Director of Music - Geoffrey Field
We're delighted that Geoff Field, our accompanist since September 2017, has agreed to take over the baton from Don Gillthorpe from January 2019.
Geoff studied organ, piano, composition and choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. During his five years of study he gained the Academy's Recital Diploma for organ, an honours degree, two teaching diplomas and eleven prizes.
As an organist Geoffrey has given recitals in this country and abroad, and accompanied choirs for TV and radio broadcasts, recordings, and cathedral services. For ten years he was also Course Director of the Jennifer Bate Organ Academy; an annual residential course for young female organists.
As a choral director Geoffrey has experience of both upper voice and four part choirs. His choirs have won the youth sections of BBC and HTV competitions, been semifinalists in Choir of the Year 2000, made TV and radio appearances, recorded five CDs, performed many of the great choral and orchestral masterpieces, sung for HM The Queen and Prince Philip, and toured in the UK, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Slovakia and Iceland.
On taking early retirement from a successful 32 year teaching career, Geoffrey now lives and works in Cumbria. He has taught at Winchester College, Queenswood, St Mary’s (Calne) and St Catherine’s (Bramley), the latter two being Director of Music posts. He is currently enjoying being a freelance musician and teacher, playing the organ at Beetham Church, teaching organ and piano at Ripley St Thomas and Dallam schools, and is the Musical Director of Kendal South Choir.
Geoff studied organ, piano, composition and choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. During his five years of study he gained the Academy's Recital Diploma for organ, an honours degree, two teaching diplomas and eleven prizes.
As an organist Geoffrey has given recitals in this country and abroad, and accompanied choirs for TV and radio broadcasts, recordings, and cathedral services. For ten years he was also Course Director of the Jennifer Bate Organ Academy; an annual residential course for young female organists.
As a choral director Geoffrey has experience of both upper voice and four part choirs. His choirs have won the youth sections of BBC and HTV competitions, been semifinalists in Choir of the Year 2000, made TV and radio appearances, recorded five CDs, performed many of the great choral and orchestral masterpieces, sung for HM The Queen and Prince Philip, and toured in the UK, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Slovakia and Iceland.
On taking early retirement from a successful 32 year teaching career, Geoffrey now lives and works in Cumbria. He has taught at Winchester College, Queenswood, St Mary’s (Calne) and St Catherine’s (Bramley), the latter two being Director of Music posts. He is currently enjoying being a freelance musician and teacher, playing the organ at Beetham Church, teaching organ and piano at Ripley St Thomas and Dallam schools, and is the Musical Director of Kendal South Choir.
Accompanist - Ken Forster
Ken became interested in the piano while at primary school: “I was lucky that I attended a primary school with lots of music. The first thing I did was singing, which I've done ever since, then inevitably recorder, then violin. I started piano at about 10.
“Mum was a primary school teacher and played piano for assemblies, but even when we had a piano at home I don't recall her playing. Dad enjoyed music, mainly singers like Ella Fitzgerald, and I inherited that enthusiasm.”
Ken said he was first attracted to the idea of accompanying at university: “I had a group of friends who played various instruments.
“I did agree once in a drunken moment with some musical friends at university to perform the Grieg piano concerto, which after much blood, sweat and tears went reasonably well, although probably to the detriment of my academic work. I've avoided listening to that piece since.”
Ken says he prefers accompanying individual singers: “But I also very much enjoy playing with young people for example in exams, festivals and several times for members of the Westmorland Youth Orchestra in workshops and masterclasses.
“I don't particularly like the word accompanist, or the phrase used annoyingly often, even on Radio 3, ‘at the piano’. Both imply a subservient role. Any musician playing with other people will be fully engaged in the music and be aware of everyone's role. Playing with an individual singer or an instrumentalist is a collaboration. Accompanying a choir in rehearsal is a bit different in that the pianist will often need to read from a complex orchestral reduction and often adapt that to help the singers. It certainly helps to be a singer and understand the difficulties.
“Playing with other musicians is I suppose like playing sport, which could be two people in a boat, or a rugby team, all dependent on each other. It can be very intimate or very thrilling. In a choral context it is very satisfying making a difference to the final results.”
“Mum was a primary school teacher and played piano for assemblies, but even when we had a piano at home I don't recall her playing. Dad enjoyed music, mainly singers like Ella Fitzgerald, and I inherited that enthusiasm.”
Ken said he was first attracted to the idea of accompanying at university: “I had a group of friends who played various instruments.
“I did agree once in a drunken moment with some musical friends at university to perform the Grieg piano concerto, which after much blood, sweat and tears went reasonably well, although probably to the detriment of my academic work. I've avoided listening to that piece since.”
Ken says he prefers accompanying individual singers: “But I also very much enjoy playing with young people for example in exams, festivals and several times for members of the Westmorland Youth Orchestra in workshops and masterclasses.
“I don't particularly like the word accompanist, or the phrase used annoyingly often, even on Radio 3, ‘at the piano’. Both imply a subservient role. Any musician playing with other people will be fully engaged in the music and be aware of everyone's role. Playing with an individual singer or an instrumentalist is a collaboration. Accompanying a choir in rehearsal is a bit different in that the pianist will often need to read from a complex orchestral reduction and often adapt that to help the singers. It certainly helps to be a singer and understand the difficulties.
“Playing with other musicians is I suppose like playing sport, which could be two people in a boat, or a rugby team, all dependent on each other. It can be very intimate or very thrilling. In a choral context it is very satisfying making a difference to the final results.”
