Anne Hodgson

Anne was a junior exhibitioner at Royal College of Music and studied at Trinity College of Music with Ann Cherry, then at the Guildhall with Averill Williams. After many years as a freelance performer in London she moved to Sussex where she has a private teaching practice, also teaching at Brighton College and Burgess Hill School for Girls. Many of her students gain music scholarships and play in youth orchestras and ensembles.

An active freelance flautist, from playing bass flute in Sussex Flutes quintet, performing and recording new music by Sussex composers to playing flute in a barn dance band, she is trustee of the British Flute Society and appeared at their 2012 convention.

Suzanne Higgins

Suzanne was born in Denmark, but grew up in Yorkshire where, as a student at Leeds University, she had her first contact with Folk Music. After five years as a lecturer in Further Education and a period abroad, Suzanne returned to England, working in Education whilst freelancing as a singer.

Suzanne has composed songs for children of all ages. She arranged much traditional music for her Choirs at Morley College and Bromley College of Adult Education.

Since 2005 Suzanne has been a member of the Spare Parts Concertina band, with whom she has presented tunes and part-playing workshops in many Folk Festivals, including Whitby, Chippenham, Fareham, Crawley, Tenterden, Fareham and Lewes. She has written, arranged and performed songs for the Magic Lantern shows From Field to Foundry and A History of the Lifeboats, for which Spare Parts provide the music. With Lanternists Alan and Rene Marriott, the band gives annual performances at the Hollycombe Steam Fair.

Peter Hunt

Peter is an experienced choral trainer and conductor having worked with a wide variety of singers and choral groups for over 40 years. He studied at Dartington and London before a long career in secondary music education, later focusing more broadly on choral education. He was Head of Creative Arts at Chipping Norton School for 10 years and still conducts the local Choral Society after 19 years. Until 2015 he was Head of Voice and Deputy Head of the independent music service Berkshire Maestros. Peter is the inspiration behind the VOICEWORKS publications with Oxford University Press that have transformed singing activities for many people. He has a national reputation as a workshop leader, trainer and adjudicator.

Alan MacLean

After graduating with distinction from the Royal ScottishAcademy of Music and Drama, Alan continued his studies withinternationally-renowned pianists including Karl Schnabel.Although principally a pianist, he also studied 'cello and singing,and trained as a conductor. Alan is much in demand as achamber musician, having played with many of the UK's leadinginstrumentalists. In 2010 he and the violist Carol Hubel-Allen formed the DuoKaradys, the pair enjoying a busy concert schedule. His recordings include EnglishMusic for Piano Duet, which received critical acclaim, followed by British Music forPiano Duet. After 20 years as Head of Keyboard Studies at The Cheltenham Ladies’College Alan left to explore a number of musical projects. Alan travels extensively,speaking and adjudicating regularly at a wide range of music events in the UK andoverseas. Alan has a busy schedule including visits to festivals and masterclasses forpianists and chamber musicians in major cities in the UK.

Priscilla Morris

Priscilla was a member of the National Youth Theatre appearing in Zigger Zagger and Fuzz. She then trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. In 1972 she founded her own drama school in the Midlands where she continues to teach children and adults at all levels.

Priscilla joined the LAMDA board of examiners in 1986 and has examined throughout the UK, Spain, Singapore, USA and Malta. She has been an adjudicator in Speech & Drama for the British & International Federation of Festivals since 1991 and has adjudicated in Bermuda, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.
She is a registered Tutor for the Voicecare Network. Priscilla is also a professional speaker and holds full Equity membership. Over the last 35 years she has directed and acted in over 40 plays, musicals and pantomimes.

Gary Ryan

Gary studied as a junior at the Guildhall School of Music, where he won the Director’s Prize, and later was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM). In 1991 he graduated with first class honours and many awards including the Julian Bream Prize. Post-graduate studies followed at the RAM with an award from the Fleming Trust and was made an Associate of the RAM in 1997. Gary's London recital debut at the Purcell Room in 1994 was highly acclaimed by the critics. He subsequently performed a series of recitals for the Kirckman Concert Society at the South Bank Centre. In 1996, aged 27, he became Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music (RCM); he currently combines his role there as Assistant Head of Strings with a varied international career as a performer and composer. In 2013, he was awarded a Fellowship of the RCM becoming the first guitarist to be given this accolade since John Williams in 1983. Gary has also collaborated with John Williams and jazz guitarist John Etheridge to form 6 Hands. The guitar trio has since toured the UK extensively and has a new recording; further performances are scheduled for 2018. His celebrated compositions are often broadcast on Classic FM and have broadened the instrument’s appeal, combining traditional classical techniques and contemporary styles with a rich variety of musical influences from around the world.

Lesley Shrigley Jones

Lesley is a cellist, pianist and singer who combines performance with teaching. As an Associated Board Scholar, she studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, and then in Germany in the Masterclass of Antonio Janigro. Lesley has given cello, baroque cello and viola da gamba concerts throughout Europe and Latin America and, since playing with ‘The Fires of London’, has pursued her commitment to contemporary music including several first performances. She has recorded works by Charles Camilleri and a recent compilation entitled Cello in Song. Lesley is an Examiner and Mentor for the Associated Board and has adjudicated for the National Chamber Music Competition and the Deutsche Jugend Musiziert.

Elizabeth Stafford

Elizabeth was born and educated in Birmingham. She studied for a BA (Hons) in music at Durham University, following this with a PhD in Performance Studies at Sheffield University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Vocal Studies at Trinity College of Music and a PGCE in Primary Music.

As a solo soprano Elizabeth has won many competitions and awards including First Prize and ‘Most Promising Young Female Singer’ in the David Clover Competition and finalist representing Sheffield University in the Musica Britannica Competition. She has appeared as an oratorio and opera soloist with numerous ensembles. She has given recitals in many prestigious locations including the CBSO Centre and has broadcast as a soloist on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.

As a choral conductor, Elizabeth has conducted numerous youth and adult choirs in venues including Symphony Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Tewkesbury Abbey and St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham. In 2009, Elizabeth was selected for a choral conducting masterclass with David Hill and the BBC Singers, and in 2010 was invited to conduct a massed choir for the Music for Youth Family Prom in Birmingham.
Elizabeth has worked for numerous Local Authority Music Services as a vocal and curriculum teacher, as music education consultant for Trinity College London, and as professional development mentor for the ABRSM. Elizabeth now runs her own company Music Education Solutions, which provides workshops and training for schools and teachers across the UK.

Anthony Williams (President)

Concert pianist, writer, lecturer, ABRSM examiner and moderator, and festival adjudicator, Anthony studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London. and Reading University. Following international competition success he embarked on a career as a concert pianist and quickly established an international reputation as a piano teacher and a passionate educator of pianistic musicianship at all ages and levels, giving piano masterclasses, public lecture-recitals and seminars on performance and the art of teaching. He has given talks on piano performance for Radio 3 and is author and editor of various publications including The Best of Grade and Fingerprints (Faber), Teaching Notes (ABRSM) and the highly-acclaimed Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide (Faber, 2017). Anthony combines his freelance career with a full-time position at Radley College, Oxfordshire as Head of Keyboard & Instrumental Music and is our President.