Justin Doyle (Choral Celebration Day)
Born in Lancaster, the conductor Justin Doyle was a chorister at Westminster Cathedral and studied at King's College, Cambridge. He won second prize in the prestigious Cadaqués
Orchestra Conducting Competition; recent engagements have included concerts with the Orchestra of Opera North and Royal Northern Sinfonia, regular broadcasts with the BBC Singers and a cover CD for BBC Music Magazine.
Justin is conductor of Manchester University Chorus and Musical Director of Opera North Children's Chorus; previous posts have included Artstic Director of Ryedale Festival and Swaledale Festival. He is particularly known for his conducting of opera, regularly working with Opera North, where his recent Albert Herring met with critical acclaim: "Justin Doyle and the Opera North Orchestra work wonders to dispatch Britten's mischievous and miraculous chamber score with pungency and precision" (Richard Morrison, The Times).
He lives in Skipton with his wife, the soprano Bibi Heal, their gorgeous twin boys and whippet, and is delighted to be back at the Mary Wakefield Festival, in which he competed as a young cellist many years ago!
Justin is conductor of Manchester University Chorus and Musical Director of Opera North Children's Chorus; previous posts have included Artstic Director of Ryedale Festival and Swaledale Festival. He is particularly known for his conducting of opera, regularly working with Opera North, where his recent Albert Herring met with critical acclaim: "Justin Doyle and the Opera North Orchestra work wonders to dispatch Britten's mischievous and miraculous chamber score with pungency and precision" (Richard Morrison, The Times).
He lives in Skipton with his wife, the soprano Bibi Heal, their gorgeous twin boys and whippet, and is delighted to be back at the Mary Wakefield Festival, in which he competed as a young cellist many years ago!
Ben Farmer (Rock, Pop and Jazz Fun Day)
Ben has a degree in Popular Music from the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts and a PGCE from the University of Lancaster, and is a “highly talented & versatile accordion, melodeon, bass & ukelele-ist, music teacher and workshop leader” (AndyHornby.net). Ben is an experienced teacher and workshop leader, working for Lancashire Music Service and More Music on a wide variety of projects and regular workshops.
Ben plays music from all sorts of cultures and styles of music from around the world and enjoys new challenges! Ben is available and experienced in playing for a wide variety of functions.
He teaches classroom music in a high school in Blackpool three days a week, where he leads a very popular Ukulele Orchestra and Samba Band amongst many other things. It’s an active job, but he still finds time to teach on his days off and play with one of his bands.
Ben plays music from all sorts of cultures and styles of music from around the world and enjoys new challenges! Ben is available and experienced in playing for a wide variety of functions.
He teaches classroom music in a high school in Blackpool three days a week, where he leads a very popular Ukulele Orchestra and Samba Band amongst many other things. It’s an active job, but he still finds time to teach on his days off and play with one of his bands.
Hilary Davies (Come and Sing Day)
Hilary Davies is Musical Director of three thriving Community Choirs in Worcester, Tewkesbury and Cheltenham. She has been an Arts Worker since 1990 and a qualified workshop leader teaching harmony singing and world music in schools and the community since 1999. Her background is working in mental health, with the homeless and with life-limited adults. Hilary also leads ‘Rough Diamonds’, a smaller performing choir. She is organiser of the annual Community Choirs Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon.
In 2014 Hilary was asked to lead a new Sing4Breath group, for COPD patients from Worcester Royal Hospital, which has been a great success.
With a life-long passion for unaccompanied harmony singing, Hilary teaches with warmth, humour and infectious enthusiasm. Through her choirs and workshops, she seeks to encourage and enable singers of all abilities to develop and grow in an informal, supportive environment.
In 2014 Hilary was asked to lead a new Sing4Breath group, for COPD patients from Worcester Royal Hospital, which has been a great success.
With a life-long passion for unaccompanied harmony singing, Hilary teaches with warmth, humour and infectious enthusiasm. Through her choirs and workshops, she seeks to encourage and enable singers of all abilities to develop and grow in an informal, supportive environment.