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Music Officials

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; A programme of Victorian Parlour Songs with Stephen Vickers in Wakefield and Sheffield Cathedrals, 2009.  Nigel has conducted Sheffield Cathedral Choir and plays the organ regularly at Sheffield Cathedral, the four-manual Hill organ at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Buxton and on 2 September 2011 accompanied the Buxton Madrigal Singers for Choral Evensong on the Harrison & Harrison organ at Durham Cathedral.

Nigel became Musical Director of Worrall Male Voice Choir in July 2005. 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.

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 and led us on our recent tour of Devon in June 2011.

Last Updated:    08 September, 2011