What Sweeter Music : CD

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DeChorum

Soprano

Rebecca Afonwy-Jones
Gemma Busfield
Sarah Busfield
Sophie Cleobury
Quintilla Hughes
Helen Parkinson
Melanie Sanders
Charlotte Shipley
Charlotte Whatmough

Alto

Cheryl Horne
Jonathan Lycett
Eloise Power
Simon Tottman

Tenor

Andrew Downer
Jonathan Stork
Geraint Watkins
Benjamin Fleetwood Smyth

Bass

Tom Appleton
John Edwards
Andy Marshall
David Smith
Daniel Sumner
Danny Whatmough

Simon Tottman

The Bristol Brass Consort

Paul Harris - Trumpet
Alan Andrews - Trumpet
Laura Tanner - Horn
John Cornick - Trombone
Simon Derrick - Tuba

Christopher Manners & Bob Broad – Organ
Catrin Finch – Harp
David Smith – Piano
James Parfitt – Double Bass

Dr. Barry Rose – Producer
Patrick Allen – Engineer on behalf of Opera Omnia

		BIOGRAPHIES Sarah Busfield Sarah Busfield has studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Birmingham Conservatoire. She recently appeared in Peter Grimes in Salzburg and Berlin, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and directed by Sir Trevor Nunn. Sarah works regularly as a vocalist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has recently appeared in their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Novello Theatre, Covent Garden. She has also performed scenes from Turandot, Faust and Aida with Mid-Wales Opera, and last summer she sang Second Woman in a production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in Canon Hill Park, Birmingham. This season Sarah has been singing with Garsington Opera. As a recitalist Sarah has toured to Belgium, Holland, Northern Ireland and the Edinburgh Fringe, and she has appeared on numerous occasions as a soloist at Symphony Hall, Birmingham with the C.B.S.O. Prizes include the Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal and All Card Award, and Sir Anthony Lewis Memorial Prize. Future plans include the Thursford Christmas Spectacular and a tour to Rome with the Colmore Consort. Charlotte Shipley Charlotte completed her BA (music) at Oxford University in 2002, where she held a Choral Scholarship at Exeter College. During her three years of study, she became involved with all the major chamber choirs in Oxford, including the Arcadian Singers, TOC, Commotio, and Schola Cantorum. She sings regularly at various churches in and around London, and is a regular chorister of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court. She is also a soloist with the Colmore Consort. As a soloist, Charlotte has trained with Tina May (Jazz vocal technique), Ian Partridge, Nicholas Powell, and Nicholas Clapton. Charlotte has twice been the recipient of scholarships from the Michael James Music Trust, and last summer was selected to participate in a week of masterclasses given by Emma Kirkby for which she was awarded a scholarship by Dartington Summer School. She is currently studying vocal technique with Nick Powell (London), and Lyric Opera with Carlo di Giaccomo (Rome). Andrew Downer Andrew has studied with Colin Baldy and Penny Harvey-Piper, and has sung most notably under the batons of, Ralph Allwood, Laurence Cummings, John Rutter, Paul Spicer, Edward Wickham and Sir David Willcocks. A veteran of the Eton Choral Courses and the Bristol Bach Choir, he’s sung concerts, masses and evensong at King’s, Caius and Downing Cambridge, Magdalene Oxford, St Martin and St Giles in the Field’s, Temple Church, Westminster and Coventry Cathedrals, Colston Hall, St Clement Danes, St James Piccadilly, St John’s Smith Square, Westminster Abbey, the QEH and the Royal Albert Hall. He’s recorded twice for BBC radio – once for the choir at Christmas and once at Easter; for Jonathan Dove’s opera “When She died” on the death of Princess Diana for Tiger Aspect; and on “What Sweeter Music” a CD of Christmas Music for Cancer Research on the Opera Omnia label. Andrew is a busy dep, singing regularly at Ealing Abbey, the Chapel Royal Hampton Court, The Central Synagogue, Holy Trinity Prince Consort Road, St Mary Le Strand, St John’s Hyde Park, and St James’ Hampstead. He has a clear and versatile tone to top B flat, which suits early English music, plain chant, twentieth century classical and contemporary music. As a pianist he was taught by Neil Immelman, and competed and performed widely in his teens. He has studied harmony and composition to music A level, and subsequently jazz harmony at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Benjamin Fleetwood Smyth Ben is a graduate of Oxford University and whilst there, he was an Academical Clerk with the choir of Christ Church Cathedral under Stephen Darlington. He also sang with Schola Cantorum of Oxford, under both Mark Shepherd and James Burton as well as with numerous other vocal consorts. He then trained in Musical Theatre and The Royal Academy of Music in London, and has recently finished understudying the role of Freddy Eynesford Hill in The National Theatre's/Cameron Mackintosh's British Tour of My Fair Lady 2005-6. He has just recorded a concept albumn of a new musical called 'Elephant Juice', written by Christopher J Orton. Daniel Sumner Daniel Sumner started his training as a treble at St Albans Cathedral, under Barry Rose. After graduating from King’s College Cambridge, he joined the choir of Wells Cathedral for two years, before taking up his current post as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace. He made his full operatic debut as Mr. Boldwood in the World Premier of Far from the Madding Crowd by Andrew Downes, in the 2006 Thomas Hardy festival, and is also an experienced oratorio soloist.

BIOGRAPHIES

Sarah Busfield

Sarah Busfield has studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Birmingham Conservatoire. She recently appeared in Peter Grimes in Salzburg and Berlin, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and directed by Sir Trevor Nunn. Sarah works regularly as a vocalist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has recently appeared in their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Novello Theatre, Covent Garden. She has also performed scenes from Turandot, Faust and Aida with Mid-Wales Opera, and last summer she sang Second Woman in a production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in Canon Hill Park, Birmingham. This season Sarah has been singing with Garsington Opera.
As a recitalist Sarah has toured to Belgium, Holland, Northern Ireland and the Edinburgh Fringe, and she has appeared on numerous occasions as a soloist at Symphony Hall, Birmingham with the C.B.S.O. Prizes include the Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal and All Card Award, and Sir Anthony Lewis Memorial Prize. Future plans include the Thursford Christmas Spectacular and a tour to Rome with the Colmore Consort.

Charlotte Shipley

Charlotte completed her BA (music) at Oxford University in 2002, where she held a Choral Scholarship at Exeter College. During her three years of study, she became involved with all the major chamber choirs in Oxford, including the Arcadian Singers, TOC, Commotio, and Schola Cantorum. She sings regularly at various churches in and around London, and is a regular chorister of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court. She is also a soloist with the Colmore Consort.
As a soloist, Charlotte has trained with Tina May (Jazz vocal technique), Ian Partridge, Nicholas Powell, and Nicholas Clapton. Charlotte has twice been the recipient of scholarships from the Michael James Music Trust, and last summer was selected to participate in a week of masterclasses given by Emma Kirkby for which she was awarded a scholarship by Dartington Summer School. She is currently studying vocal technique with Nick Powell (London), and Lyric Opera with Carlo di Giaccomo (Rome).

Andrew Downer

Andrew has studied with Colin Baldy and Penny Harvey-Piper, and has sung most notably under the batons of, Ralph Allwood, Laurence Cummings, John Rutter, Paul Spicer, Edward Wickham and Sir David Willcocks.
A veteran of the Eton Choral Courses and the Bristol Bach Choir, he’s sung concerts, masses and evensong at King’s, Caius and Downing Cambridge, Magdalene Oxford, St Martin and St Giles in the Field’s, Temple Church, Westminster and Coventry Cathedrals, Colston Hall, St Clement Danes, St James Piccadilly, St John’s Smith Square, Westminster Abbey, the QEH and the Royal Albert Hall. He’s recorded twice for BBC radio – once for the choir at Christmas and once at Easter; for Jonathan Dove’s opera “When She died” on the death of Princess Diana for Tiger Aspect; and on “What Sweeter Music” a CD of Christmas Music for Cancer Research on the Opera Omnia label.
Andrew is a busy dep, singing regularly at Ealing Abbey, the Chapel Royal Hampton Court, The Central Synagogue, Holy Trinity Prince Consort Road, St Mary Le Strand, St John’s Hyde Park, and St James’ Hampstead. He has a clear and versatile tone to top B flat, which suits early English music, plain chant, twentieth century classical and contemporary music. As a pianist he was taught by Neil Immelman, and competed and performed widely in his teens. He has studied harmony and composition to music A level, and subsequently jazz harmony at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Benjamin Fleetwood Smyth

Ben is a graduate of Oxford University and whilst there, he was an Academical Clerk with the choir of Christ Church Cathedral under Stephen Darlington. He also sang with Schola Cantorum of Oxford, under both Mark Shepherd and James Burton as well as with numerous other vocal consorts.
He then trained in Musical Theatre and The Royal Academy of Music in London, and has recently finished understudying the role of Freddy Eynesford Hill in The National Theatre's/Cameron Mackintosh's British Tour of My Fair Lady 2005-6. He has just recorded a concept albumn of a new musical called 'Elephant Juice', written by Christopher J Orton.

Daniel Sumner

Daniel Sumner started his training as a treble at St Albans Cathedral, under Barry Rose. After graduating from King’s College Cambridge, he joined the choir of Wells Cathedral for two years, before taking up his current post as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace. He made his full operatic debut as Mr. Boldwood in the World Premier of Far from the Madding Crowd by Andrew Downes, in the 2006 Thomas Hardy festival, and is also an experienced oratorio soloist.