for VCS. He accompanied the chorus for six seasons starting in 1997, took a leave of absence for two seasons to attend to other musical commitments, and rejoined VCS in May 2005, returning to work again with Paul Patton, as he has done in other venues as well.

Tom has been a church organist and choral accompanist since 1970 and is currently a Music Associate at Vienna Presbyterian Church. Before joining the staff at Vienna Presbyterian, he was organist at the Presbyterian Church of the Atonement in Silver Spring, Maryland for over seven years.

Tom is a graduate of Haverford College in Economics and Music and earned an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. He owns and operates a music publishing business—the Vienna Woods Music Company. Currently he is working on a project to develop a computerized hymnal of historically significant hymns, entitled the Historic Hymnal Series. He has also recorded and released two CDs of organ works. He is a CPA as well and maintains contract accounts with a church and a bank. Tom lives in Vienna with his wife Pepper and their four children.