The Cappella Singers

 

of

Upminster

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Our Current Conductor:

We are very pleased to welcome Caroline Morris as our conductor.

Caroline is well-qualified, with a B. Mus. (Hons), and an M. Mus, together with a PGCE, and experience of various local choirs. 

We hope that with her experience and local contacts she will be able to give the choir a lively local presence, and bring in some new singers!

 

Previous conductors:

 

 

From July 2022 to July 2023 we had as our conductor: David Ho-Yi Chan. www.davidhychan.com

 

From Sep. 2019 to July 2022 our conductor was Joe Tobin.

https://www.joetobin.co.uk/

 

Joe is an accomplished conductor, composer, singer and musical scholar based in central London, who has performed alongside ensembles such as I Fagiolini, the Royal Academy of Music Chamber Choir, and the Cambridge Fundraising Choir. He is currently the Director of Music of the Cappella Singers of Upminster, Conductor of Penshurst Choral Society, and Director of Music at St Thomas of Canterbury church, Brentwood.

 

Joe studied Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Patrick Russill. He graduated in 2021 and was awarded a master's degree with distinction, additionally receiving the Sir Thomas Armstrong Choral Leadership Prize and Irene Burcher Prize from the Academy.

 

From Sep. 2016 – July 2019, our conductor was Jamie Sperling.

https://jamiesperling.co.uk/

 

In 2021 Jamie was Music Director of the Buckland and Betchworth Choral Society. He was also the Music Director of the Chamber Choir at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has worked part-time for All Souls, Langham Place as Music Leader (0-18 Ministry). This role also incorporated serving as Assistant Music Director of Prom Praise for Schools, which Jamie recently co-wrote a song for their 2021 Virtual Choir project

 

From September 2015 – July 2016, our conductor was Jonathan Schranz:

Previously Director of Music at Fisher House (Cambridge University Catholic Chaplaincy), trumpeter in Cambridge University Selwyn Jazz Band, educated Churchill College Cambridge.

 

See www.jonathanschranz.co.uk

 

January 2013 – July 2015: Robbie Jacobs.

 

Robbie was a choral scholar at King’s College Cambridge. He is a singer, conductor and teacher.

 

Robbie is an Assistant Conductor of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, and an Associate Conductor of the London Youth Choir. He is Founder and Artistic Director of National Voices For All, which provides opportunities for young people from challenging backgrounds to engage in choral singing. In the past he has directed Collegium regale at Cambridge, been a Music Tutor at the Regeneration Learning Centre in Rwanda, and he has directed performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

As a singer Robbie has performed at the Olympic Gala (at the Royal Albert Hall), with Laudibus and Dieci Voices – www.diecivoices.com , and this year he made his debut with award-winning choir Tenebrae under Nigel Short – www.tenebrae-choir.com.

 

January 2011 to March 2003: Christopher Hann. See: www.christopherhann.co.uk. Chris’s biography: Biography - Christopher Hann

 

January to December 2010: Feliux Yeung.  He was Principal Conductor of Die Konzertisten – see:  http://www.diekonzertisten.com/principal.html, and Organ Scholar at the London Oratory.

 

Felix studied on the Masters course in choral conducting at the Royal Academy. He has many years’ experience in Hong Kong, as an organist and choral singer. With Felix we worked on Chinese folk songs – a new venture for us!

 

September 2008 to December 2009: Greg Hallam.  See: http://www.greghallam.moonfruit.com/

 

Greg Hallam was educated at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester and has just graduated from the Royal College of Music with a BMus (Hons) degree, where he studied voice with Ashley Stafford for four years.

 

Greg was a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain for ten years and was Baritone section leader for several courses.  He toured twice with NYC – around Australasia, Samoa and Singapore in 2003, and Eastern Europe in 2006.  He has recently been musical and pastoral assistant for the junior choirs.

 

Greg has worked with Berkshire Youth Choir, Crawley Youth Choir and ‘Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year’ winners, Cantate, as a choral director and vocal coach.

 

Recently, he has sung with Philharmonia Voices, London Voices and has toured with the Royal Academy of Music Chamber Choir to a monastery in Neresheim, Germany.

 

2007 – 2008: Huw Morgan. See: http://hanoverchoir.org.uk/index.html          }

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2006 – 2007: Will Dawes.  See:  www.willdawes.co.uk                                                                           } for a list of works performed under these conductors, see: Recent Concerts.

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2002 – 2006: Graham Walker. See:  www.grahamwalker.org.uk                                                            }

                                                                                                                                                                                      

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Our Founder:

 

From 1967 (soon after the choir was founded) to 2002 our conductor was Freda Drage – see: Freda Drage - the first 25 years for a list of works performed from 1967 – 1992.