Category Archives: Previous soloists

Harmonium

Anne Page

Anne played for the choir during its Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle concert in March 2011.

Anne Page, Harmonium

Anne Page is known in the UK and abroad as a musician who combines virtuosity and versatility. Born and educated in Perth, Australia, the music of Bach first awakened an interest in the organ. Her teacher at the University of Western Australia, Annette Goerke inspired her to study French organ music from the 18th century to Messiaen, and to travel to Europe for lessons with Marie-Claire Alain. Anne subsequently studied with Peter Hurford for whom she deputised in a teaching role at the Royal Academy of Music. Her London debut at the Royal Festival Hall in 1988 playing 20th century masterpieces marked a commitment to contemporary music which led to commissions and premieres of new works. Lessons with Jacques van Oortmerssen on historic instruments, their repertoire and playing techniques were to inform both her playing and teaching.

As a member of the British Institute of Organ Studies she has been closely involved with the Historic Organ Sound Archive, playing an essential role in its organisation as well as researching and performing over 10 hours of recordings for the project. The HOSA project has been a pioneer of free internet access to classical music. She continues to give talks to organists’ associations about this innovative resource for the study of English organs and their music and has contributed articles on its use to several organ journals.

She has been at the forefront of the revival of interest in the harmonium, an instrument only recently receiving attention from scholars, composers and musicians as a serious medium for historical performance as well as for contemporary music. Swiss organist and composer Lionel Rogg has dedicated a suite of pieces for harmonium to her. She is acknowledged as one of the country’s leading experts and has appeared as soloist at the Edinburgh, Three Choirs and Oundle Festivals.

In 2002 the Royal Academy of Music invited her to establish a course in Harmonium, the first in modern times at any conservatory in the UK. She therefore succeeds Lemmens as Professor of Harmonium, who was appointed at the RAM in 1869. In 2008 she gave a full-length harmonium recital in the Purcell Room, the first time the instrument has been featured in a solo role on the South Bank. During eight years (1987-1994) as Artistic and Executive Director of the Cambridge Summer Recitals she programmed many first performances of new works and invited several distinguished recitalists from abroad to give UK debut recitals. Gaston Litaize, Louis Thiry and Olivier Latry gave masterclasses in addition to their concerts. Anne has more recently been instrumental in founding the Cambridge Academy of Organ Studies which presents regular study days with distinguished scholars and teachers and an annual summer course in Cambridge. She teaches a wide range of students including organ scholars at the University of Cambridge and gives classes on the RCO Easter course and the Oundle summer school.

Piano

Iain Ledingham

Iain played for the choir during its Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle concert in March 2011.

Iain Ledingham

Iain Ledingham gained a degree in music at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar. He subsequently studied piano, harpsichord and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. He was appointed a Professor of Piano there in 1981 and was awarded a Fellowship for the academic year 1983-1984.

He has broadcast frequently on BBC Radio 3 as an accompanist for singers and instrumentalists and has accompanied many recitals for music clubs both here and abroad. Artists he has accompanied in recitals and broadcasts include: the singers Alison Hargan, Faith Wilson, Annabel Hunt, Patricia Rozario, David James, Maldwyn Davies, Jacek Strauch and Mark Wildman, flautist Richard Dobson, oboist Keith Marshall and violinist Paul Manley.

In 1981 he joined the music staff of Glyndebourne Festival Opera and has played harpsichord continuo for a number of productions there with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, including Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro in Glyndebourne’s 50th anniversary season. In 1984 he made his Queen Elizabeth Hall debut in harpsichord concertos by Bach.

He formed the South Bucks Choral Society in 1980 and has performed many major choral works with that society and with the Thames Chamber Orchestra and subsequently the Amersham Festival Chamber Orchestra including The Creation, Elijah, Messiah, Bach’s St Matthew Passion and Verdi’s Requiem.

From 2000-2003 he was Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music, responsible for planning and overseeing the first two years of the Academy’s new opera course, Royal Academy Opera. The course rapidly achieved an excellent reputation, attracting outstandingly talented young singers from far and wide. During that time he conducted performances of Falstaff (at the RAM) and Le Nozze di Figaro (in the 2002 Amersham Festival of Music) with singers from Royal Academy Opera as well as preparing students to work with distinguished guest conductors including Sir Charles Mackerras. In 2003 Iain returned to full-time work as a coach, pianist and conductor, and is greatly enjoying working with many young singers and accompanists at the RAM. In November 2003 he conducted performances of Haydn’s delightful comedy Il Mondo della Luna and more recently in November 2005 Mozart’s remarkable early opera La Finta Giardiniera both for Royal Academy Opera.

Mezzo-soprano

Susan Moore

Susan sang with the choir during its Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle concert in March 2011.

Susan Moore, Mezzo-soprano

Susan Moore studied at Trinity College of Music, London with Hazel Wood, receiving the 1st prize in the Elizabeth Schumann Lieder Prize; she now studies privately with Susan McCulloch. Recent operatic roles include: Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro for Longborough Festival Opera, Buttercup in HMS Pinafore and Mrs. Partlet in The Sorcerer for Opera della Luna, the Witch in Hansel & Gretel, Tangia in Le Cinesi, Nancy in Martha, Thirza in The Wreckers, Sally in A Hand of Bridge and Delilah in Samson & Delilah (all for Opera Minima) and Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin at St. John’s, Smith Square with I Maestri orchestra. Future plans include: Widow Browe in Peter the Great for Opera South, returning to the King’s Head Theatre and Charles Court Opera’s HMS Pinafore as Hebe but also playing Buttercup in several performances, and making her directorial debut for Opera Minima with a production of Trial by Jury at Oakham Castle.

Tenor

Kevin Kyle

Kevin sang with the choir during its Handel’s Messiah concert in March 2009 and its Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle concert in March 2011.

Kevin Kyle, Tenor

Kevin Kyle began his career in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. He subsequently won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied on the opera course with Joy Mammen. He graduated with distinction having won a number of awards including the Kendall Prize and the EMI Award.

In 2004, he was a finalist in the London Handel Singing Competition and, in the same year, he made his BBC Proms Debut under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner. In 2005, he performed the role of Jason in the world premier of Howard Goodall’s Jason and the Argonauts at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2006, he worked for Lille and Chatelet Opera and in 2007 he toured the USA playing the role of Frederic in the Carl Rosa production of The Pirates of Penzance. Last year, he was featured in War Oratorio, a newly commissioned feature length film for Channel Four. Kevin has also recorded for BBC Radio Three, Classic FM, Sony and BBC television. Other career highlights include; an invitation to perform at Clarence House and performances for Lord Lloyd Webber and The Queen. In 2009, his debut CD of Schumann’s Dichterliebe was released on the JCL label and a following album Songs was released early last year.

Harp

Camilla Pay

Camilla Pay, played the harp for the Cantate Choir’s Ceremony of Carols concert in December 2010.

Camilla Pay, Harp

Camilla Pay leads an unusually diverse musical life. She appears regularly alongside a wide variety of artists on television, but she is equally at home in the studio or on the concert platform.

Music Scholar at both King’s School Canterbury and The Royal Academy of Music, Camilla studied with acclaimed professors Skaila Kanga and Daphne Boden. Since graduating in 2001, she has performed as soloist from Prague to Amsterdam and throughout the U.K., notably in St. David’s Hall and Canterbury Cathedral (for the Canterbury Festival). She has performed Mozart’s Flute and Harp concerto with many orchestras in venues including St Martin-in-the-Field and also Canterbury Cathedral.

Camilla’s home county is Kent, where she has a particularly strong following – whether as soloist, with Willow (flute & harp) or with her trio The Korros Ensemble (flute, clarinet & harp) – at numerous music festivals. Indeed, in recognition of her fundraising concerts in Kent, she received an invitation to the Queen’s Garden Party!

Her chamber work includes guest appearances with the Locrian Ensemble and Southbank Sinfonia (Wigmore Hall). She has also played with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra.

Camilla is one of the UK’s leading session harpists. She is in high demand for recordings, TV, and for live shows at venues which include Blenheim Palace, Abbey Road Studios and Birmingham Symphony Hall. She has supported an unending list of well-known artists such as Barry Manilow, Kanye West, McFly, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and on TV with Michael Bublé, Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins, Aled Jones and Enya. TV shows include Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, GMTV, Parkinson and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as being in the Dave Arch Orchestra for the new ITV programme Popstar to Operastar and in the house band for BBC’s search for a new Dorothy in Over the Rainbow.

Albums on which she has played include those by Morrissey, Sinead O’Connor, Incognito and Tony Christie. Her most recent recording available is Britten’s Ceremony of Carols for Harp and High Voices, recorded in Canterbury Cathedral with the Cathedral Choristers and Choirboy of the Year. A personal highlight was her duet with Sir James Galway in The Royal Albert Hall for The Classical Brit Awards, accompanied by The English Chamber Orchestra.

Soprano

Gillian Keith

Gillian performed with the Cantate Choir in the Mozart Requiem concert in March 2006, the Haydn Creation concert in March 2010 and the Handel’s Messiah in January 2016.

Gillian Keith, Soprano

Canadian soprano Gillian Keith has emerged as one of the leading lyric sopranos of her generation. Her superb voice and musicianship are at home both on the opera stage and on the concert platform, making her one of the most stylish and versatile artists on the stage today.

A past winner of the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Award‚ she made her Royal Opera‚ Covent Garden debut as Zerbinetta in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos and has gone on to repeat the role with great success at Ópera de Oviedo and Welsh National Opera. Other operatic appearances include Tytania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at ROH and at English National Opera‚ Nannetta Falstaff and Pretty Polly in Birtwistle’s Punch and Judy‚ both for ENO‚ and Pretty Polly in Geneva. She has sung Lucinda in Conti’s Don Chisciotte for Netherlands Opera under Rene Jacobs‚ Tiny in Britten’s Paul Bunyan for the Bregenz Festival‚ Elmira in Opera North’s Croesus‚ Ginevra in Handel’s Ariodante in Halle‚ Philine in Thomas’ Mignon, and Iphis in Handel’s Jeptha, both for Buxton Festival, The Woodbird in Scottish Opera’s Siegfried, and Poppea in Basel and in Boston.

Concert highlights include Mozart’s C Minor Mass in Boston’s Symphony Hall‚ La Resurrezione with the Wiener Akademie‚ Mahler 8 with the RPO‚ Haydn’s Creation with CBSO‚ B Minor Mass at London’s Barbican Hall, Handel’s Messiah and Silete venti with The Sixteen in Hong Kong and New Zealand, and Purcell’s The Indian Queen with The Sixteen at the Edinburgh International Festival‚ under such conductors as Sir John Eliot Gardiner‚ Daniele Gatti‚ Sir Richard Armstrong‚ Peter Schreier‚ Richard Hickox, Gianandrea Noseda‚ Harry Christophers and Sir Mark Elder.

Recent appearances include the title role in H.K. Gruber’s Gloria: A Pigtail at Royal Opera’s Linbury Studio Theatre, Buxton Festival and Bregenz Festival, Bach solo cantatas with Northern Chamber Orchestra, Kurtág’s Scenes from a Novel with the Psappha Ensemble, Handel’s Messiah in Washington National Cathedral, Bach’s St Matthew Passion (Handel and Haydn Society, Boston),
Miss Wordsworth in Britten’s Albert Herring with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the role of Ruth Ellis in Tom Randle’s new opera Love Me To Death at The Barbican’s Pit Theatre, and the premiere of works by David Matthews and Cecilia McDowall at the Presteigne Festival.

This season includes performances and a multi-disc recording of Bach solo cantatas with Armonico Consort, as well as concerts of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

She has recorded the role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under Sir Richard Armstrong, as well as orchestral songs by Dallapiccola, Nielsen’s 3rd Symphony, and Casella’s Le convent sur l’eau with Gianandrea Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic, all for Chandos. Other recordings include Handel’s Gloria and Bach Cantatas with John Eliot Gardiner,
Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s C Minor Mass with Harry Christophers, and Handel’s Nine German Arias with Florilegium. Her recital discs include Schubert Lieder on Marquis, and with pianist Simon Lepper Debussy: Early Songs, and Debussy Songs For His Muse for Deux-Elles, as well as Gillian Keith – bei Strauss for Champs Hill Records.

www.gilliankeithsoprano.com
@gillianksoprano

Soprano

Fflur Wyn

Fflur sang with the choir during its Handel’s Messiah concert in March 2009.

Fflur Wyn, Soprano

Fflur Wyn graduated with a Dip.RAM from the Royal Academy of Music Opera Course where she studied with Beatrice Unsworth and Clara Taylor. Her awards include First Prize and Audience Prize at the National Handel Competition 2005, the London Welsh Young Singer of the Year 2005, the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary, the Bryn Terfel Scholarship and the MOCSA Young Welsh Singer Prize.

Her operatic performances include Pamina (The Magic Flute – Holland Park Opera); Clerida (Croesus by Keiser), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) Papagena (The Magic Flute) all for Opera North; Iphis (Jephtha – Welsh National Opera); Karolka (Jenufa – St Endellion Festival with Richard Hickox); Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro – Court Opera); creating the role of Adele in Michael Berkley’s opera Jane Eyre with Music Theatre Wales, with appearances at The Linbury Theatre Covent Garden (BBC Radio 3 / CD Recording).

Her oratorio and concert appearances include Handel’s Messiah (Harry Bicket/English Concert), Bach Christmas Oratorio (Jan Willem de Vriend/Combattimento Consort), Haydn’s Creation (Paul McCreesh/The Gabrieli Consort), her Proms debut in Mozart’s Thamos at Cadogan Hall for the Proms Saturday Matinee series, Handel’s Jephtha (Daniel Reuss/Cappella Amsterdam), Mozart Exsultate Jubilate with both the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The European Union Chamber Orchestra, Mozart Mass in C minor (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra), Bach St John Passion (David Hill/Opera North Orchestra).

Future performances include Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro at La Monnaie.

Bass

Oliver Dunn

Oliver sang with the choir during its Handel’s Messiah concert in March 2009.

Oliver Dunn, Bass

Man of Kent, Oliver Dunn is currently studying on the Opera Course at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studies with Mark Wildman and Iain Ledingham. Previously to this he completed a degree and two Post Graduate years of study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester under the tutelage of Robert Alderson.

On the concert platform he has appeared extensively across Britain with a variety of orchestras and ensembles including, The Hallé, The Hanover Band and Manchester Camerata. Oratorio performances include Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Bach St Matthew Passion and St John Passion (Christus), Mendelssohn Elijah, Handel Messiah, Haydn Nelson Mass, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Puccini Messa di Gloria, Purcell King Arthur and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man, conducted by the composer. Oliver also performed concert excerpts of Disney’s The Jungle Book and The Lion King with the RNCM Wind Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall in which he played the roles of Baloo and Scar.

Since his arrival at the Royal Academy Oliver has taken part in masterclasses with Chevalier José Cura, Dennis O’Neill and Robert Tear, as well as performing excerpts of Cosi fan Tutte and Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims in the ‘5 days, 100 Concerts’ opening festival of the new King’s Place Concert venue close to King’s Cross Station.

Alto

Owen Willetts

Owen sang with the choir during its Handel’s Messiah concert in March 2009.

Owen Willetts, Alto

Owen began singing as a choral scholar at Lichfield Cathedral. He then went on study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he spent four years studying with Noelle Barker, Iain Leadingham and David Lowe.

Owen has worked on the concert stage with many of the leading names in historical performance, including John Elliot Gardiner, Emmanuelle Haim, Laurence Cummings, Richard Egar and Christian Curnyn. With the Irish Baroque Orchestra Owen has performed Vivaldi and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Bach’s St. John Passion.

In opera, Owen has performed the role of Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea with Laurence Cummings and the Royal Academy Opera and for the Rekjavik Summer Opera; Anfinomus and Humano Fragilitata for Graham Vick and the Birmingham Opera Company, and covered the role of Pastore Uno for Emmanulle Haim in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo. Owen performed the role of Satirino in Cavalli’s La Calisto, for the Iford Festival, with Christian Curnyn and the Early Opera Company. Owen covered the role of The Innocent in Harrison Birtwistle’s new opera The Minotaur, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and again at the ROH, the role of Satirino in Cavalli’s La Calisto. For the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Owen covered the role of Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronzione di Poppea. Again with Emmanuelle Haim, he performed Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, which toured France, Belgium and the Netherlands. This Summer Owen will cover the role of Tolomeo in Handel’s Giulio Cesare for the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and will sing the role of Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione de Poppea for Christian Curnyn and the Early Opera Company.

Leader, Violin

Oliver Sandig

Oliver led the orchestra for the choir’s Handel’s Messiah concert in March 2009.

Oliver Sandig, Violin

Oliver Sandig studied in Trossingen and the Royal College of Music. It was through the European Union Baroque Orchestra that he started his career in Early Music. He regularly plays with Florilegium, The Sweelinck Ensemble, Vivace and with Charivari Agréable with whom he recorded Torelli’s Brandenburg Concertos in 2008. He is a regular player with Café Mozart and with them recorded a CD of the music of the Earl of Abingdon and works.

Oliver also pursues a career in making and tuning harpsichords.

Narrator

David Matthews

David narrated for the Cantate Choir during its O Magnum Mysterium concert in December 2008

David Matthews, Narrator
David Matthews

After reading English at Cambridge, David taught the subject for 32 years, becoming Head of English and Drama at Nottingham High School and the Manchester Grammar School and then Deputy Head at St. Olave’s, Orpington. Since retiring, he has taught WEA literature classes at Tonbridge and Westerham, has directed plays for churches in Otford and Orpington, and in 2007 read war poems as part of the Sevenoaks Philharmonic Choir’s performance of The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins.

Bass

David Soar

David sang with the choir during its Mozart Requiem & Schubert Mass in C concert in March 2006.

David Soar, Bass

David was born in Nottinghamshire and studied organ and singing at the Royal Academy of Music. After a period as a freelance organist, conductor and singer, including the post of Director of Music at All Saints Church, Kingston, he joined the chorus of Welsh National Opera. He also performed a number of roles for the company including Captain and Zaretsky/Eugene Onegin, Doctor Grenvil/La Traviata, Bertand in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta (including a performance at the 2005 BBC Proms) and Sarastro/The Magic Flute. Other roles include Banquo/Macbeth, Don Alfonso/Cosi fan tutte, and Superintendant Budd/Albert Herring. In concert he has performed Messiah, Creation, Elijah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet, Bach’s Mass in B minor, St John Passion, Magnificat and numerous cantatas including the solo bass cantata Ich habe genug.

He is currently studying at the National Opera Studio where he is supported by a Sybil Tutton Award, the Kenneth Loveland Gift and the Nicholas John Trust. Future plans include Count Ceprano/Rigoletto for Opera Holland Park, before returning to WNO as an Associate Artist where roles will include Colline/La Boheme, Zuniga/Carmen and Bonze/Madam Butterfly.

Tenor

Mark Bradbury

Mark sang the role of the Evangelist in Cantate Choir’s performance of Bach’s St John Passion in March 2008

Mark Bradbury, tenor
Mark Bradbury

Mark Bradbury was born in Cheshire and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. He was a member of the Glyndebourne Chorus from 1999-2005 and made his solo Glyndebourne debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2001 singing Bartholomew The Last Supper (Birtwistle). Other operatic roles include Parpignol La Boheme (RAH Raymond Gubbay), Arbace Idomeneo, Acis Acis and Galatea, Monostatos Die Zauberflote. As a founder member of European Voices, under Sir Simon Rattle, he has sung in Berlin and Salzburg in Les Boreades (Rameaux), Peter Grimes (Britten), and Wonderful Town (Bernstein). Concert work has included Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (RAM for Classic FM), Mozart’s Mass in C (QEH), Bach’s St John Passion (St John’s Chapel, Cambridge).

Countertenor

Jamie Laing

Jamie sang for the Cantate Choir in its performance of Bach’s St John Passion in March 2008

Jamie Laing, countertenor
Jamie Laing

Rapidly establishing himself at the forefront of the new generation of countertenors, James Laing studied at Uppingham School and was a choral scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. He furthered his studies at the Royal College of Music with Robin Blaze. He was selected by Opera Now as amongst Who’s Hot for his performance as Nerone Agrippina at the London Handel Festival. His broadcast work includes Sports Personality of the Year for BBC TV, In Tune for Radio 3 and Midweek for Radio 4. A feature interview appeared in the January/February 2007 edition of Opera.

James Laing’s engagements have included Oberon A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Raphael Tobias and the Angel for ETO, Raphael Tobias and the Angel at the Young Vic and for the Oundle Festival, Refugee Flight for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Nerone Agrippina and John Brockes Passion at the London Handel Festival, Medoro Orlando for the Early Opera Company Pastor L’Orfeo for Opera North, Zephyrus Apollo and Hyacinthus for OTC, Dublin, and the Classical Opera Company, the B Minor Mass with the City of London Sinfonia in St Albans Abbey, the St John Passion at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Messiah with the Apollo Chamber Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra and the Hallé Orchestra, the William Byrd Festival with Pacific Northwest Viols in the USA, The Scarlatti Dynasty at the Blumental International Music Festival, Israel, and Other Shakespearean Dreamers at The Liceu, Barcelona.

James Laing’s current engagements include Oberon A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coachman/Fox The Adventures of Pinocchio and Spirit Dido and Aeneas for Opera North, Endimione La Calisto (Cover) for the Royal Opera, London, Giuliano Eliogabalo for Grange Park Opera, the St Matthew Passion in Ripon Cathedral, Messiah at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, and Vivaldi Cantatas with the Ten Tors Orchestra.

Bass

David Stout

David sang the role of Jesus in Cantate Choir’s performance of Bach’s St John Passion in March 2008

David Stout
David Stout

David Stout studied Zoology at Durham University, sang with the choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge and studied on the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he was recipient of the John Hosier Scholarship, the Harold Rosenthal Award and the Principal’s Prize 2006. He continues to study with Rudolf Piernay.

His extensive oratorio repertoire includes many of the major works. Operatic roles with British Youth Opera, Grange Park Opera and other companies have lead to roles in The Magic Flute and Carmen for WNO.

Forthcoming engagements include Sea Symphony in Gloucester Cathedral with the LPO, The Creation in the Cadogan Hall, Cimarosa Il Maestro di capella with the Haffner Orchestra, Matthäus Passion with the Hallé and a recording of The Creation with Edward Higginbottom and the Choir of New College Oxford, alongside roles with WNO and ENO.

Piano

Costas Fotopoulos

Costas played with the choir during its Rachmaninov Vespers concert in June 2007.

Costas Fotopoulos, Piano

Costas is based in London and works internationally as a concert and silent film pianist, and as a composer and arranger for film, the stage and the concert hall. He studied as a solo concert pianist at the Royal Academy of Music and at the Juilliard School, and he has given many solo and chamber performances in this country as well as in Austria, Italy, America, Australia and New Zealand. He has recorded repertoire for BBC Radio, as well as the piano solo work, Cross hands, for a CD of music by British composer Nicholas Sackman, released on the Metier label.

Costas regularly provides live improvisations to silent films at the National Film Theatre and he has also accompanied films in New York, Warsaw and northern Italy. Recently, he provided a piano improvisation to sections of the Budget Speech, aired on BBC Radio 4.

For more information about Costas please visit his website.

Cello

Susie Winkworth

Susie played with the choir during its Rachmaninov Vespers concert in June 2007.

Susie Winkworth, Cello

Susie won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, where she made several acclaimed recordings with the R.A.M. Soloists and director Clio Gould, and performed as soloist with the R.A.M. Chamber Orchestra and Lord Menuhin. In a varied freelance career Susie works as guest principal with the Belmont Ensemble of London, New London Soloists Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and New London Sinfonia, and is principal ‘cello of ensemble flux, the European Orchestral Ensemble and the London Orchestra da Camera. She has toured worldwide with artistes from Kanye West to Katherine Jenkins, broadcasting on all major television channels and on film. As a chamber musician Susie performs across the UK, including work as soloist with the Philharmonia and concerts at Cheltenham, Deal, Swaledale and Woodfest (Cambridge) Festivals. She has given premieres of works by many composers including CDs of Melinda Maxwell and Michael Finnissy, and has worked as a lecturer on the MMus course at the Royal Academy of Music.

Soprano

Susan Gilmore-Bailey

Susan sang with the choir during its Baroque Masterworks concert in March 2007.

Susan Gilmore Bailey, Soprano

Performing throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and North America, soprano Susan Gilmour-Bailey enjoys a varied career of concert, oratorio, and opera performances. Her recent projects have included the role of Euridice in Monteverdi Orfeo at the Théâtre de Caen with Le Concert d’Astrée under Emmanuelle Haim and the soprano solos in the City of London Sinfonia/Royal Shakespeare Company production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Originally from Canada, Ms. Gilmour-Bailey currently resides in London where in 2002 she completed her Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal Academy of Music. Future projects include a staged production of Bach St John Passion at le Châtelet in Paris under Emmanuelle Haim and principal roles in the Fairy Queen and King Arthur for the Armonico Consort.

Soprano

Donna Bateman

Donna sang with the choir during its Baroque Masterworks concert in March 2007.

Donna Bateman, Soprano

Donna Bateman is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, which she attended on a scholarship and distinguished herself as an award-winning music student. She won the coveted National Federation of Music Societies Award, and was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Prize. She was awarded a further scholarship to continue her studies on the Opera Course at the Royal Academy of Music, where she graduated with Distinction and was awarded the G. Embley Memorial Prize.

Her opera roles include Susanna Le Nozze di Figaro and Helena A Midsummer Night’s Dream for English Touring Opera, Mrs Coyle Owen Wingrave, Gismonda Ottone, for the London Handel Society, Frasquita Carmen, Queen Erisbe L’Ormindo for the Sir William Walton Trust in Italy and Marzelline in Birmingham Opera Company’s Award-winning production of Fidelio directed by Graham Vick and broadcast live on BBC4. Donna returned to BOC to perform the role of Cunegonde Candide, after which she performed the role of Coralina in Il Toreador at the Batignano Opera Festival. Most recently she performed in Flashmob, broadcast live on BBC Television. Recent Operatic highlights this season include 1st Nymph and The Foreign Princess in Rusalka for Iford Arts, Pamina, Magic Flute for English Touring Opera, her debut for The Royal Opera House ROH2 as Miranda in The Gentle Giant, La Cuisinière in Le Rossignol for the CBSO at the Symphomy Hall, Birmingham, Pamina, The Magic Flute in Lisbon and Zerbinetta for Birmingham Opera Company directed by Graham Vick.

Donna Bateman’s acknowledged expertise in contemporary operatic repertoire has earned her four major engagements and three recent world premieres. These major roles include Kalypso Linen from Smyrna by Edward Rushton, Khin Myo The Piano Tuner by Nigel Osborne co-commissioned by Music Theatre Wales and the Royal Opera House, Miranda Rainland by Joseph Phibbs and Miss Pescado in Judith Weir’s Armida, which was specially commissioned for Channel 4 Television and was broadcast on Christmas day.

Donna regularly performs recitals and concerts in the UK and abroad. She was invited to sing at the opening ceremony of the World Athletics Championships, was a soloist at the Royal Albert Hall, London, for the National Insurance Awards with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, while this season she has made regular appearances in concert with The Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. Her Oratorio engagements include St. Matthew Passion, In Terra Pax at St. John’s, Smith Square, Haydn’s St Cecilia Mass at Winchester Cathedral and Mozart’s Mass in C minor at Chichester Cathedral with the Orchestra of St John’s, conducted by John Lubbock.

Her most recent solo engagements include Mahler’s Symphony no.8 at The Symphony Hall, Birmingham, David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus broadcast live on Radio 4 from St Martin in the fields, Carmina Burana with the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra at the Albert Hall Nottingham and Bernstein’s Mass at The Barbican Hall London with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop and recorded live by Radio 3.

Tenor

Charne Rochford

Charne sang with the choir during its Mozart Requiem & Schubert Mass in C concert in March 2006.

Charne Rochford, Tenor

Charne was born in London. He trained at the Royal Academy of Music as an undergraduate. He later rejoined the Academy on the Opera Course.

On the concert platform his repertoire includes Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Puccini Messe di Gloria, Verdi Requiem and Britten St. Nicholas.

In 2002 he made his Royal Opera House debut in Graham Vick’s Die Meistersinger as an Apprentice. He covered Pinkerton and later portrayed Tamino for Clonter Opera. In 2004 he sang Puccini’s Rodolpho for the Dartington Festival, supported by the Foyle Foundation. Last summer he made his Glyndebourne Festival Opera debut as the 1st Armed Man/2nd Priest with the O.A.E.

Future engagements include covering Alfred in Die Fledermaus for Glyndebourne Festival Opera and 2nd Priest in a film of the Magic Flute directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Mezzo-soprano

Julia Riley

Julia sang with the choir during its Mozart’s Requiem and Schubert’s Mass in C concert in March 2006.

Julia Riley, Mezzo-soprano

Julia Riley was born in York and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. She was then awarded an Entrance Scholarship for the Royal Academy Opera Course where she trained with Noelle Barker and Ingrid Surgenor. While at the Royal Academy Julia received rave reviews for her portrayal of Prince Charming in Massenet’s Cendrillon. “Julia Riley’s unforced and ample singing was the prime vocal pleasure.” Richard Fairman/The Financial Times/March 2005.

In December 2005 Julia made her Glyndebourne on Tour debut as Cherubino/Le nozze di Figaro. She recently made her Scottish Opera on Tour debut as Mezzo soloist with Essential Scottish Opera. In Glyndebourne Festival 2005 Julia performed Jonathan Dove’s mezzo song cycle All you who sleep tonight, with pianist Andrew Smith. This formed part of the Jerwood Chorus Scheme and was the first performance in the Glyndebourne Jerwood Studio.

Other opera roles include Bridesmaid/Le nozze di Figaro/Glyndebourne on Tour, Prince Charming/Massenet/Royal Academy Opera, Ino/Handel/British Youth Opera, Medoro/Handel/Dartington, Tisbe/Rossini/Opera East.

Oratorio and concert performances include Christmas Oratorio/St James’ Piccadilly/English Baroque Orchestra, B Minor Mass/London Bach Festival, Mozart/Requiem/St-Martin-In-The-Field, In the beginning/Copland/Southwark Cathedral, and Les nuits d’été/Berlioz/Penzance Orchestral Society. Future plans include understudying Dorabella in the 2006 Glyndebourne Festival.

Narrator

Lonnie Christophers

Lonnie read during the choir’s Remember! concert in November 2006.

Lonnie Christophers, Orator

Lonnie is a graduate in Music from Royal Holloway, University of London and is at present, Head of Drama at The Granville School in Sevenoaks. She has acted in many leading roles for both Stag Theatre Company and Shoreham Village Players including Anna King & I; Alice Killing of Sister George; Hermione Winter’s Tale; Lady Macbeth Macbeth; Judith Bliss Hay Fever; Mrs Erlynne Lady Windemere’s Fan.

With her daughter, Antonia, she has formed Ashes Youth Theatre Company and she also coaches students preparing for LAMDA examinations and for audition for NYT.

Narrator

James Wallace

James read during the choir’s Remember! concert in November 2006.

James Wallace, Orator

James Wallace is a local businessman who, when time allows, treads the boards with the Shoreham Village Players. He has acted professionally; three summer seasons with the Kent Rep at Hever Castle, sundry outings on the London fringe fringe and the odd commercial and film (very odd in some cases, but all done in the best possible taste!).

Piano

Michael Higgins

Michael regularly performs with the Cantate Choir.

Michael Higgins, Piano

Michael Higgins studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire, later specialising in piano accompaniment and chamber music at the Royal Academy of Music, London, with Julius Drake and Iain Ledingham. He has performed in master classes given by Clifford Benson, Thomas Hampson, Rudolf Jansen, Bryce Morrison and Udo Reinemann. Michael also studied organ with Andrew Fletcher and was Organ Scholar at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Chad, Birmingham.

Abroad, Michael has performed with singers and instrumentalists in Germany, Hungary, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. He performs regularly throughout the United Kingdom and has worked with the National Youth Choirs and National Children’s Choir of Great Britain, Midland Festival Chorus, Royal Academy Opera and the Royal Ballet School. In the past year Michael has made a successful return visit to New Zealand to lead workshops for choral accompanists by invitation of the New Zealand Choral Federation.

As a composer, he has answered a number of commissions, including songs for a set of educational books published in Singapore, and many of his choral and organ works are published worldwide by Kevin Mayhew Publishers.

Michael was awarded the Joseph Weingarten Memorial Trust Scholarship for 2005-06 and has recently completed his studies with Kálmán Dráfi at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest.

Trumpet

Hilmar Hauer

Hilmar will perform with the choir at it’s Christmas with Cantate concert in December 2005.

Hilmar Hauer comes from Dortmund, Germany and studied trumpet with Prof. Adolf Weresch at the Musikhochschule Karlsruhe, Germany. Work experience include performances with the Linden Baroque Orchestra (on natural trumpet)

Amadeus Orchestra (based in Manchester), National Musicians Symphony Orchestra (NMSO), London and Live performances of concertos by Haydn, Hummel, Neruda, Arutiunian,, Vivaldi, Telemann, Bach and others. Recent performances include Jan Koetsier, Concerto for trumpet, trombone and orchestra. Between 1996-1999 he performed regularly with the Badische Staatskapelle (orchestra of the opera in Karlsruhe) and then with the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz. He was also principal trumpet of the Heeresmusikkorps Stuttgart)

Trumpet

Claude Lamon

Claude will perform with the choir at the Christmas with Cantate concert in December 2005.

Trumpeter Claude Lamon was born in South Africa, where he has performed with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Chamber Orchestra. Through his work, Claude became involved with music education in local townships, recognising the importance of nuturing musical skills and creativity. A french national, Claude obtained a Prix de Trompette et Musique de Chambre, studying under international soloist Pierre Dutot. In Germany, he performed with the Orchestra at the Bayreuth Festival.

Moving to the UK in 2002, Claude became particularly involved with chamber music, appearing as a soloist with soprano Sara Egan and Suzanne Anderson in performances of Bach’s Cantata 51. Enjoying work with new composers, including Oxford’s John Caldwell, Claude is currently working on repertoire for trumpet and voice. Other interests include promoting French music, and providing a platform for South African composers and musicians, a passion reflected in the repertoire and artists of Voce Ensemble.

Recent appearances include soloist performances in Vivaldi’s Double Trumpet Concerto and Handel’s Suite in D, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Glasgow’s Royal Academy of Music and Dance. Bringing his expertise to the local community, Claude teaches trumpet at schools in the Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells areas, and coaches the Lydian Orchestra, West Kent’s premiere youth orchestra.

Ensemble

Sweelinck Ensemble

The Cantate Choir performed with the Sweelinck Ensemble during its Renaissance Revealed concert, a concert of Italian Renaissance music and images in March 2005.

Sweelinck Ensemble

Sweelinck Ensemble, performing with Cantate Choir in their Renaissance Revealed concert in March 2005
The Sweelinck Ensemble aims to recreate the vibrant musical life of the seventeenth century through performing music of the highest quality, with a particular emphasis on German and Italian repertoire. To facilitate the many various types of music in this period the group is flexible, using voices and instruments of all types according to the area of repertoire performed.

Founded by Martin Knizia the ensemble was a finalist in the 1999 York Early Music Network Competition. It has since appeared at major venues such as St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’ Piccadilly, the Brompton Oratory, and as a regular performer at the London Bach Festival. The ensemble broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and throughout Europe on Euroclassic Notturno.

For Renaissance Revealed the ensemble will play with the Cantate Choir, and also in various combinations alone. They will perform music from the early seventeenth century by Giovanni Battista, Dario Castello, and Giovanni Picchi. For this concert the group comprises two violins, cornet and trombones, chiterone and organ.

The Sweelinck Ensemble’s first CD, the First Book of Sonatas by Dario Castello, is due to be released in spring 2005.

Trumpet

Ross Brown

Ross played trumpet with the choir during its Concert of Christmas Music in December 2003.

Ross started to play the trumpet at the age of ten, and at fifteen was awarded a scholarship to sudy at Wells Catherdral Schoold with Robert Farley. Ross now stuides at the Roayal Academy of Music with Howeard Snell and Paul Archibald, and Natural Trumpet with Robert Farley. Whilst studying at the Academy, he has performed a trumpet concerto with Academy Brass and has been awarded the Leslie Regan Brass prize, the Robert Alva Memorial prize, and the William Thomas Steven prize. He is principal trumpet of the European Union Baroque Orchestra, and has performed and recorded with them through Europe, as well as performing with the Hanover Band, The Sixteen, The Gabrieli Consort and Players, Canzona, The Classical Opera Company, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the former Wallace Collection and the Kings Consort.

Trumpet

Heidi Sutcliffe

Heidi played trumpet with the choir during its Concert of Christmas Music in December 2003.

Heidi is currently studying in her fourth year at the Royal Academy of Music studying with Howard Snell and Paul Archibald. Whilst at the Academy she has been awarded various prizes: the Leslie Regan Brass award (2001), the William Steven-Thomas prize (2002) and the John West prize (2003). This summer she represented the Academy in the Encuentro de Musica y Academia de Santander, Spain. Last year Heidi joined the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra on their European tour under Claudio Abbado and represented the Academy in the Kyoto International Festival in Japan, performing as soloist as well as in the international symphony orchestra.

Cello

Elizabeth Moore

Elizabeth performs regularly with the Cantate Choir in various concerts.

Elizabeth Moor, Cello

Elizabeth Moore played in the National Youth Orchestra before being awarded the Sterndale Bennett Scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music. She was continuo ‘cellist for the Thomas Tallis Society for 10 years and performs for music clubs and festivals with chamber groups and as recitalist. Together with the Amicitia String Quartet, she broadcast on Classic FM’s Masterclass in 1994 and with The Chantry Choir for the BBC In Praise of God series in 1998. She has taught at Sevenoaks School and privately since 1971.