About Us
History
In 2023, the Chipping Norton Choral Society celebrated 150 years of music making in the Cotswolds.
To mark this event and to create a legacy we decided to form a youth choir.
The Team
John Christie - Chair
Dr Julie Harris - Safeguarding
Nick Watkins - Treasurer
Deborah Jackson - Secretary
Emma Callery - Membership
Sue Fane - Volunteers
to be decided - Publicity
Annabel Beach - CNCS
Ben
Ben was born in Oxford, and grew up playing and singing through the Oxfordshire County Music Service and in his father’s church choir. He went on to read music at the University of Birmingham, studying conducting and directing many of the University’s choirs and instrumental ensembles, including the 150-member Wind Band. During this time he worked with as many musicians as possible, expanding his experience as conductor, countertenor, and French horn player.
As a professional conductor and singer, Ben works with vocal and instrumental ensembles across Oxfordshire. Alongside CNCS, he currently directs newChoir Oxford, Cumnor Choral Society and the Oxford University Press Choir.
In 2021 he was selected for the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain’s Fellowship Scheme, working with all the ensembles in the organisation and taking part in masterclasses with musicians such as Voces8, Bob Chilcott, and Suzzie Vango.
Ben was previously a Stipendiary Clerk at Magdalen College Oxford, and a Lay Clerk at Birmingham Cathedral and Coventry Cathedral. He is also a member of The Acafellas, a barbershop quartet he formed at university. He is regularly engaged as a soloist and as a guest conductor, and enjoys teaching singing and brass to both children and adults.
Rowena
Having taught herself to play on a portable antique harmonium once she could reach the pedals, Rowena went on to take up the oboe at the age of 9 when she won a scholarship at the local music service. Within two years she was awarded a place at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester to study oboe principally, with piano very much second study.
However, it was always accompanying other people on the piano that interested her, and she has been fortunate to improve and to forge a career doing just that; playing for choirs, churches, ballet schools, instrumentalists and singers since the age of 16.