Future Leaders

David’s musical career began as a chorister at Grimsby Minster, and a pupil at the previously adjoining choir school. He benefited from the generosity of various educational trusts throughout his schooling which enabled him to continue pursuing high-quality choral music, and inspired him to give back to the choral tradition via the Future Leaders. David has sung in and alongside various cathedral choirs and professional ensembles, including Genesis Sixteen, Voces8 and The King’s Singers to name a few.

Alongside a career in geoscience and net-zero research, David sings regularly as a Countertenor Lay Clerk at Tewkesbury Abbey and Gloucester Cathedral, having recently departed a similar role at Derby Cathedral.

Nicholas grew up in London and studied Music at Cambridge University where he was a choral scholar at King’s College. He works in digital strategy for a consumer goods company, and got involved in the Cathedral Music Trust to further the Trust’s objectives of growing excellence and diversity in the cathedral music sector. Nicholas is passionate about broadening access to life-changing musical education while ensuring the sustainability and precious heritage of cathedral music.

Isobel began her singing career as a chorister; an opportunity to which she credits a blossoming career in education, vocal health, and performance. She studied at Newcastle University, followed by UCL Institute of Education for a PGCE in Secondary Music, and now works for music education hubs as a choral animateur, vocal coach, and curriculum music provider. She recently completed her MSc in Performance Science at the Royal College of Music in London, with a thesis addressing the vocal health of cathedral lay clerks, and has recently departed her lay clerk position at Derby Cathedral to pursue new work in Gloucestershire.

Victoria began singing in her local church choir aged seven and then became a choral scholar at Jesus College Cambridge, where she studied Modern and Medieval Languages. After working in Germany and Switzerland, she is now back in her hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, where she works at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music as Producer & Senior Projects Manager with Royal Northern Sinfonia. Other interests involve walking, skiing, learning BSL, and playing violin. She is passionate about sacred choral music and hopes that with the Future Leaders group she can work towards enabling more people to access and engage with this incredible musical heritage.

Charlotte obtained her PhD in church history from Royal Holloway, University of London, and is now Assistant Director of Discipleship for the Diocese of Southwark. She has consulted with major churches and cathedrals on community engagement programmes and conducted research on the effectiveness of their music outreach programmes amongst children and young people in lower-income communities. She is a keen amateur musician – playing the lute, clavichord, and recorder – and is especially passionate about expanding access to high-quality education in sacred music to those who have not been able to access it as children. She hopes that her work with Cathedral Music Trust will help enable people of all ages and from under-served communities engage with this important part of our shared heritage.

Guy is a freelance countertenor and founding member of The Gesualdo Six. He grew up in Gloucestershire and was a chorister of St James The Great, Dursley and then at Cheltenham College. Guy read Natural Sciences at St John’s College Cambridge, and was a choral scholar at Trinity College. In his spare time Guy loves to play and watch cricket and to explore Italian libraries for lost musical treasures. He hopes that his work with Cathedral Music Trust will help to extend the choral opportunities that he so greatly benefited from in a parish church context to many more young musicians.

Iris is a First Year Architecture student at the Glasgow School of Art. When she’s not busy drawing floor plans, she spends her time as a chorister at Glasgow Cathedral and St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow. Previously, she was a choral scholar at Wilton Parish Church during her time studying in Salisbury. Iris is passionate about architectural and cultural conservation and believes that preserving historically significant traditions within cathedrals is just as important as protecting the monument itself. She is excited to collaborate with like-minded individuals to create a worldwide sustainable future for choral music and ecclesiastical buildings.

Libby first became interested in cathedral music after joining the Girls’ Choir at All Saints’ Church, Northampton at the age of 11. It was here that she was a chorister and, later, Head Girl Chorister. This ignited a passion and Libby attended two summer courses with the Rodolfus Foundation, sharing her love of choral singing with many other young singers from across the country. She also undertook a soprano choral scholarship at Arundel Cathedral. With a particular interest in inspiring young minds, Libby has an undergraduate degree in Music Education and is now studying for her Primary Education PGCE.

Meg fell in love with choral music when she began singing as a chorister at St Davids Cathedral. This led her to pursue an undergraduate and masters degree in musicology, and is now completing a PhD specialising in diversity within the Anglican choral tradition. Her research draws on theories from ethnomusicology, anthropology, and theology to examine the Anglican choral tradition and suggest ways in which institutions can diversify recruitment and experience. Meg is really looking forward to working with the Future Leaders, to learn more about the practicalities of sustaining Anglican choral music and contribute to the longevity of the Anglican choral tradition.

Jordan is a conductor and pianist based in the South East and London. He is Musical Director of St Thomas-on-The Bourne Farnham, Assistant Conductor of Barts Choir, and leads the Community Choirs at St Botolph-without-Aldgate. He is an experienced accompanist and as an educator is passionate about widening access to music. Through the Future Leaders group, he will pursue collaborations with other musicians: sharing information and resources to open up more opportunities for engagement with church music across the UK.

Daisy is the Music Education Officer and Music Administrator at Bradford Cathedral, and is studying part time for her MA in Community Music at the University of York. Alongside this, she sings regularly as an alto lay clerk and freelance soprano. As well as directing the cathedral’s community children’s choir and tutoring the junior choral scholars at Bradford, Daisy is excited to begin working with Cathedral Music Trust to explore how musical education can continue beyond childhood into adulthood, and how new singers in later stages of their lives – or those with no exposure to cathedral music – can be equally involved in these settings.