Graduate Scholars
Oliver Barker is a 21 year old Baritone, and has recently achieved a first class degree in vocal and operatic studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) under the tutelage of Christopher Turner. Oliver is a 2024 Young Artist with Waterperry Opera Festival, with whom he performed the role of Officer in Rossini’s ‘Barber of Seville’. During his time at RBC Oliver has performed roles including Pandolfe in Massenet’s ‘Cendrillon’, Harasta in Janacek’s ‘Cunning Little Vixen, and Peter in Humperdinck’s ‘Hansel and Gretel’. Oliver has also begun to create a career abroad, prominently performing in the chorus of Opera de Bauge’s Summer Season 2023, for which he was awarded the Guil-Rodriguez Scholarship. He takes pleasure in performing soloist roles across the country, recently performing as Ufficiale in the CBSO’s concert performance of Puccini’s ‘Madama Butterfly’ and in works such as Handel’s Messiah and Duruflé and Mozart’s Requiems. He has enjoyed success in several competitions, placing second in the BFCS Oratorio Prize, the Stuart Cameron Smith French Song Prize and the RBC Singing Prize.
Student Scholars (enhanced)
Beth Stirling is a Glaswegian soprano based in Birmingham studying voice at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire under the tutelage of Anne Dawson and more recently Christopher Turner. She has sung in prestigious venues such as the Usher Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and Saint-Eustache de Paris.
Beth is an avid choral singer as well as solo performer. She has enjoyed singing with the RBC Chamber Choir since the start of her degree. Beth has been singing with Ex Cathedra since 2021 and is looking forward to being an Enhanced Scholar (2024-2025). She is also a member of the CBSO Chorus and recently performed Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms including a solo.
Beth’s opera credits at RBC include Young Frog in The Cunning Little Vixen; Tweedle Dum, Alice in Wonderland; 6th Spirit, Cendrillon; Mélisande, Pelléas et Mélisande; Lucy, Die Dreigroschenoper.
Beth is looking forward to a busy summer of singing with NYCOS, performing in the Edinburgh International Festival and BBC Proms, making her solo debut in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Sarah Colgan, an Irish/Australian Mezzo-Soprano based in Birmingham, is in her fourth year of a scholarship at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire studying Vocal Performance. Her musical journey as a chorister started at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Dublin, where she was Head Chorister and a Choral Scholar, before moving to England where she now sings as a Lay Clerk at Birmingham Cathedral. Sarah was a Student Scholar in the 2022-2023 season with Ex Cathedra, and has continued to regularly perform with them since, appearing in both of their recent CDs and with the Scholar’s Consort. Outside of singing, Sarah is a Choral Director with the Birmingham Schools Singing Programme, teaching weekly choral workshops to primary school students in the West Midlands. Sarah also continues to study Conducting at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She is excited to advance to an Enhanced Student Scholarship, looking forward to the challenge of more responsibility and growth.
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Student Scholars
In 2021 Maria Willsher was offered a scholarship to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire where she is now in her 4th year, studying singing under the tutelage of Louise Crane. There, she participates in Chamber Choir and this year was selected as one of Ex Cathedra’s Student Scholars. She has performed as 1st spirit in Die Zauberflöte with Hurn Court Opera and, in RBCs Opera Scenes, portrayed the role of Sylvie in an extract from ‘The Letter Under the Door’. In the Conservatoire’s spring operas, she has played a Fox Cub in ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’, by Janáček, and was in the chorus of their enchanting production of Massenet’s ‘Cendrillon’.
Maria was one of two singers chosen from her year to compete in the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary Competition in 2022. She recently won the John Ireland Prize performing alongside the Boulanger Trio and, soon after, won 2nd prize in the Edward Brooks English Song Prize.
Laura Toomey is a contralto from Billingham, Teesside, currently studying vocal studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, with Yvonne Sandison as her teacher. She started singing in St Peter’s Church, Stockton, at the age of 9, and then went on to sing at St Peter’s Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton, as an alto choral scholar in her first year at the conservatoire. As well as this, she has sung in the Millennium Youth Choir, led by Adrian Lucas and Daniel Cook, since 2018. Currently, Laura sings with the conservatoire’s chamber choir, led by Jeffrey Skidmore and Julian Wilkins. She also sings at the Birmingham Oratory and is part of the 2023/24 cohort of Genesis Sixteen.
Tom Hawkey-Soar, a Tenor from Tunbridge Wells, began singing at seven with his local church choir in Sussex. He studies at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire under Christopher Turner, and Conducting with Julian Wilkins.
In Birmingham, he sings The Oratory of St Philip Neri and from September 2024, will join St Philip’s Cathedral, Birmingham as a Tenor Lay Clerk. Alongside being an Ex Cathedra Scholar in the 23/24 season, he has sung with ensembles including: The Oxford Camerata, London Voices, CBSO Chorus, in a professional capacity, and as part of the Award Winning Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir.
He was a finalist in the 2024 Edward Brookes English Prize, and has performed at Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square, and internationally. As an oratorio soloist, he has sung major works including Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Advent Cantatas at Chichester Cathedral. He recently premiered Philip Sawyers’ Mayflower with the English Symphony Orchestra. In the realm of opera, recent highlights include Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s ‘The Rake’s Progress’, Pelleas in Debussy’s ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’ and Idamante in Mozart’s ‘Idomeneo’.
William Swinnerton is a baritone from Hampshire, currently studying Vocal and Operatic Studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He started singing aged 9 at Romsey Abbey, where he was Head Chorister. Whilst there he sang at a Royal wedding, went on choir tours to Durham and Truro, sang at numerous Cathedrals, recorded 2 CDs, and won Andover Young Musician of The Year (2018). William was, until recently, a Choral Scholar at Beaulieu Abbey, and a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, performing at the Royal Albert Hall and Ely Cathedral. In the past year, William has sang in many concerts and recitals in locations such as Birmingham Symphony Hall, Town Hall, and St Phillip’s Cathedral. He has enjoyed performing and recording with the RBC Chamber Choir, singing in his first opera, ‘Cendrillon’ by Massenet, and was runner up in the 2024 Winifred Micklam Prize. William is delighted to be an RBC student scholar with ExCathedra and is looking forward to the year ahead.
Ex Cathedra Student Scholars
Alexandra Burstow is a soprano from Poole, Dorset, currently a Vocal Studies student at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire under the tutelage of Maureen Brathwaite. She started singing as a chorister at St Stephen’s Church, Bournemouth, going onto sing at Beaulieu Abbey Church as a choral scholar on her gap year. Alexandra is passionate about choral music, with a wide range of choral experience, currently singing in St Chad’s Cathedral Choir and Birmingham Oratory Choir, as well as deputising at St Philip’s and Coventry Cathedrals. She is also a member of the conservatoire’s chamber choir conducted by Julian Wilkins and Jeffrey Skidmore and has enjoyed singing with Ex Cathedra for the past year. In her spare time, Alexandra enjoys spending time in nature, walking her two springer spaniels when she’s at home and going on sea swims! Alexandra is delighted to be an Ex Cathedra Student Scholar for the upcoming year and is excited to continue singing with the choir.
Sophie Henderson is a soprano, originally from Derbyshire, now in her third year at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, studying vocal performance under Catherine Benson. During her time at RBC so far, Sophie has sung with the conservatoire chamber choir and been in the chorus of Massenet’s Cendrillion and Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta (the Spring Opera and Opera Scenes) as well as being a finalist in the Winifred Micklam Prize. In addition to her studies, Sophie is an experienced recitalist, and has sung with National Youth Choir, Birmingham Oratory, CBSO Chorus, Ex Cathedra Scholar’s Ensemble and Ex Cathedra Consort. She is also looking forward to starting as a lay clerk at St Phillip’s Cathedral from September 2024. This will be Sophie’s second year as a student scholar with Ex Cathedra, and she is very excited to continue singing with such a wonderful choir!
Daniel Marles is a tenor from Leeds who has a passion for early music. He sings regularly with the Birmingham Oratory Choir, and assists the CBSO chorus in a professional capacity, performing with them on tour recently in Monte Carlo and at the 2023 London Proms.
He is part of the current Genesis 16 cohort, a young singers’ program run by Eamonn Dougan and Harry Christophers. As a soloist, he has performed in Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Charpentier’s Les Arts Florissants, Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël and is excited to perform as the tenor soloist in the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Montiverdi Vespers, as well as Bach’s Magnificat and Handel’s Te Deum in the new year.
Daniel has sung with the Ex Cathedra’s choir and consort, soloing as part of the recent Liz Dilnot Johnson recording, and is very excited to be singing this year under a Student Scholarship. In his spare time he enjoys playing the piano, studying piano accompaniment at Birmingham Conservatoire.
Matthew Pandya is a baritone based in Birmingham. Originally from Coventry, Matthew graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2023 with a degree in French and Music and is midway through an MMus in Vocal Performance at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he recently performed the role of ‘Pandolfe’ in a production of Massenet’s Cendrillon. Matthew has a wide range of experience, singing regularly as part of the choir at Saint Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham, as well as being a member of the 2023/24 Genesis Sixteen programme. In addition, he has sung with the CBSO Chorus since 2022, performing at venues such as Symphony Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and Monte Carlo’s Grimaldi Forum, including recent solos in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. Outside of classical singing, Matthew is a keen linguist, an avid sports fan and a national youth barbershop champion with Ami Quartet.
Joshua Thompson is a Bass from Hampshire, currently studying Vocal and Operatic Studies at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. His love of singing began at the age of 7 years old when he became a chorister at Winchester Cathedral. He then went on to becoming Head Chorister at Romsey Abbey where he sang for BBC Songs of Praise, a Royal wedding and numerous professional level recordings. Joshua was a member of the National Youth Choir and recently performed at The Royal Albert Hall. He is thoroughly enjoying his time in Birmingham, has sung in many concerts with The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir and recently performed in his first opera, Massenet’s ‘Cendrillon’. Joshua is thrilled to be involved with Ex Cathedra and the opportunities this will bring.
University of Birmingham Student Scholars
Alice Madden is a soprano from Manchester, currently studying Music at the University of Birmingham. She began her vocal studies with Vanessa Williamson at Loreto Grammar School and now learns with Elizabeth Cragg. Alice has had a wide range of solo and choral opportunities, from school and church, to the Hallé Youth Choir (2021-23), where she performed great works such as Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius and Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony. Alice joined the St Endellion Summer Festival Chorus in 2020, singing annually in operas such as Peter Grimes and La Traviata with Roderick Williams & Mark Padmore, directed by Rory Kinnear & Victoria Newlyn. In Sixth Form, Alice played the role of Cosette in Les Misérables and since starting university, has sung with the UoB Camerata, Liturgical Choir and Chorus. Alice is also a keen clarinettist, having studied at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music for 3 years. She enjoys being a member of Symphony Orchestra and playing lacrosse for the university in her spare time. She is excited to become an Ex Cathedra Student Scholar.
Hannah Rowe is a soprano from Oxfordshire. She was a chorister in Merton College Girls’ Choir Oxford, under the direction of Benjamin Nicholas ages 13-17 and was a senior chorister in her final year, where she sang evensong every week and took part in CD recordings, Passiontide performances, and UK summer tours. Last year Hannah joined Schola choir, as a chorister, at St. Giles Church, Oxford, under the direction of Nicholas Prozzillo, where she occasionally sings evensong and tours Italy annually. In sixth form Hannah played lead singing roles in school musicals, such as Sister Mary Roberts in Sister Act, and, as a Music scholar at school, she had the opportunity to perform solos: Mozart’s Laudate Dominum with a String orchestra and SSA choir, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Think of Me’ from phantom of the opera with full orchestra in the Sheldonian, Oxford. Hannah is in her first year studying Computer Science at the University of Birmingham with a Music Scholarship. At UoB she sings in the University Upper Voices choir and Birmingham University Liturgical Choir. As well as singing, Hannah also play the Violin in String Orchestra, the Cornet, and the Piano.
Molly Fry is an alto from Shropshire, currently studying Classics at the University of Birmingham. As well as singing in the university’s Camerata choir, she is a member of the CBSO Chorus, directed by Simon Halsey, and is under the tutelage of Alison Chamberlain. Molly began singing after she was awarded an instrumental scholarship to Ellesmere College for Sixth Form, following an audition on trumpet and clarinet. During her time at Ellesmere College, Molly sang in both the chapel and chamber choirs, winning numerous competitions and singing at professional events with them. Molly continued to study and perform both trumpet and clarinet, taking part in masterclasses with a range of professional musicians, participated in regional music festivals and played with the Band of the Mercian Regiment. In her spare time Molly continues her passion for instrumental music through amateur orchestral playing, as well as teaching.
Alex Dixon is a 20-year-old tenor from Norfolk, currently studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, where he holds choral and academic scholarships. Alex’s musical training began at the age of 6 when he became a chorister at Norwich Cathedral. During his time as a Chorister, Alex performed regularly, including large-scale works such as Britten’s Spring Symphony, conducted by Oliver Knussen at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, and annual performances of Bach’s St John’s and St Matthews’s Passions in Norwich Cathedral. He also toured with the choir in Cologne, Hamburg and Stockholm, and had the opportunity to make several recordings with the choir under Ashley Grote and David Dunnett. More recently, Alex has sung with the National Youth Training Choir under Greg Beardsell and the Rodolfus Foundation under Ralph Allwood. As a soloist, Alex sang the part of Basilio in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro in a school production in 2022. He was also a recitalist at the 2022 Southwold Arts Festival and performed the tenor solo in Schubert’s Mass in G with the Ipswich Bach Choir later that year. Since starting university, Alex has performed the tenor solo in Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the Birmingham University Singers and sings regularly with the Birmingham University Liturgical Choir and the University Camerata Choir. Under the guidance of Piran Legg, he continues to refine his vocal skills. Beyond his musical pursuits, Alex enjoys playing football and golf.