Alan Smith was born in London and studied as Organ Scholar at Kings College, London from 1981 to 1984. At the same time, he specialised in composition, studying with Nicola LeFanu and David Lumsdaine. Having completed his postgraduate training at the London Institute of Education, Alan began his teaching career in Croydon. He is currently Head of Music at Hazelwick School, Crawley. Alan first came to prominence as a composer in 1990 when he won the RSCM's annual composing competition. His winning piece, Let the Peoples Praise You O God, has subsequently been widely performed and remains one of his best known works. In 2006, he was a shortlisted finalist in the Canadian Choral Composition Contest and in 2007, a prizewinner in a Handel-inspired Chamber Organ Composing Competition. Since 1998, Alan has been Director of Music at St Andrew's Church in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, England.