Douglas Coombes

Douglas is a prolific composer who has written for all ages. He is in demand as conductor, lecturer and course director, and worked for the BBC as a music producer. Chairman of the Eastern Region of the Association of British Choral Directors.

Paul Harris

Paul has established an international reputation as one of Britain’s leading music educationalists. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where, as a pupil of John Davies, he won the August Manns Prize for outstanding performance in clarinet playing. He has taught in the UK, the USA, the Far East, New Zealand and Australia and has undertaken research into specialist music education for the highly talented. He has many publications to his name, mostly concerned with music education. His book, “The Music Teacher’s Companion”, won the UK’s Music Industry Association’s Best New Book award in 2001. He writes for many national and international journals and made an appearance in the final Inspector Morse novel!

John Kirkpatrick

Born in Chiswick, West London, in 1947 a deep love of music was instilled from birth, and family gatherings always included a hearty sing-song. He joined the Hammersmith Morris Men at the age of 12, got ‘hooked’ and began playing the melodeon, then the button accordion, then the Anglo concertina for the dancing. He quickly became in demand as a musician for country dance evenings, courses, and folk camps and went on to play in numerous dance bands as a teenager. A professional career followed with groups such as The Albion Country Band, Steeleye Span, Band of Hope and with the Albion Band at the National Theatre. These days John is most often seen as a soloist in his natural habitat as a champion of traditional English folk music, in festivals, clubs, and village halls. By way of rewarding his efforts over the years, he was made an honorary lifetime member of The International Concertina Association in 2002, awarded The Gold Badge of The English Folk Dance & Song Society in 2003, and named Musician of the Year in BBC Radio 2’s Folk Awards in 2010.

Ann Lampard

Ann was born and educated in the North East of England, studying singing with Betty Middleton. At twenty-one she won many National Festival Awards, including the Oxford Festival Professional Recital Award, before moving to London to study singing with Marjorie Thomas. She joined Glyndebourne Festival Opera after winning the Dame Maggie Teyte International Operatic Prize, and went on to sing many leading roles. Ann toured the Far East giving recitals and masterclasses before she decided to concentrate on teaching. She has been Head of Voice at the Junior Royal Academy of Music in London, for sixteen years. Currently, she divides her time between her home on the Isle of Skye, teaching in Sussex and adjudication.

Murray McLachlan

Murray McLachlan has been adjudicating for nearly 30 years and is based in Manchester. He is chair of the European Piano Teachers' Association. He has made over 40 commercial recordings which have consistently received outstanding reviews, including ‘key recording’ and ‘rosette’ status in the Penguin Guide to CDs.

He has performed on all five continents and is Head of Keyboard at Chetham’s school of Music, Tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music and Founder/Artistic Director of the Chetham’s International Summer school and festival for Pianists, Europe’s largest summer school devoted exclusively to the piano.

In 2007 McLachlan launched the first Manchester International Concerto Competition for Young Pianists an event that was held for the sixth time in 2019.

Alongside his work as an Adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals, he is Editor of ‘Piano Professional’ and 'Paino Journal' Magazines, as well as a regular columnist for 'International Piano. , His three Faber Music books on Piano Technique have received wide international acclaim and have been reprinted several times.

James Patrick

After training at the Hampshire School of Drama and Trent Park College, James worked in theatre and radio, and taught speech and drama in schools, colleges and privately. For eighteen years he was senior lecturer at Southlands College, Wimbledon, training students for careers in theatre and teaching. He was appointed Chief Examiner in Drama and Theatre Arts for the Associated Examining Board and has examined for universities and colleges, and The English Speaking Board, of which he is also a founder member.

Vivien Pike

Vivien Pike studied singing, piano and violin at the Royal Northern College of Music, graduating with Teaching and Performer’s Diplomas and a Silver Medal. She is a soprano soloist and has sung for many Choral Societies and is a former member of the BBC Northern Singers. She directs Cantores Novae, who were finalists in the 2002 Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year and Choir Champions of the 2002 National Eisteddfod.

Penelope Price Jones

Penelope was a scholarship holder at the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Marjorie Thomas, following a degree in sociology at the L.S.E.. Her performing career was mainly on the concert platform in oratorio and recital work, including BBC broadcasts and an interest in new works for voice. In 1998 Penelope was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

She teaches at her home studio in Devizes. She is a Federation of Festivals Adjudicator. In 2016 she started mentoring for the South West Music School.

She was voice mentor for the Associated Board Certificate of Teaching course mainly at the Bristol centre. She was the Teacher Training Director for the Association of Teachers of Singing before becoming Chairman of AOTOS from July 2014 – July 2016. During which time the Association celebrated its 40th anniversary. In 2015 she inaugurated ‘Pathways’ for the Association, an apprenticeship scheme for aspiring singing teachers, which she continues to administrate.

In semi-retirement she has had tremendous pleasure from long distance walking and since leaving the Chairmanship of AOTOS has undertaken some study on the benefits to health and well-being shared by her two great passions – walking and singing

Ivan Scott

Ivan started to play the guitar at the age of fourteen. He later studied guitar performing under Oliver Hunt at The London College of Music. Ivan became a Fellow of the College, and later gained his Fellowship of Trinity College of Music. Ivan continued his studies in Spain under Emilio Pujol, a pupil of the legendary Francisco Tarrega. In the UK, Ivan has spent much of his time giving talks and recitals in schools and colleges as well as master-classes and workshops.

Keith Smith

Keith received singing and piano lessons from the age of six and was renowned throughout the Midlands as a treble soloist. He also studied violin and played in both the Leicestershire and National Youth Orchestras before studying orchestral and choral conducting at the Royal College of Music. He holds degrees in music from both Leeds and Surrey Universities. After holding leading school teaching positions he became a full-time conductor, and worked with major choirs and orchestras both at home and abroad. For many years he has directed the work of the Southampton Youth Orchestra and in 1991 founded "Hampshire County Youth Choir". Throughout his career he has given violin and viola tuition to gifted pupils.

Graham Trew

Graham studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His extensive international career has included operatic roles, oratorio, recitals and recordings, and as a choral director.