TOM WILLIAMS - MUSICAL DIRECTOR

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Tom is currently Director of Music at St Matthew’s, Kensington Olympia, where he leads the newly established Music Foundation. He was for six years the Choral Director at St Martin-in-the-Fields where he directed the renowned church choir in services, concerts, on CD recordings and radio broadcasts, and on several international tours including visits to Paris and Johannesburg.

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In 2012, Tom founded award-winning chamber choir, The Erebus Ensemble, with whom he has appeared on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and Scala Radio, and in concerts across the UK and Europe. The group was Ensemble-in-Residence at the Bristol Proms (Bristol Old Vic Theatre) and a prize winner at the inaugural London International Acappella Choir Competition at St John’s Smith Square. It enjoys a longstanding relationship with Harry Bicket and the English Concert and has appeared as the orchestra’s choral arm for performances at the Bridgewater Hall, Bath Abbey, Saffron Hall, Bristol Old Vic Theatre and at the Lausanne Festival in Switzerland. Erebus and the English Concert collaborated on a staged version of Handel’s Messiah (directed by Tom Morris), which was broadcast across eighty cinemas in the UK and Ireland. The Erebus Ensemble has produced two recordings and is currently working on a third album which will be released in celebration of its tenth anniversary in 2022.

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Tom is well known for his work with amateur singers and he currently conducts two choral societies: Nailsea Choral Society and the West Barnes Singers. He is in much demand as a choral workshop leader and gives frequent workshops and masterclasses in London and Bristol. He has also led workshops further afield, most recently in Brittany and Amsterdam. He enjoys giving talks on various aspects of choral music and has done so on topics ranging from Allegory in the Eton Choirbook, music of the Reformation and Counter Reformation, and on the Tintinnabuli style of Arvo Pärt. In 2013 Tom co-founded the Clifton International Festival of Music, of which he is Artistic Director. It has become a firm favourite in the classical music calendar of Bristol and the surrounding areas, and has played host to the many household names in the music industry including The Tallis Scholars, The King’s Singers, I Fagiolini, The Sixteen, Dame Gillian Weir and Crispian Steele-Perkins

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JAMES FURNISS-ROE - ACCOMPANIST

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James Furniss-Roe started as a boy chorister at Rochester Cathedral from 2004-2009. From there, James gained an interest in learning the organ, and proceeding his choristership began organ lessons at the Cathedral until he was 18. James graduated from Royal Holloway, holding the post of Organ Scholar during his undergraduate degree in Music. During his time at Royal Holloway, he performed at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral, as well as numerous playing appearances on BBC Radio 3's Choral Evensong and BBC Radio 4 broadcasts. Following university, James was Graduate Organist at King Edward’s School Witley, Organ Scholar at Portsmouth Cathedral and Southwell Minster. Following these posts, James moved back down to London where he was Director of Music at St. Peter’s, Streatham from 2021-2023. In that time, James made a switch in career paths, combining music with a full-time post as an Estate Agent for a local, independent agency in Ealing and Acton. In May 2024, James was appointed Assistant Director of Music at St. Matthew’s Kensington Olympia, assisting Tom Williams with the leading of worship and music there.

 

James has been very fortunate to have toured internationally, most notably USA, France, Belgium, Holland and Austria. He has given recitals at Rochester, Bristol and Portsmouth Cathedrals, Southwell Minster and St Bride's Fleet Street, London. James has also appeared on multiple CDs, during his time as a chorister at Rochester Cathedral and later at Royal Holloway.

 

James has been the accompanist for West Barnes Singers since September 2024, a post he very much enjoys!

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BYRON DAVIS HUGHES - CHORAL SCHOLAR

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Byron started singing as a chorister at Sherborne Abbey from the age of 5, staying for 11 years. During his time there he was part of several album recordings and sang at venues such as Notre Dame, Wells Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral also receiving a Deans award from Salisbury Diocese.

He is a 3rd year vocal student at Trinity Laban studying under Lynton Atkinson and regularly freelances across London. Notable engagements include Chorus lead for Blackheath Halls Opera 2023 and 2024, St John’s Passion soloist for Northampton Bach Choir, Old Royal Naval College Chapel Choir and Tiffin Boys School. Byron was also a Bursary student for Stile Antico this summer at MSSF and currently holds a Scholarship at St. Alfeges, Greenwich.

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GABRIEL HUQ HUPER - CHORAL SCHOLAR

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Gabriel is a twenty-four year old baritone based in South London. His musical journey began as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral. He studied music at Royal Holloway, specialising in performance (singing), where he was also a choral scholar. There, he was a part of numerous performances, including singing solos in Bach’s St John’s Passion at St George’s Bristol, and several CD recordings, often working with living composers such as Ola Gjeilo and George Arthur. He then went on to become a choral scholar at Norwich Cathedral and during his time there he was able to teach singing and piano in some local schools as well as continuing his solo singing; singing solos in Handel’s Messiah with Norfolk Camerata and in Haydn’s Nelson Mass with Crowthorne Choral Society. Gabriel has recently finished the Glyndebourne Academy opera course and is now enjoying his time as a lay clerk at Rochester Cathedral as well as singing with Vox Urbane Next Gen. 

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