Choir Personnel

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CHOIR PERSONNEL

NIGEL SHORT

Conductor

SIMON FILSELL

Manager

Growing up in the Midlands (UK) Nigel began his musical life as a chorister at Solihull Parish Church going on to study singing and piano at the Royal College of Music in London. As a young counter-tenor he was soon working with various opera companies, was in demand as an oratorio and early music soloist, sang at Westminster Cathedral, with the Tallis scholars and various other specialist choral groups.

In 1993, Nigel joined the world-renowned vocal ensemble the King’s Singers. After a short break in the Swiss Alps In 2001, Nigel set up his own professional choir, Tenebrae ( website ), which has now performed in many of the worlds most prestigious music festivals. USA, Bermuda, Spain, Switzerland, France, Germany and the UK are countries where the group is particularly renowned and the list of destinations continues to grow. The group is frequently heard on Classic fm and Radio 3.

More recently, Nigel has been appointed Director of Music at St Bartholomew the Great, London. He has co-produced Tenebrae’s own CDs (on the Signum Records label) and has been an occasional chorus-master for the London Symphony Chorus and the Royal College of Music Chorus. He vocal coaches and teaches singing, runs workshops and masterclasses for schools, small choral ensembles and large choirs. Nigel is married to the soprano Grace Davidson.

Nigel has conducted Vox Coelestis since its formation in 2005.

Simon succeeded his brother, Jeremy, as Head Chorister at Holy Trinity, Coventry’s Parish Church. He was nominated by the Royal School of Church Music as a finalist in the first ever “Choirboy of the Year” competition in 1975, alongside Nigel Short’s Solihull contemporary, Ian Simcock, which was adjudicated by David Willcocks and Sir Charles Groves.

After a time as a bass in Coventry Cathedral Choir, he became a Layclerk in St Albans Cathedral Choir. He has sung with several chamber choirs, including the New London Chamber Choir, Vox Musica, the Michael Brewer Singers and Joyful Company of Singers. He has been a soloist on several of their recordings, as well as in concerts in Russia, France, Germany and the USA. He has also been a soloist in Monteverdi’s Vespers for City Chamber Choir in London, as well as at the BBC Proms, on Radio 3 and at the Snape Maltings under James Macmillan.

After several years as a School Business Manager, he now runs his own photography & web/design business ( SiFCOM ) from his new home in Edinburgh. He is married to Karen - who also sings in Vox Coelestis!

Over the years, many friends have turned out for our various concerts, without fee, and we thank them for their support and the giving of their talents:

SOPRANOS: Amanda Abbitt; Hannah Atherton; Catherine Caunt; Julie Evans; Karen Filsell; Jo Forbes; Jenny Hasnip; Bridget Howarth; Alexandra McPhee; Louise McPhee; Olivia Maffett; Dawn Ponniah; Patricia Rees-Jones; Katharine Verney;

ALTOS: Debbie Alder; Kathryn Cook; Sue Dell; Denise Fabb; Mara Goldstein; Elaine Gould; Derek Harrison; Annika Lindskog; Anastasia Micklethwaite; Janet Willink;

TENORS: James Atherton; Simon Colston; Chris Dell; Ross Jelf; Grayson Jones; Keith Parker; Steve Sanders; Ewan Stockwell; Ben Trenchard; Geoff Ward; Richard West;

BASSES: Joseph Cullen; Jimmy Holliday; David Ireson; Rod McPhee; David Rees-Jones; Tom Stockwell; David Tilley;

OUR SINGERS