We are extremely happy to welcome Lucia Švecová as Guest Conductor for this term. Lucia is a Slovak-born conductor, based in the UK and currently coaching young players and singers as the Assistant Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra and the Director of the Chapel Choir at St Catherine’s School, Bramley. She conducted the Welsh National Opera Orchestra in a Showcase in May 2023 and the City of London Sinfonia at the Jette Parker Young Artists’ Women Conductors Course at the Royal Opera House in July 2021. She was the Assistant Conductor at the David Seligman Opera School in 2022-23, and the Musical Director of Krása’s Brundibár in March 2022 and of an international filmed production of Cui’s Feast in Time of Plague in May 2021.
Previous Conductors
Christmas Concert in St Mary de Haura
Marc Yarrow (2016 – 2024)
Award winning Musical Director and Conductor, Marc Yarrow, started his professional career working for the BBC at the age of 11. He has performed all over the UK, Europe and in America and his repertoire spans from Bach and Beethoven to The Blues Brothers and Beyonce! Having trained as a classical conductor, Marc has over 15 years’ experience working with bands, choirs and orchestras alike. As a theatre MD, Marc has conducted many musical productions including Cabaret, We Will Rock You, Made In Dagenham, Our House, The Wedding Singer, Copacabana, Rent, Bare, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Pippin to name but a few. Marc has also been the Musical Director on pantomimes including Aladdin (PHA Pantos), Jack and The Beanstalk (PHA Pantos), Sleeping Beauty (PHA Pantos) and Snow White (QDOS Pantos). Marc is also a highly accomplished Vocal Consultant and often runs training days for Singing Teachers all over the country. Marc was the Artistic Director of the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus for 10 years, Musical Director of PZAZZ Singers and the Crawley Millennium Concert Band.
Tony Allen conducting an SOC Christmas Concert
Tony Allen (1990 – 2015)
Tony started as a soloist in 1980 and worked with the choir for 35 years. Consequently Tony has been a key person in the rich musical history of Shoreham-by-Sea and a huge debt of gratitude is owed by the many past and present members whom he has helped to inspire.
“I am very confident that the choir will find someone they will all really enjoy working with – which is the fundamental purpose of choral singing, after all – and someone who will lead SOC to even greater things.”
Tony Allen
Michael Ades (1971 – 1989)
MJ Ades, 1965
Michael succeeded Sheila and conducted SOC for 28 years. He continued the partnership with David Bennett, overseeing growth in its numbers and repertoire, and performing most major Good Friday and Christmas choral works by Bach, Handel, Schubert, Brahms and (his greatest love) Mozart, whose immortal Requiem he conducted at his first Shoreham concert on Good Friday 1972 and at his last concert on Good Friday 1999. He invited Tony Allen to sing the bass solo for the first time with the choir for the performance of Mozart’s Requiem on Good Friday 1980. As a further memorial to Michael, the choir performed it again in Lancing College Chapel on Good Friday 2005.
He was a gentle and meticulous choir trainer, a committed Christian and a man who did good by stealth. We shall probably never know the true extent of his quiet philanthropy.
Cite: http://www.sohamgrammar.org.uk/AdesMJ.htm
Sheila Chaplin (1961 – 1970)
An organist at St. Nicolas, Sheila began to collaborate with David Bennett (organist of St. Mary de Haura). Sheila conducted a joint performance of the two church choirs and Shoreham Oratorio Choir was formed. Find out more about our history here.
