People

Musical Director

Edward-Rhys Bate

Edward-Rhys Bate comes from the village of Penclawdd, on the Gower Coast, South Wales. He studied music from an early age, taking lessons on the organ, piano and voice. At 15, he was appointed in his first Church Organist position, and, at 16 he received his first professional commission, to write music for the play 'No Birds Sing' by Denise Deegan (Daisy Pulls It Off) for the National Youth Theatre of Wales. This fuelled his desire to further pursue his studies in composition. At 18 his first major work was performed in Swansea (a children's musical), and shortly after this he left his beloved South Wales to study music at University of Wales, Bangor.

During his time at Bangor, Edward studied composition under the eminent composers William Matthias (Queen's Composer) and John Harper (RSCM). He also studied voice, under prolific performer Kenneth Reynolds (RAM). As a student, he won the department composition prize for his orchestral work 'Re:Becca' which was subsequently performed by the department symphony orchestra.

After graduating and completing a post-graduate diploma in Music Technology and Sound Recording, Edward was appointed as Director of Music at a local college. Over the next five years, Edward was responsible for the formation of a new 120 strong church choir who regularly toured the North and North West and produced two recorded albums, as well forming a smaller close harmony group who toured, performing his own works, all of the UK and as far afield as India, Hungary, New Zealand. As well as training to be a qualified teacher!

He became responsible for the birth and development of the now busy music department, but moved to the Hampshire/Surrey border, and a new college, after five years, to continue his studies, reading composition at the London College of Music (and picking up his masters' degree along the way), this time under prolific professional musicians such as Laurence Roman (orchestrator for Andrew Lloyd-Webber) and the sacred music composer Francis Pott.

Edward was responsible for forming two new choirs in Hampshire, who performed and recorded his own, as well as published, works. During his time in Hampshire, Edward worked for the Hampshire County Music Service as a private composition tutor for gifted young student composers awarded a scholarship to study in this area. He was also appointed as lecturer at the University of Winchester, leading the composition modules.

Alongside this, Edward was appointed as an examiner for both the Edexcel and Oxford/Cambridge examination boards in further and higher education awards.

After a successful four years in Hampshire and London, Edward left his teaching positions (albeit temporarily) to study for a PhD in Composition. Seizing his new found freedom, he took the opportunity to move back to South Wales, where he is now based.

In 2006 Edward was crowned a national Bard of Wales in the famous National Eisteddfod festival, raising his profile as a Welsh composer and performer.

He is currently engaged as a singer with the BBC National Chorus of Wales as well as teaching singing and composition as a private tutor.

He was recently appointed as the new Musical Director for the Bristol Chamber Choir, a role which he relishes.

Edward's music is available to purchase from newconceptsounds.com

President

Raymond Warren

Raymond is a renowned composer and teacher, having held posts at Queen's University, Belfast, where from 1966 he held a personal Chair in composition. From 1966-72 he was Resident Composer to the Ulster Orchestra, writing for them a number of orchestral works and also conducting the Orchestra in a series of concerts of contemporary music. In 1972 he was appointed Professor of Music at the University of Bristol, a post from which he retired in 1994. He is the composer of numerous operas, oratorios and three symphonies. Recent works include his Symphony No. 3, a commission from the Brunel Ensemble. He is also author of the book Opera Workshop (Scolar Press, 1995).

Chairman of Committee

Greg Smart

I joined the chamber choir in 1991 and have been singing first tenor ever since. My singing career started at the age of eight, when I joined the Cirencester Parish Church Choir and I'm proud to say that I've sung all four parts in my time. I enjoy singing with the choir, not just because of the fascinating range of pieces that we perform, but also because of the friends I have made over the years. There have been some notable performances I have taken part in, including Bach's Komm Jesu, Komm, Martin's Mass for Double Choir and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Our visits to Copenhagen, Cork and Newcastle have also been memorable.