大象传媒

Composer and conductor Ken Burton has directed several of the UK’s leading gospel groups, including the London Adventist Chorale, Croydon SDA Gospel Choir, the Adventist Vocal Ensemble and the Tessera quartet. His session group, the Voquality Singers, has contributed to several film scores, while Ken himself was chorus master for Marvel’s Black Panther movie in 2018.

Ken is also a respected composer whose dual backgrounds in gospel and classical meet often in his choral and instrumental music, which has been performed by choirs and orchestras across the world. He is a regular face (and voice) on 大象传媒 One’s Songs of Praise, and served as a judge on Gareth Malone’s The Choir: Sing While You Work on 大象传媒 Two.

Bob Chilcott has been involved with choral music for most of his life, starting out as a chorister in the choir of King’s College, Cambridge, before going on to sing with a cappella stars the King’s Singers. Bob took up composing full-time in 1997 and has produced a large catalogue of music for all types of choirs, much of which has been recorded by leading choral ensembles including The King’s Singers, The Sixteen, Tenebrae and Ora, among others.

Over the course of his career, Bob has conducted choirs in more than 30 countries around the world and worked with thousands of amateur singers as part of his Singing Days series. Bob has also been the Principal Guest Conductor of the 大象传媒 Singers since 2002, so he knows them well!

Karen Gibson - AKA “Britain’s godmother of gospel” - is the conductor of London-based The Kingdom Choir, the gospel ensemble that shot to global fame in May 2018 after . Karen has worked with vocal groups for more than 25 years, conducting gospel choirs and workshops all over the world. The Kingdom Choir (which she founded more than 20 years ago) has won multiple awards for its recordings and performances.

Karen also works in a number of schools across London and runs workshops for aspiring gospel conductors in Poland, Norway and Italy. She conducted the in 2016 and has appeared as a gospel specialist on 大象传媒 One’s Songs of Praise and Gareth Malone’s The Choir and The Choir: Sing While You Work on 大象传媒 Two.

Conductor, organist and broadcaster Anna Lapwood is a familiar voice on 大象传媒 Radio 3. Currently Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge, Anna conducts the Pembroke College Chapel Choir, the Pembroke College Girls’ Choir, and the Cambridge Organ Experience for Girls. She also leads the music exchange programme of the Muze Trust, a charity that works to make music accessible to children and young adults in Zambia.

Anna’s career as a concert organist has seen her perform at venues around the world, and she opened the 2019 BAFTA TV awards with a performance at the Royal Festival Hall. As well as making regular appearances on Radio 3, she also hosts a weekly classical music show on 大象传媒 Radio Cambridgeshire and earlier this year presented 大象传媒 Four’s TV highlights of 大象传媒 Young Musician 2020.

Conductor Andrew Nethsingha began his career in choral music as a chorister at Exeter Cathedral, going on to study at the Royal College of Music and St John’s College, Cambridge - where he is now Director of Music! His career there has seen him conduct in some of the prestigious concert venues in the world.

Back in the UK, Andrew has held organist and Music Director positions at some of the UK’s most famous cathedrals, and served as Artistic Director of the Gloucester Three Choirs Festival. Andrew has also directed leading orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Britten Sinfonia and 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra.

Singer-songwriter and broadcaster Clare Teal is one of the UK’s most celebrated jazz singers. She has been named British Jazz singer of the year several times, as well as 大象传媒 Jazz Singer of the Year. Performing across the UK and internationally with her pianist, Trio, Mini Big Band, Hollywood Orchestra and Big Band, she has sung alongside artists from Van Morrison to Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua to Liza Minnelli.

Clare also guests with the 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra on Friday Night Is Music Night, and has produced and presented three concerts for the Proms Season at the Royal Albert Hall. She presents the Swing & Big Band Show on 大象传媒 Radio 2.

Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel is one of the world’s most famous and well-loved opera singers. He first came to prominence after winning the Song Prize at the 1989 大象传媒 Cardiff Singer of the World and made his professional operatic debut with Welsh National Opera the very next year.

Over the course of his career, Sir Bryn has sung some some the most well-known roles (and biggest tunes) in opera, from long-suffering Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni to the scheming Wotan of Wagner’s The Ring Cycle. Equally at home on the concert platform, Sir Bryn has given recitals all around the world, including performances at the last night of the 大象传媒 Proms and the Royal Variety Show. He received a knighthood for his service to music in 2017.

Singer, composer and arranger Clare Wheeler is best-known for her work with a cappella group The Swingles. As a singer, Clare specialises in genres as diverse as early music, jazz, gospel, contemporary classical and pop. She has run masterclasses and adjudicated a cappella competitions around the world, and teaches improvisation and vocal jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Clare has previously been a guest host of 大象传媒 Radio 2’s The Choir, and worked behind the scenes as as an arranger and vocal coach on 大象传媒 One’s Pitch Battle. As the Radio 3 Carol Competition’s in-house arranger, she will work with our six shortlisted composers to come up with original harmonisations for their carols.