Dear All
Thank you to everyone who was able to come to the auditions last week. On Tuesday 17/6 we will start at 7:45 as before and will see three candidates, having added a third session to accommodate Ed Bonner who was ill last week. I hope everyone is OK with the late finish. It will be a long night but we didn’t want to miss the chance of seeing Ed, particularly since he impressed when he took us last year.
To manage the decision making more efficiently we have provided information on all candidates to review beforehand plus a list of criteria against which to measure candidates, reflecting areas of focus from last week’s discussions.
Please arrive on time (19:45 latest) to help set up so we are all ready to go when Neavan Lobban arrives. Bring your Brahms scores.
Once auditions are completed we will discuss candidates and hold vote.
Audition Programme 17/6:
19:45 PROMPT arrival so everything can be set up and ready to go by 20:00
20:00 -20:40 NEAVAN LOBBAN
20:40-20:50 break
20:50-21:30 PAUL JEANES
21:35-10:15 ED BONNER
10:15 discussion and vote
The audition will consist of:
1.Warm up
2.Candidate teaches/directs us singing their choice of piece
3.Candidate directs us singing Movement IV from Brahms Requiem
Neavan Lobban (20:00)
Neavan is Musical Director of Birmingham Gay Symphony Orchestra as well as deputising as Director for Hampton Singers and Birmingham City Council Choir. He was interim conductor for Wythall Community choir and is a recent graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the University of Birmingham.
Link to responses to list of questions from SGC
Paul Jeanes (20:50)
Paul is director of Amici Chamber Choir and Ember Choral Society as well as Director of Music at Hampton Parish Church. He is a freelance musical director and orchestrator/arranger as well as a singing and directing coach. He is a former secondary school deputy head teacher.
Link to responses to list of questions from SGC
Ed Bonner (21:30)
Some of you may remember Ed from when he deputised for Penny at one of our rehearsals before Christmas. He is the Musical Director of Surrey Heath Singers; professional choral singer, working with English National Opera and Philharmonia Chorus amongst others; church musician for several London churches including St Martin-in-the-Fields and teacher of singing and piano.
Link to responses to list of questions from SGC
Candidates from 10/6:
Anthony Chater(20:00)
Anthony is a conductor and currently directs Symbel Choir which he set up in 2024. He is also a freelance choral singer working with St Martin’s Voices and St James’s Spanish Place. He will shortly be leaving his current role in music administration in Wigmore Hall in order to focus more on his conducting work.
Link to responses to list of questions from SGC
Kieran Morris (20:50)
Kieran got in touch with SGC when he heard Ben had died to offer his help in case we needed it – he knew Ben from his time at the National Youth Choir. Kieran is associate conductor of New London Chamber Choir; Conductor and Director of Sing Healthy Choirs in Berkshire and public speaking voice coach with Join the Dialogue.