Norman Harper was born in south Essex and was organ scholar at Gonville and Caius College Cambridge. He studied organ with Peter le Huray and Gillian Weir, and composition with Peter Tranchell. Later he studied organ with Noel Rawsthorne and David Sanger.

Following a varied career as recitalist, accompanist, teacher and choral director, Norman was appointed to the music staff of St George’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Southwark where he served as organist and then as director of music. During this time he accompanied and directed broadcasts of choral services on BBC radio and television, and released two CDs with the cathedral choirs: Music for the Mass (Priory) and Christmas at St George’s (Regent). Both recordings include contemporary works, some of which were composed especially for St George’s Cathedral choristers and lay clerks, and which were previously unrecorded and unpublished.

Norman has performed in cathedrals, churches, collegiate chapels and many other major venues in the UK, America, Europe and Australia, and has broadcast solo organ recitals on BBC Radio 3. His other CD recordings include works by J S Bach, W A Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Nicolaus Bruhns, Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, François D’Agincour, André Raison, Flor Peeters, William Russell, Timothy Craig Harrison and Thomas Hyde.