The team

We have invited leading experts in the industry to help you get the most out of our Retreat

Robert Rice

Robert Rice enjoys a varied career as a performing baritone and singing teacher. Well known for oratorio, consort singing and contemporary music, he has sung in the majorUK venues and widely abroad. His most recent performances include premières of Errolyn Wallen and Howard Goodall, while ongoing projects include a collaboration with composer Jill Jarman, Chelys Viol Consort and percussionist Evelyn Glennie. In addition to a thriving private studio, Robert teaches at Clare, Jesus and King’s Colleges of Cambridge University, King’s College, London and Lincoln Cathedral. A vocal coach for the London Symphony Chorus, he also gives workshops, adjudicates singers and arranges for voices.

Anita Morrison

Anita is particularly known for her teaching of trebles and taught the choristers of Westminster Cathedral for nearly 30 years (from 1990-2019). She was awarded anHonorary ARSCM in 2017 in recognition of her outstanding work in this area following the publication of her vocal health for choristers book ‘The Chorister and the RacingCar – A Guide to High Performance Singing’. She currently teaches the choristers at St.George’s Windsor Castle, St. John’s College Cambridge, London Oratory Schola Cantorum and Cardinal Vaughan Schola Cantorum. She also teaches the choral scholars of Selwyn College Cambridge, is a vocal coach to The London SymphonyChorus and has a busy private teaching practice.

An intrinsic belief in the importance of good body use led Anita to train as a Feldenkrais Practitioner. She teaches regular classes and workshops and has given Feldenkrais workshops for singers at the GSMD, Leeds College of Music and for VoiceWorkshop and the British Voice Association.

Nicki Kennedy

Nicki Kennedy has enjoyed an extremely varied career as a singer. As a soloist she has performed and recorded with many of the leading ensembles in the baroque and classical field, such as the Musiciens du Louvre, Netherlands Bach Society, the Parlement de Musique, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Orchestre des Champs–Elysées, Modo Antiquo and the choir of King’s College, Cambridge.

As a session musician Nicki sang with London Voices and Metro Voices and can be heard on the sound tracks of Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Hobbit and many, many others.

Nicki has taught and given masterclasses in Spain, France and the Czech Republic and is a regular vocal teacher and consultant for the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, and for the Rodolfus Foundation.She has been Head of Singing in two UK schools and has taught Choral Scholars at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. She is a specialist in vocal health and rehabilitation.

Shivani Rattan

Shivani is a rising star in the choral world. She is a British Indian Choral Conductor and Mezzo-Soprano, and graduate of Royal Holloway where she held a Choral Scholarship and directed The Founder’s Choir. Whilst at University, she wrote her dissertation on the lack of diversity in the classical music industry and has since been outspoken in spreading awareness about access and opportunity in music education. Her Three Indian Celebration Songs were published by Sing for Pleasure.

Shivani works for Brent Music Service, The National Children’s Choir of Great Britain (Assistant Conductor), Tenebrae (Singing Schools Workshop Leader), and Sing for Pleasure (Trainee Tutor, Communications & Social Media lead). With The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, Shivani was a Fellow in 2021 and has since enjoyed working on NYCGB courses, with London Youth Choirs, Ark Schools, and Farnham Youth Choir. In 2023 Shivani will join Papagena, the all-female a cappella quintet, as their mezzo.

Elizabeth Hayley

Elizabeth’s career has taken her all over the world, including appearances in Sweden atThe World Clown Congress, in Canada giving masterclasses & recitals, in Jamaica as music educator, touring Ireland as Assistant MD for ‘Side by Side’ by Sondheim, in the UK as soloist in piano concertos & conducting award-winning choral/operatic societies, playing with world-renowned groups such as The Pump Room Trio in Bath and The PasadenaRoof Orchestra.

As a former Classical and Jazz Examiner for ABRSM she enjoyed frequent work across Asia, and as a sought-after and versatile accompanist has performed with acclaimed artistes such as trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins, trombonist GordonCampbell, singers Benjamin Luxon, Rupert Charlesworth, Elizabeth Watts, & worked onstage with actress Dame Harriet Walter. She is passionate about teaching and coaching young musicians, and works at St Catherine’s School Bramley and Eton College.

John Bowley

An accomplished tenor, John Bowley appeared both as soloist and chorister with many of the most important orchestras and choirs on today’s concert platform. John was a full-time member of the BBC Singers, and has sung all over the world from Sydney Opera House to The Royal Albert Hall, singing in Japan, Australia, South Africa, USA and all over Europe with many of the most significant conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Simon Rattle and Harry Christophers. In addition, John has sung on many of the Film soundtracks recorded in London, such as Harry Potter, Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean and more.

John has now devoted himself to teaching and choral music, and is now Head of Music at Jersey College for Girls. He has always worked with young choral singers including working for the Eton Choral Courses (now the Rodolfus Foundation).He is founder and Director of the Jersey Youth Choir, and regularly works as vocal coach for the Royal Schools of Church Music’s ‘Millenium Choir’. He is proud to be the Chair of Aureole Music, a charity set up in the COVID pandemic which provides music in care settings.