Choirs and Conducting
I absolutely love conducting choirs- something truly magical happens when you have multiple voices coming together – both musically and emotionally.
I have founded five choirs (Victoria Park Singers, Finsbury Park Singers, High Peak Singers, Bollington Singers and Fosse Singers), which have performed at the BBC Proms, Olivier Awards and Royal Variety Show. I also conduct the Wilderness Festival Choir (2022 & 2023) and the WOMAD festival choir (2023).
Works conducted include Will Todd’s Mass in Blue with full band, Bob Chilcott’s Little Jazz Mass with trio, Ole Gjeilo’s Lake Isle & Luminous Night of the Soul with string quartet , and Faure’s Requiem with full orchestra as well as commissioned music When All Was Young by emerging composer Ben Lee. I have also launched ITV Voices. One of my proudest moments was working with men from Pentonville Prison.
I hold an LRSM with distinction in Choral Conducting (2014) and have studied with the Association of British Choral Directors on their advanced programme. I am also an advocate of good vocal health and up to date vocal teachings. I recently studied on the Estill EMT (Estill Master Trainer) course with Anne Marie Speed. In 2015 I was awarded a BBC Unsung Hero award for my work with community choir Victoria Park Singers.
History
August 2022: I was delighted to be invited to conduct the Wilderness Festival Choir. Over 60 singers performed with an orchestra and it was truly a beautiful performance!
April 2022: When Ciaran Mccauley asked me to write a song for his debut album, I didn’t hesitate! ‘You and I‘ was released on April 15th 2022 and went on to become the biggest-selling trance track in the world (Beatport Trance number 1, April 2022).
Jan 2022: After a successful Crowdfunder campaign, I excitedly launched my EP – ‘A Piece of my Heart’. This is a five-track EP of original songs that I wrote over the previous year during the pandemic.
July 2020: I formed a virtual choir to launch a new piece of contemporary choral music, Earth Prayer, which I wrote during Covid-19. Over 100 singers from around the world took part.
March 2020: 160 singers from my three community choirs performed in ‘Symphonic Gospel Spirit’ with the London Symphony Orchestra at The Barbican as part of the massed choir.
September 2019: My East London community choir Victoria Park Singers, together with the Crouch End Festival Chorus, represented “East” in a performance of John Luther Adams’ In The Name of the Earth as part of this years Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.
September 2018: I founded Finsbury Park Singers, my North London based choir. There are around 80 singers and they rehearse on Tuesday evenings at Elizabeth House Community Centre in Finsbury Park.
April 2017: I fixed and coached choirs for the opening number of the Olivier Awards (The Girls – by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth)
December 2016: I fixed and coached choirs for Gary Barlow’s performance at the Royal Variety Show at the Hammersmith Apollo and also for his performance on Strictly Come Dancing.
June 2015: The BBC named me as one of the inaugural BBC Music Day Unsung Heroes. You can listen to the BBC Radio 2 Steve Wright piece about the award here. There is also a short film featuring my work with Victoria Park Singers below and to hear all the radio interviews click here.
2013: I founded Victoria Park Singers, my East London based choir. There are around 100 singers and they rehearse on Wednesday evenings at Lauriston School in Hackney