Musicians
“The worship was taken to a new level, and what wonderful comments were made
by the congregation – both established and visiting!”
Rev Stephen Taylor -
David Hooke
studied conducting with Harry Newstone and Vilem Tausky at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was awarded the Ricordi Conducting Prize while studying on the Advanced Conducting Course. David conducted choral and orchestral societies in Southend and Bishops Stortford before becoming a Christian, after which he went to study at London Bible College. After some years in teaching as Head of R.E. and Head of Music, David spent 20 years as Music Director of Christ Church Cockfosters. In 1996 David was instrumental in founding the Adoramus Choir and Orchestra with whom he has given concerts in the U.K. Italy and France. In 2011 the church commissioned David as a Music Mission partner and since then he has been developing the use of music and musicians to communicate aspects of the faith through concerts at home and with key partners abroad. David’s works is assisted by the Asaph Christian Trust.
Nicola Hooke
studied flute and piano at Trinity College of Music, London, and has taught flute for many years. For the last twelve years she has studied singing with Norman Welsby (former Principal Baritone at Covent Garden and Sadler’s Wells). She now appears regularly as a soloist with Adoramus, a Christian choir based in North London, and in 2011 was a founder member of the Asaph Ensemble. Her work with Adoramus and the Asaph Ensemble has included concerts in Italy, France and Western Asia, as well as across England. Nicola has been involved, as a singer and flautist, with several BBC Religious and Radio 4 broadcasts. She has taken roles in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel for St Albans Chamber Opera, been engaged as soloist for Potters Bar and Enfield choral societies and has recently given two performances of Mozart concert arias with the Enfield Chamber Orchestra. Most recently she has given acclaimed performances as “Elle” in Poulenc’s Opera for solo soprano “La Voix Humaine.” Nicola lives in North London with her husband, David and their three sons.
Peter Desmond
studied music at the University of Leeds and Education at Birmingham University. For over 18 years he was head of music at 3 inner city secondary schools. Since January 2002 he has been head of music and performing arts for Haringey Education Service. Peter's first instrument is the trumpet. He has a wide and varied performing career including several national radio and TV appearances. He has played in brass quintets, jazz quintets, big bands, orchestras and pop bands. Peter has also worked extensively as a composer and arranger. Peter is a member of Enfield Baptist Church, where he often leads the music group.
Robert Evans
studied at the Royal College of Music and London University. Having held posts at Waltham Abbey and St.Paul's Knightsbridge he is now a freelance organist and composer and has broadcast on Radio 3. He has given numerous organ recitals in England, France, the Czech Republic and Austria. Improvisation is a particular interest and he does much to encourage this neglected area of the organist's skills in his pupils. He has been an examiner for GCSE and A level. Composition is a particular interest and recently published material has appeared in the 'Sing Evensong' series. He has recorded with Amici in the past and is currently on the staff at St.Ignatius College, Enfield. Interests include motorcycling, clock restoration, and wine making.
Paul Sharman
received his early musical training from his father and from within The Salvation Army. In 1990, he was awarded a scholarship to study Trumpet at the Royal College of Music with Michael Laird and Malcolm Smith. Following his time at the RCM, during which he was awarded the Ernest Hall Prize for Orchestral Trumpet Playing and the Senior Brass Prize, he worked as a freelance trumpet player, working with various orchestras and in the West End. He now works as a music editor for The Salvation Army within the Music Ministries Unit.Paul is currently the Deputy Bandmaster (Assistant Conductor) and principal cornet of the Regent Hall Band of the Salvation Army, with whom he has just returned from a 6 day trip to Brazil, and for the past 20 years has been a member of the solo cornet section of the International Staff Band, the Salvation Army’s premier brass band.
Julian Poore
has been a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for 30 years, playing with artists such as Claudio Abbado, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Andras Schiff, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Bernard Haitink, Pierre Boulez, Vladimir Jurowski and Jannick Nezet-
Mary Young
studied the Violin at Trinity College of Music in London. During her time there she won the John Barberolli String Quartet prize, was chosen to represent the college in the inter collegiate Heller Prize, and was the youngest person to win the TCM association Soloist competition in St John’s Smith Square.She has performed with various orchestras, including the New London Soloists Orchestra, Adoramus Orchestra and All Souls Orchestra. She also performs with the Eleos Ensemble, a Flute and String Trio who have recently performed in Poland, Romania, Turkey, Scotland and a range of venues in the UK, and with the Asaph Ensemble who have also performed in Western Asia and the UK. Mary formed a Violin and Piano Duo with Merel van der Knoop in 2009, and this is now the majority of her performing work. Since meeting, they have been performing together largely on Cruise ships, but also in care homes and concerts particularly in churches. They are currently recording their first CD.
Michelle Todd
British – Canadian Soprano and actress Michelle Todd, is a performer of critically acclaimed versatility in Art Song, Oratorio, Opera, Musicals and plays. Currently residing in Canada,her career continues to take her to leading concert halls and theatres around the world. Born in England, her earliest performances were as a member of the acclaimed Cantamus with whom she performed In Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Hungary and Bulgaria. She made her prize winning London recital debut in the Purcell Room followed by solo performances in The Queen Elizabeth Hall, and guest soprano with numerous ensembles including The Hans Eisler Ensemble, London Contemporary Dance Theatre and star singer for BBC's Friday Night is Music Night with the BBC Concert Orchestra.Internationally she has been soprano soloist in the major sacred works of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart, Purcell, Pergolesi, Faure, Resphigi, Rutter, Karl Jenkins and Sir Paul McCartney’s Ecce Cor Meum. Her discography includes a solo recording of sacred arias titled Grace Notes. She is past President of the National Association of Singing Teachers (S Alberta) and is choir conductor at St Mary’s Catholic Church in the small mountain town of Banff, Canada.
Sarah Stroh
began her musical studies at Hull University, where she obtained a first class honours degree in music. It was there that she developed both her singing and conducting skills, singing a principal role in Delius’ A Village Romeo and Juliet and also taking up the baton as MD for a production of Iolanthe. Following two years of teaching music in York and Edinburgh, she headed south to study singing as a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Music. Whilst there, she won a number of prizes, most notably for her performance of Early Music. Sarah’s musical career is broad and varied. Her concert experience includes performances of Haydn’s Creation and Marie Theresa Mass, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Cantata 140, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, Requiem and Mass in C minor and Vivaldi’s Gloria. She has appeared as a soloist with the All Souls’ Orchestra in concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Belfast’s Waterfront Hall as well as on tour in France and Bulgaria. Although classically trained, she is equally at home with jazz or music theatre, and this is reflected in the breadth of her repertoire. Sarah teaches singing at St. Paul’s Girls’ School and London School of Theology. She is also an experienced choral conductor and directs the award-
April Fredrick
is an experienced recital, oratorio, and concert performer, with a particular interest in song. Her literary background has given her a passion for text and nuanced delivery which gets to the heart of both music and character. She was a semifinalist in the 2009 Kathleen Ferrier Awards and the 2009 Wigmore Hall International Song Competition as well as appearing on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Robert Winston’s Musical Analysis: Ivor Gurney’. She has performed at St. John’s Smith Square, the Holywell Music Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall, was part of the 2008 Young Songmakers Almanac, and was an RAM representative for the first Europaisches Liedforum in Berlin. She is a Young Artist on the Somm record label, and she was named Young Outstanding Musician of the Year at the 2010 Brighton Early Music Festival. Her opera work has included Dido in Dido and Aenaes, Iris in Semele, Medea in Handel’s Teseo, the Governess in Britten’s Turn of the Screw, Fido in Britten’s Paul Bunyan, and Zora in the world premier of Gloria Coates’ Stolen Identity.
Joanne McGahon
trained with English National Opera in 2003 and was awarded “The Voice of North London” in 2006 resulting in a star performance at Trent Park’s Open Air Prom. Joanne has performed live on BBC Radio 4 as well as BBC Radio 2 and was recently voted “Best Classical Artist” in the MMA Music Awards 2009. As an experienced vocalist and recital artist, Joanne has performed at various concert halls and cathedrals around Britain, recent appearances include Watford Coliseum, Alban Arena, Woburn Abbey, The Brighton Dome, Hendon RAF Museum, The Hackney Empire, St. James Piccadilly and St. Albans Cathedral. Joanne has had the privilege of working with Norman Welsby, Mary King, Leah Haussman, Rufus Norris, English National Opera, The Fitzwilliam Quartet and The Classical Prom Company. Joanne is an experienced recording artist, performing on television and film soundtracks and and has recently released her first album.
Picture by Tony Somervell MyPicturesRestored.com
Picture by Tony Somervell MyPicturesRestored.com
Anna Frazer
was born in Lancashire.She graduated from R.N.C.M., where she was awarded the Rudolph Kempe Scholarship for Orchestral playing. After four happy years in the Orchestra of Opera North, Anna joined the BBC Philharmonic where she played all over West and East Europe and West Asia under world-
Gillian Townsend
Gillian became a Christian at 13 years of age. She studied viola with Frederick Riddle in London. Her post graduate thesis for The National Centre for Orchestral Studies was "Authenticity in Baroque Performance" for which she received a distinction. Gillian attended Ichthus Christian Fellowship where she met her husband Leon and played for Graham Kendrick for various major Christian events. In 1994 Leon died leaving Gillian and their three young children aged 1, 3 and 5.
In 2005 Gillian became a Reader in the Church of England having gained a diploma in Theology. Gillian has performed with The Northern Sinfonia, London Festival Orchestra, Adoramus Orchestra, All Souls Orchestra, Penshurst String Quartet, Lydia String Quartet and Maranatha String Quartet. She teaches violin, viola, piano and singing and has published songs including "Holy Love" recorded by Shirley Novak (1986) and a collection of songs for "Bridesong" project released by CMJ (2011) arranged by Steve Thompson. She has played violin for and taught at CASX Children and young adults worship residential course based at London School of Theology and for WOW worship conference.Gillian is a member of Hawkhurst Baptist Church where she often leads worship on piano. Gillian has three grown up children and in 2015 married Richard.
Elaine Patience
spent 8 years of her childhood in Jamaica where her father was a Scottish Presbyterian minister. She started piano at the age of 6 and began the violin on their return to Glasgow in 1973. She fast tracked her progress and from the age of 15 studied with Peter Mountain, Head of Strings at RSAMD. She went on to study violin and piano for her BA performance degree there, then to the National Centre for Orchestral Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London for a Postgraduate Diploma. Elaine developed her improvisation skills while a member of the Icthus Christian fellowship. This led to playing for Graham Kendrick at great variety of Christian events , playing on various albums, as well as for other artists such as John Pantry and Stuart Townsend. Freelancing engagements included tours with the Scottish Ballet and New Sadlers Wells Opera. Involvement with the New English Orchestra from 1981 included 3 tours to Salzburg. Following her marriage in 1987 she taught at number of excellent schools including Brighton College, Lancing College and Roedean, while continuing to freelance and lead various Sussex based orchestras and string quartets. In 2016 she move to North Kent with her husband John where she is very involved in her church music team ‘Eastgate’. Her music has taken her to many countries including Turkey with the Adoramus Orchestra and choir in 2014. Elaine has had the privilege of travelling to Hong Kong to take part in various worship events organised by Jacky Pullinger and going into hospitals and some prisons. Her heart is to share her faith through music.
Geraldine Warner
Geraldine Warner studied double bass, classical guitar and composition at the Royal Academy of Music, and now works as a freelance player and teacher. She has lectured at the University of Hertfordshire, where she contributed to the BSc. Electronic Music, and BSc. Music Technology degrees, and spent time as Unit Leader for Music on the B.A. Performing Arts degree. Aside from the bass, musical activities include choral singing, with a particular interest in Anglican church music, and she has had the privilege of conducting the University of London Church Choir in Salisbury, Southwark and Exeter Cathedrals, and the Chapel Royal at the Palace of Westminster.
Geraldine particularly enjoys playing viola da gamba in various Early Music ensembles, performing as part of a classical guitar duo, and playing bass with a Christian chamber group Face 2 Face, which aims to take a positive spiritual message into concert settings, prisons, shopping centres and even the occasional pub courtyard. She also has Masters degrees in composition and creative writing.