OUR TEAM
CONDUCTOR AND MUSICAL DIRECTOR
LESLIE OLIVE
Leslie has been the Choir’s Director of Music since January 2007, only the third in its history.
An experienced choral conductor and composer, he founded the English Arts Chorale, based in Reigate, over thirty years ago. Leslie also founded the Suffolk Symphony Orchestra in 2012 and has been Artistic Director of the Reigate Festival. He and has been involved in conducting both the London Opera Players and Opera Brava and runs popular choral workshops as well as giving private lessons in singing and piano. Leslie has worked with choirs and singing groups at all levels from fully professional to complete beginners and of all ages.
ACCOMPANISTS
KAREN SMITH – PIANO
Karen Smith was born in London in 1970 and spent her formative years in Waltham Abbey. It was there that her parents nurtured her musical promise by encouraging piano and guitar lessons. Upon moving to Norfolk at the age of 9 she then set about learning the clarinet and saxophone; by the age of 12 Karen had 2 grade 8 Distinctions – including the highest mark in the country for piano.
During her teenage years Karen played in the Norfolk County Youth Orchestra and Wind Band, the National Scout & Guide Concert Band and the National Scout & Guide Orchestra – her first appearance on a vinyl record was with the NS&G Concert Band in 1983.
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 guest soloist with whom Eye Bach Choir has worked in recent years.
Natalie, Pheobe and Anika are the solo voices performing with Eye Bach Choir for its Nov 11th, ’23 concert at Eye Parish Church
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., …..
MADDIE BOREHAM
SOPRANO
Madeline is currently studying for her Masters degree at the Royal College of Music, currently under the tutelage of Patricia Rosario OBE and Caroline Dowdle, where she is an RCM Scholar and supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. In 2019, Madeline made her English National Opera debut in Britten’s Noyes Fludde.
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, …..
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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,
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. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Mark sings at the Royal Opera House and previously worked at Opera North and Scottish Opera.
