Who’s Who

THIS PAGE INTRODUCES OUR MUSICAL TEAM
and  LISTS THE CHOIR TRUSTEES AND  OTHER OFFICERS.

 

Musical Director –Deborah Davies.                    Deborah chose to join us in 2018 as Associate MD  and in September 2020  was appointed Musical Director.  She had previously established the Cranmer Company of Singers which has made well over 80 Cathedral visits within the U.K., and together with the Cranmer Chamber Orchestra put on many concerts in venues ranging from Southwell Minster and Belvoir Castle to local Churches and village halls. She has attended overseas festivals in Italy and Gozo; been invited by the Mayor of Avila in Spain to sing in their beautiful Cathedral and city; been invited to sing in Finland, hosted by a Finnish choir and has raised in excess of £35,000 for charities through her music-making activities.
Deborah established the Good Friday Charity ‘Come & Sing’ annual events at Bottesford Church, attracting as many as 190 singers from many counties each year to raise funds for those in need.
Deborah also directs the semi-professional Chamber Choir, Cantica Viva. This choir of music teachers, organists and conductors meets once a year to sing at Cathedrals within the UK and sang to great acclaim at the choir’s inaugural weekend at Bath Abbey in 2018.
She also creates a small Children’s Choir each year to sing at local village Christmas concerts and services.
Deborah’s qualifications include: M.A. in Music Psychology; B.Ed.; Music.Tch.Cert.; Associate of the Royal College of Music in Organ Teaching; Dip.Tch.in Ec./Geog.; Certificate in Social Welfare Law.

 

Associate Musical Director – Kieran Seymour

Kieran started musical life as a chorister in Suffolk, singing each week and developing his craft and gaining a love of singing.

 

As he grew, solo tenor and later bass/baritone were the goals that Kieran was aiming for, having opportunities around the country to sing in fantastic locations with sublime choirs and choral societies. Kieran’s choral needs were still met, having a strong relationship with the company Run By Singers, aiding them with singing holidays around Europe.

While at university, Kieran began to conduct, learning under Renaissance Singers conductor David Allinson. From there he has conducted various ensembles as a teacher, including orchestras and choirs. This position with Radcliffe on Trent Male Voice Choir is Kieran’s first position with a group outside of the setting of a school.

Accompanist – Sue Bennett.                                                     Sue has had a love of all things piano since she was young enough to sit underneath it to listen to her mum playing and first took lessons. She went on to study double A’level music, an intensely musical time with frequent concerts as solo pianist and accompanist, as well as singing weekly in four choirs and playing violin and oboe in Scunthorpe and District Youth Orchestras. It was a Plant Science degree at Nottingham University and a full-time career that followed though, with piano teaching alongside.

In 2003 redundancy turned into an opportunity to focus on music teaching, first of all achieving the CTABRSM teaching certificate in 2006.  Sue is now also a qualified Suzuki piano teacher, and 2022 saw the realisation of a long-held ambition to build a dedicated self-contained studio.  Alongside teaching students from 3 years old to the retired Sue is an active accompanist, and also runs a small community choir “The Kneesall Knightingales” in her home village near Ollerton.

Sue is delighted to be accompanying Radcliffe on Trent Male Voice Choir and feels privileged to be in the role so synonymous with Eleonora Babitsky, the choir’s previous accompanist, whom she’d heard and admired in concert with them many times over the past 20 years.

 

Associate Choir Accompanist

In 1999 the Choir was very fortunate in persuading Eleonora Babitsky to be our Accompanist.  Born in the Soviet Union, at a very young age Eleonora was recognised as an outstanding musical prospect. After 6 years at the Gnessin High School of Music for gifted children, Moscow. Eleonora’s studies continued at the Gnessin Music institute where she became piano assistant, a post she held till 1991. She was a regular performer with the Soviet State Philharmonic Society, specialising in chamber music and for 5 years was accompanist for Soviet Radio.

From 1991 –1995, she was engaged by the Hochshule Fur Musik, Munich. In much demand as a master class accompanist for string players, Eleonora has played for Igor Oistrakh, Daniel Shafran, Vladimir Spivakov, Michael Flaxman and many other distinguished musicians in Russia, Austria, France, Czechoslovakia, Italy and Germany.

On three occasions – Russian Music Competition, Soviet Music Competition and International Tchaikovsky Competition – Eleonora was awarded the Diploma for best accompanist. In 2010 Eleonora instigated a memorable visit to Radcliffe from a ladies choir “Anima” from the Gnessen Music Institute.

 

2023-24 Committee/Trustees:-

  • Chairman:  John Bartle.   07711 077228
  • Vice-chairman: Rod Haslam.   01623 750403
  • Hon. Secretary:  Malcolm Dillon. 07950 098936
  • Hon. Treasurer: Richard Brown.   01949 837882
  • 1st Tenor Rep: William Whitehouse 07850 003927
  • 2nd Tenor Rep: Malcolm Dillon / Richard Brown
  • 1st Bass Rep: Eric Maxwell.  01949 875836
  • 2nd Bass Rep: John Bartle  07711 077228
  •                Deputy. Chris Worthington 01159 332749

Non Executive Officers:-

  • Stage Manager: Vacant
  • Webmaster:  Russ Hamer.  07774 619678
  •  Press & Media Officer + Practice Track Admin:  Bill Hill.  01159 334909
  •  Librarian:  David Edwards.  07968 370106.
  •  Archivist: Geoff Warrington.  0115 9890629.
  •  Merchandise: Rosemary Gatie.  01636 813875
  • Wardrobe Guardian: John Bartle.  07711 077228
  • Methodist Church  John Parry.  01159 334060,
  • Keyholders:   Dave Edwards.  07968 370106,   Martin Clarke 07308 144380