OUR TEAM
OUR PATRON
DEBORAH BULL, BARONESS BULL, CBE
Eye Bach Choir is delighted to have Baroness Bull as its patron. Deborah is an English dancer, writer, and broadcaster and former creative director of the Royal Opera House. She joined King’s College London as Director, Cultural Partnerships in 2012. In 2015 she was appointed as the university’s Assistant Principal (London), in 2018 was named Vice President & Vice-Principal (London) and in 2021 named Vice Principal (Communities & National Engagement) until her departure in July 2022.
CONDUCTOR AND MUSICAL DIRECTOR
BENEDICT COLLINS RICE
Originally from Oxfordshire, Benedict held two conducting scholarships at Cambridge University before continuing his studies with the heads of conducting at the Royal College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music and Vienna University of Music. He studied for a Master’s degree at Birmingham University where, studying under Simon Halsey, he gained the course’s highest-ever conducting mark.
Benedict is founder and artistic director of The Facade Ensemble, which specialises in 20th-century chamber music. They are currently Ensemble-in-Residence at The Courtauld Institute, and enjoying a reputation for ‘razor-sharp’ (The Arts Desk), ‘first-rate’ (MusicOMH), and ‘stunning’ (Robert Hugill) performances.
ACCOMPANISTS
STANLEY GODFREY – REHEARSAL PIANO ACCOMPANIST
Eye Bach Choir is delighted to welcome Stanley as a recent member of its team in the important role of piano rehearsal accompanist. Godfrey is Organist and Assistant Director of Music at Great St Mary’s, the University Church of Cambridge. He has previously held posts at Ely Cathedral and Selwyn College, Cambridge, and is a graduate of St Peter’s College, Oxford, where he was Organ Scholar. A prize-winning Associate of the Royal College of Organists, he maintains a regular recital presence both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
TIM PATIENT – ORGAN
Tim Patient is the Director of Music at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Eye, a post he has held since Advent Sunday 2022.
He was born in Chelmsford but moved to Norwich as a child and began his organ studies in 1977 when he became a Norwich Diocesan Organ Scholar, studying with the late Kenneth Ryder at St. Peter Mancroft Church. After leaving school he went to Westhill College of Education, Birmingham, where he trained to be a teacher. He taught for two years in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham before returning to Norfolk in 1989, where he has been music subject leader at two primary schools.
OUR GUEST SOLOISTS
Here are just some of the talented guest soloist, past and present, who have accompanied Eye Bach Choir during concert performances
JACK COMERFORD
BASS
Jack leads a varied career as a performer, teacher and researcher. He read Music at the
University of York, and an MMus at the Royal College of Music. Performing highlights have
included Orfeo and Iphigénie en Tauride (Gluck/OAE) with Laurence Cummings in Romania,
READ MORE …
RACHEL ALLEN
SOPRANO
Canadian soprano Rachel Allen has been praised for bringing “great tenderness” and “seductive power” to her singing. Particularly lauded for her interpretations of baroque repertoire, she has performed with leading period ensembles in Canada and the UK. Recent roles include Dido (Dido and Aeneas) at Cadogan Hall, Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea), and Morgana (Alcina) and Venus in Blow’s Venus and Adonis at the Ryedale Festival…..
MATTHIAS DAEHLING
COUNTER TENOR
Matthias Daehling, alto recipient of the 2024 Salvat Beca Bach, graduated with distinction from the Royal College of Music in 2023, where he studied with Sally Burgess. Recent performances include a new production of Monteverdi’s „L’Orfeo” in Winterthur with the lautten compagney Berlin.
CHARLOTTE LA THROPE
SOPRANO
Charlotte is an English soprano celebrated for her radiant tone, expressive depth and sensitive interpretation of baroque and classical repertoire. She has performed internationally, appearing in leading festivals such as Misteria Paschalia in Krakow…..
JAMES MICKLETHWAITE
TENOR
James Micklethwaite, graduated from the Royal College of Music with Distinction. Whilst studying for a degree in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, he was a member of The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge.
MEGAN BUNGARD
SOPRANO
AMY BUNGARD
SOPRANO
Amy was a chorister at Ely Cathedral for five years and went on to become a founding member of the girls’ choir at St Margaret’s, Westminster.
During her time as a chorister she has sung at venues such as St Paul’s Cathedral and she went on tours to Umbria, Italy and Sicily. She also sang at Pixie Lott’s wedding in Ely Cathedral.
SARAH GALLOP
SOPRANO
Since completing her MMus in Vocal and Operatic Performance at Birmingham Conservatoire,
soprano Sarah Gallop has performed across the UK and Europe. Sarah took a step back from performing last year, choosing to focus and enjoy the first months of married life.
CHARLOTTE CLAPPERTON
CONTRALTO
Charlotte Clapperton is a mezzo-soprano from Croydon, London and is currently a student at the Royal Academy of Music. She studies with renowned mezzosoprano, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, and repertoire coach, Matthew Fletcher.
MADDIE BOREHAM
SOPRANO
Madeline Boreham is currently studying for her Masters degree at the Royal College of Music where she is the Kiri Te Kanawa Scholar and is generously supported by the Josephine Baker Trust and The Countess of Munster Musical Trust.
MARK SABERTON
BASS
Mark Saberton grew up in Suffolk and currently lives and teaches singing in Sudbury. He has performed with Eye Bach Choir and Leslie Olive on several occasions most recently in Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
DANIEL BARRETT
BASS
24-year-old Daniel Barrett is a baritone from Glasgow who has just completed his Masters course at the Royal College of Music – graduating with distinction – and studies with Russell Smythe. Daniel is delighted to be a Drapers de Turckheim Scholar and a Drake Calleja Trust Scholar.
ALEX ALDREN
TENOR
Alex originally trained in medicine at the University of Birmingham, and worked as a doctor at the Royal London Hospital for 2 years, before joining the Royal Academy of Music Opera School in 2016. After graduating in 2019 Alex immediately went on to cover Vašek in The Bartered Bride for Garsington Opera Festival and from there to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
MIRIAM SHARRAD
CONTRALTO
Miriam made her debut with the Australian Opera Studio where she performed, among other roles, Dinah Trouble in Tahiti, Dulcinée Don Quichotte, and Niklausse/Muse Les Contes d’Hoffmann.
Since settling in the United Kingdom, Miriam has worked with a number of companies, including, The English Touring Opera, …..
READ MORE…
NATALIE WERNER
Natalie Werner is currently working in her newly appointed role as an Alto Vicar Choral at St Edmundsbury Cathedral….
PHEOBE VERNON
Phoebe Vernon is currently in Year 13 at Abbeygate Sixth Form College in Bury St Edmunds, where she is studying for A-Levels in Maths, Chemistry and Psychology.
ANIKA COX
Anika Cox is currently in Year 13 at County High School in Bury St Edmunds, where she is studying for A-Levels in German, French and English Literature., …..
ANIKA COX
Anika Cox is currently in Year 13 at County High School in Bury St Edmunds, where she is studying for A-Levels in German, French and English Literature., …..
PAST TEAM MEMBERS
LESLIE OLIVE
Leslie Olive was the Choir’s Conductor and Director of Music from January 2007 until December 2024.
Eye Bach Choir is indebted to Leslie for his patient, encouraging direction and pursuit of excellence throughout his time with the choir and which led us to producing music of a very high standard.
KAREN SMITH – PIANO
Karen sadly recently had to step-down as Eye Bach Choir pianist after many years with us. She will be sorely missed by members and audiences alike, not least for her talent and the level of professionalism she brought to supporting the choir in such a key role but for her calm and reassuring personality which also comes with a fair dose of humour. The choir wishes Karen the very best for her future endeavours.
READ HERE about Karen’s impressive career so far.