Music Officials
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| Stephen Vickers (Accompanist) & Dr Nigel Russell (Musical Director) |
Dr Nigel Russell, Musical Director
Whilst studying for a degree in Chemistry at the University of Kent,
Nigel Russell won a bursary to study singing for three years with Kathryn Lewis in Canterbury. He moved to London in 1994, joining the Philharmonia Chorus and was a founding member of the Quartet of St Giles-in-the-Fields.
He continued to
study singing with Brian Trueman at the London College of Music. Moving to
Sheffield in 2000, Nigel returned to sing in his native Buxton with the Buxton
Madrigal Singers under the direction of Michael Williams MBE. He was awarded a Diploma in Music from the Open University in 2001. Nigel was appointed
Songman in Sheffield Cathedral Choir in 2003. He has sung Father (Humperdink - Hansel and Gretel) in Sheffield, November 2003; Dichterliebe (Schumann) in Chesterfield and Sheffield Cathedral, Spring 2004; Songs of Travel (Vaughan Williams) and Earth and Air and Rain (Finzi) in Sheffield Cathedral, November 2004; Samuel (Sullivan - Pirates of Penzance) in Sheffield, May 2005; Songs of the Sea (Stanford) and Folk Songs (Britten) in Sheffield Cathedral and St Andrew Psalter Lane Music Festival, 2007.
In July 2005 Nigel became Musical Director of Worrall Male Voice Choir. In August 2005 he was elected Fellow of the Guild of Musicians and Singers, and is a member of the Association of British Choral Directors. In
September 2008 he took up the new position as Administrator of Wakefield Cathedral.
Stephen Vickers, Accompanist
Stephen Vickers trained as a music teacher at The College, Ripon, his
principal study being piano. As well as being an accomplished pianist, he
also plays upper strings and sings. Between 1980 - 1985 he was both chorus
member and repetiteur for South Yorkshire Opera. As a conductor and
violist Stephen has worked with the Sheffield Philharmonic, and Chamber
Orchestras, and worked with the orchestras of the Sheffield Music Service.
In 2003 he was appointed conductor of the Sheffield Youth Orchestra - last
year they were the only English Youth Orchestra to be invited to the NAYO
Festival of Orchestras in Edinburgh where they performed Prokovievs 'Peter
and the Wolf', which can be viewed on YouTube, earlier in the year they were
the guest orchestra at 'A Musical Showcase' at Ponds Forge with Worrall and
Bolsterstone Male Voice Choirs. The Orchestra under Stephen have recently
performed at Wakefield Cathedral and "The Crossing", Worksop with the
pianists Benjamin Frith and Michael Davies respectively in performances
of Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 "Emperor".
Stephen has been a guest conductor or choral member of several choirs
including the British Youth Choir, York Festival Chorus, the City of
Sheffield Youth Choir and Boys Choir, the latter being the treble choir in 'Carmina
Burana' under Bryden-Thompson and the Halle Orchestra, Hallam Choral
Society, with whom he gave the first South Yorkshire performance of
Vaughan-Williams Cantata 'The Sons of Light', Millhouse Green Male Voice
Choir, Penistone Operatic Society and Stannington Mixed Choir with whom, in
2009 he recorded a CD of local carols. Stephen is Associate conductor and
Accompanist to Worrall Male Voice Choir.
Last Updated:
19 July, 2010