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Who’s Who in 2008The CCW staff are the key people behind the success of Cranleigh Choral Week. They make sure that not only is everything organised on the musical front but also that all the administrative and logistical tasks are handled. Jeffrey Wynn Davies - Artistic
Director |
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Jeffrey Wynn Davies - Artistic Director |
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Jeffrey Wynn Davies continues to enhance his already established reputation as one of this country’s busiest and most versatile choral conductors and trainers. His award winning vocal group/chamber choir Canzonetta – former BBC Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year - appears regularly at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. Recent performances there include John Rutter Mass of the Children (Manchester premiere), Verdi Four Sacred Pieces, the Durufle Requiem and the opera Mary Seacole for Black Arts Alliance. He also directed the adult and children’s choruses in the world premiere of Peter Ash’s opera Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Last year included Messiah and the world premiere of Tunde Jegede’s The Calling (with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra), again, in the Bridgewater Hall. |
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Canzonetta has broadcast several times on BBC Radio 3, and has made several television appearances for both BBC and ITV. The group’s recordings include the music of Andrew Carter - a 60th birthday tribute, available on the Guild label, and, more recently, Carey Blyton’s complete chamber choir music for Upbeat, and a double CD of Gordon Lawson’s church music for Chameleon Arts. In addition to appearances at the Cheltenham and Harrogate International Festivals - including a Russian choral programme at his third Harrogate appearance - he has acted as Chorus Director to both Pavarotti and Carreras. In 2001, he accepted the directorship of the internationally renowned Manchester Boys’ Choir, with whom he has appeared on many major platforms, including the Bridgewater Hall, and Leeds and Huddersfield Town Halls. The Boys’ recent major appearances have included the Berlioz Te Deum and Kodaly Psalmus Hungaricus with Huddersfield Choral Society, a Radio 3 broadcast performance of Britten’s War Requiem from Leeds Town Hall (BBC Philharmonic Orchestra) and his Spring Symphony at the Chester International Festival. There have also been recent appearances with Evelyn Glennie and Aled Jones, and tours to the Czech Republic, northern Germany, Ontario and Michigan. He is in demand as a guest conductor and choral trainer, working again this year for most of the major British choral organisations at weekend workshops etc. He has directed seven choral festivals for the BBC, and has adjudicated at many choral competitions in the UK, Ireland, and also in Scandinavia and South Africa. He has recently sat on the panel of judges at the Prague and Verona International Choir Festivals, the National Eisteddfod of Wales, the National Festival of Music for Youth, the National Male Voice Choir Competition, the Malta International Choral Festival and the Jersey International Choir Competition. He has served on a number of national bodies, including the BBC Central Music Advisory Committee, and the Association of British Choral Directors, for whose Millennium Convention he was Artistic Director. |
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Fiona Clucas - Administrator |
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All the planning and administration of Cranleigh Choral Week is managed by Fiona Clucas. In recent years, however, she has established a considerable reputation, particularly in the North of England, as a versatile soprano soloist and studied with the distinguished soprano Honor Shepherd. In August 2005 she sang Elijah with Sir Willard White in York Minster. Other recent work includes Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Carmina Burana, Messiah, Poulenc and Vivaldi Glorias, Haydn Theresa Mass and Paukenmesse, Bach Christmas Oratorio, Mozart Requiem, and the Bach and Rutter Magnificat settings. There were also performances of Britten Rejoice in the Lamb and Hymn to St. Cecilia in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, Mozart and Brahms Requiems and Vaughan Williams Benedicite in Ripon Cathedral. |
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She also created the role of Mrs Trout in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Peter Ash) - a world premiere – and, in 2004, was soprano soloist in the first Manchester performance of Rutter’s Mass of the Children, both also in the Bridgewater Hall. Fiona now has a busy schedule, not only as a performer but as a choral/vocal agent and voice tutor. She is the administrator of the award-winning chamber choir Canzonetta and of both the North of England Festival Chorus and the new South of England Festival Chorus, making its debut in 2007. She took on the management of the Manchester Boys’ Choir in October 2001 and directs the Manchester Boys Junior Singers. She is equally at home as a recitalist and has performed as soloist during a Pavarotti performance in Manchester. In addition she has appeared regularly with a number of leading brass bands and concert choirs throughout the North of England and in Wales. |
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Marcus Pashley - Choral Tutor |
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Marcus Pashley read Music at Manchester University developing a passion for working with choirs. In Manchester he directed and considerably developed the work of the University Chamber Choir, founded the New Manchester Bach Ensemble and won the university’s coveted Sir Thomas Beecham Medal for achievement in music. |
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He has held the posts of Music Director of the Bradford Choristers and subsequently Chorus Director of Central Festival Opera preparing performances of Puccini: La Boheme and Bizet: Carmen for Opera Holland Park. As a founder member of the 1993 BBC Choir of the Year Canzonetta, he has performed throughout the UK and abroad. From 1998-2004 he was Director of Music at Kimbolton School in Cambridgeshire, also holding the post of Musical Director of the Huntingdonshire Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. He has also appeared as guest conductor for Harrogate Choral Society and the Manchester Camerata. Marcus enjoys engagements as a baritone soloist in addition to his work as a conductor and adjudicator with a repertoire covering many of the major choral works. Recent engagements have included Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem at Trinity College, Cambridge. He has been a tutor in conducting at the Association of British Choral Directors Annual Conference and has been a tutor on both the Harrogate Choral Week and Cranleigh Choral Week since the beginning. Marcus is currently Director of Music at Cranleigh School and Musical Director of Cranleigh Choral Society. Recent conducting projects in this capacity have included Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 3 and the Bruch: Violin Concerto, both with Cranleigh pupils as soloists, Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2, Handel: Messiah, Dvorak: Te Deum and Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem. He has also recently undertaken the musical direction of a major production of Les Misérables. |
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Amy Bebbington - Choral Tutor |
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Amy has a First Class Honours Degree and a Masters Degree in Piano Performance. She also became a Doctor of Musical Arts, specialising in Choral Conducting, in 2005, having studied with Dr. John Dickson at Texas Tech University. As a pianist, Amy has performed Mozart's Piano Concerto in A Major (K488) with The Wrexham Symphony Orchestra and Shostakovitch's Second Piano Concerto with The University of Huddersfield Symphony Orchestra. She was the repetiteur for Opera Femina and Lakeland Opera, and is also on the instrumental teaching faculty (piano) at Wellington College.
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As a choral singer, Amy has performed with Rodolphus, Choros Amici (BBC Choir of the Year 2000), Canzonetta and The Texas Tech University Choir. She has appeared on BBC1 and BBC Radio 3, and has performed at choral conferences in England and America. Amy also tutors on the internationally acclaimed ABCD Choral Conducting courses. Her choral compositions have been performed by several British and American choirs, most notably by Joyful Company of Singers, Choros Amici and The Texas Tech University Singers.
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Amy has worked as a choral animateur for Youth Music, youngchoirs.net, Yorkshire Youth and Music and Sing for Pleasure and is a trainer for the Key Stage 2 CPD course run by Trinity College and The Open University. She has directed numerous choirs including Huddersfield People’s Choir, Bradford University Singers, Lubbock Chorale, Good Company (Walsall) and Stone Choral Society. In September 2007 Amy took up the posts of Musical Director for Shalford Choral Society, Holmbury St Mary Choral Society and the Berkshire Boys' Choir. The remainder of her time is spent leading vocal workshops and composing. Cranleigh Choral Week 2007 was Amy’s first participation in the course. |
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Neil Ferris - Choral Tutor |
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Neil Ferris graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London in 1998 where he specialised in performance and in 2003 gained a Master’s degree in Performance Studies at the Royal College of Music, where he specialised in choral conducting. As a violinist Neil studied with Pearl Mace, Judith Young and ultimately Julian Cummings and was awarded an ARCM in violin performing in 1997. He has been conductor of Royal Holloway Chamber Orchestra since 1999, and has made guest appearances with Midland Sinfonia and the City of Southampton Orchestra. Neil is much in demand as a choral conductor and workshop leader;
he has worked as conducting tutor at Birmingham Conservatoire,
the University of Southampton and Roehampton University. |
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He has recently been appointed visiting tutor in choral conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He also tutors on the Association of British Choral Directors national course and is a choir trainer and chamber music coach at the Royal College of Music Junior Department. Neil is Music Director of Cardiff Polyphonic Choir, who have broadcast and recorded recently for BBC Radio 2, 3 and 4. He is also Music Director of the Epworth Choir (Surrey) and Concordia Voices (Richmond). Neil also works regularly as a guest conductor with other choirs; he has worked with the Whitehall Choir (London), and is assistant conductor of the award-winning Joyful Company of Singers. In the autumn season of 2007 he was guest conductor of Birmingham Bach Choir as cover for the sabbatical of their Music Director, Paul Spicer. In addition, he has been guest conductor of the chorus and orchestra of Filarmonica Arad, Romania, since 2005. Neil is fortunate to have benefited from the expertise of Paul Spicer at the RCM and has studied at the Canford Summer School of Music conducting course under George Hurst. As a result of the BBC Singers Conductor Fellowship auditions for 2004 he was awarded a masterclass with the BBC Singers and its chief conductor, Stephen Cleobury. Cranleigh Choral Week 2008 will be Neil's first participation on the course. |
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Mark Jordan - Choral Tutor/Répétiteur |
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Mark studied music at Manchester University where he firmly established himself as a sought after accompanist for recitals, examinations and concerts. He accompanied the University Chorus for an unprecedented three-year period. It was at this time that he formed his long connection with Jeffrey Wynn-Davies. During his years as an accompanist he has had the opportunity to work with many famous conductors, notably Benjamin Zander (Boston SO) for the Henley Festival. As a freelance organist, he has played in a large number of major cathedrals and venues around the country including York Minster, Carlisle Cathedral, St David's Cathedral, Hereford Cathedral, New College Oxford, Magdalen College Oxford, as well as the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. |
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For seven years he was Accompanist in Residence at Morland Choristers' Camp; a week-long course for children and young adults who sing in church and chapel choirs throughout the UK. He is currently the répétiteur and piano tutor for the John Lewis Partnership Music Society, and appeared as guest soloist this year in Constant Lambert's Rio Grande. Mark is the Musical Director of Opera Unlimited– a small Opera Company based in South London giving opportunities to new and up-coming singers. He is also the Assistant Musical Director and accompanist for Oxford Pro Musica Singers. This has led to playing for many prestigious concerts including the world première performance of Paul Patterson's Millennium Mass [organ version]. |
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Mark is also a very experienced choral singer having sung with Oxford Pro Musica Singers, Choros Amici, Canzonetta, Manchester Chorale, the Cavendish Singers and many other choirs throughout the UK. |
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RépétiteursIn addition to the tutors, Cranleigh Choral Week is very fortunate to enjoy the services of first class rehearsal accompanists. In 2008, these are: |
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Kathleen Hesford |
A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, Kathleen has accompanied many music groups in the North-West, notably the Manchester Boys’ Choir working with Jeffrey Wynn Davies and Fiona Clucas. She particularly enjoys working in local music festivals. Cranleigh 2007 was Kathleen’s first association with the course. |
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David Smith |
In great demand as a partner of many young leading singers and instrumentalists, David has performed in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, St John Smith’s Square and Bath Pump Rooms. His versatility has led him to work with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Holland Park Opera, BBC Symphony Chorus and London Oriana Choir. Cranleigh 2008 will be David's first association with the course. |
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