Next Concert...

Madrigal History Tour

Madrigals from Italy, Spain, Germany, France and England for 3,4 & 5 voices

Wednesday 23 July 2003, 7:30pm

Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Molesworth Street, Wellington

Tickets at door - $15 and $10 or from Anon.

	Michael Leach. (1996-) Michael has been involved in choral groups from an early age. After finishing Secondary School he joined with his brother Chris to form the Sings Harry Vocal Ensemble of which he was a member until April 1996. In October 1996 they repeated the process and formed Anon. Amongst his other choral experiences he was a member of the Choir of Wellington Cathedral for eleven and a half years and sang with the Sacred Heart Cathedral Choir in 2001. He has performed with a number of other choirs including the Orpheus Choir of Wellington, the 'Four Haircuts' and the New Zealand Secondary Schools Choir.
	Christopher Leach. (1996-) Chris has been involved in choral groups from an early age and is a founding member of the Anon. Vocal Ensemble. His extensive choral singing experience ranges from sacred choirs such as the Wellington Cathedral Choir to secular groups including the acclaimed Four Haircuts barbershop group and the Sings Harry Vocal Ensemble. Chris formerly studied at the Wellington Conservatorium of Music and has appeared with various groups as a soloist and ensemble performer. In May 2002 Chris created the roles of Kelly, the male lead in the new New Zealand opera The Death of Venus by Ivan Bootham and of Paul Lecuse in John Drummond's A Beleagured City to critical acclaim. In May 2003 he created the role of 'George' in Dorothy Buchannan's 'It began with a pony' and re-interpreted the role of 'Jim' in John Drummond's 'Mr Polly at the Potwell Inn' once more to widespread critical aclaim.
	Madeline Smith. (1998-2003) Madeline started her involvement with music at an early age, learning both the violin and the piano for many years, and singing in the Junior Choir at St. Paul's Cathedral for four years under Philip Walsh. She was awarded an A.Mus.A. in piano from the Australian Board of Music in 1996. Madeline was a member of the Senior Choir at St. Paul's for 5 years, and in that time recorded 3 CDs with the choir, including the opportunity to record a duet with Dame Malvina Major. More recently Madeline has appeared singing solo on national television, and was a soloist with the Orpheus Choir of Wellington in their production of Mendelssohn's 'Elijah' in 1999. The 'Madrigal History Tour' concert on 23 July 2003 marks Madeline's 5th anniversary with the group and will also be her last Anon performance for some time as she embarks on a new life and career in the United Kingdom this August.
	Sabrina Malcolm. (1999-) Sabrina is a past member of the National Youth Choir, Cecilian Singers, Tudor Consort and various informal ensembles, and is currently singing with the choir of Wellington Cathedral as well as with Anon. She studied performance singing for two years at Canterbury University before realising she was not extrovert enough (never mind skilled enough) to enjoy solo singing, and has since then preferred small ensemble singing. She moved to Wellington in 1994 and continues to attempt musicality at any opportunity. She is currently studying Design Arts at the Massey University School of Fine Arts in Wellington.
	Peter Dyne. (1997,1999-) Peter began singing at Wellington Cathedral as a treble at the age of 10 and, since then, singing has dominated his spare time! He joined the NZ National Youth Choir in 1983 and sang with them for 10 years. He was a founding member of The Tudor Consort and is a founder member of Tower Voices New Zealand, who have performed with much acclaim in Europe, French Polynesia and, of course, New Zealand. In addition, he sings with the Sacred Heart Cathedral Choir in Wellington, subs at St. Paul's and occasionally performs with various theatre groups in the greater Wellington region - this is, of course, in addition to family duties, work commitments and being a Trustee and Treasurer for the Wellington & Region Neo-Natal Charitable Trust.
	Janine Dyne. (1998-) Janine first sang with Anon. in 1998, having gained experience in a number of choirs. She is a founding member of The Tudor Consort. She was in the choir of the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul for fifteen years, and in her younger days she was a member of the National Youth Choir.
	Tessa La Varis. (2000-) Tessa has been a member of Anon. since September 2000. In addition to being the group's resident doctor she is a former member of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Choir and the Wellington Youth Choir. Tessa studied piano to ATCL level in 1993 and in addition to singing, accompanied small groups and choirs while studying at Nga Tawa. She is currently on leave from the group and enjoying her OE in the UK and Europe.
	Past Members
	Nicholas Cull (1996-2000) Nicholas was a founding member of Anon and was the resident bass/baritone until his departure for the designer city of Canberra. He sang with Chris and Michael Leach, Stuart Coats and Selwyn Bates in the 1990 New Zealand Secondary Students Choir, with Michael, Brian Hesketh and Chris Warwick in the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul Choir for a number of years and sang with the Orpheus Choir of Wellington until leaving NZ.
	Brian Hesketh (1996-1999) Brian is one of the most versatile and unique singers in Wellington. A founding member of Anon., he sang every part from Soprano to Bass during his time with the group but made his real mark as a high baritone. He has been part of a number of award winning and highly successful choirs and groups including the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul Choir, the Tudor Consort and the Sings Harry Vocal Ensemble.
	Chris Warwick (1996-2000) Chris was a founding member of Anon. and sang as counter-tenor with the group until the beginning of 2000. He is a former member of the choir of the Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul and has been involved with numerous other choirs and groups over the last 10 years. Chris currently sings with the Tudor Consort in Wellington and performs regularly as a soloist counter-tenor within the Wellington region.
	Dilshani Weerasinghe (1997-1998) Dilshani joined Anon. in 1997 just to 'help the boys out' and remained until leaving New Zealand to further her studies in performance singing. Having originally sung with Chris and Michael Leach and Brian Hesketh in Sings Harry, she was a constant fixture in the transistion from male voice quintet to mixed voice ensemble. She is currently studying as part of the British National Opera Emerging Artists Programme in London.
	Jane Deighton (1997-1998) Jane has been singing in choirs for many years. A past member of the National Youth Choir of New Zealand she is a long-standing memeber of the choir of Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul.
	Catherine Connolly (1998-1999) Catherine has sung in a number of choirs around Wellington including the Orpheus Choir of Wellington and the Tudor Consort. She is currently a member of the choir of the Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul.
	Dr Ruth Lightbourne. (1999-2001) Ruth is a graduate in musicology but her first love is singing. She has sung with numerous groups around the country, including the Auckland Dorian Choir, Jubilate Singers, Canterbury University Chamber Choir, Southern Consort of Voices, and Four-By-Two. She is currently singing in the choir of the Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul. In the past, Ruth has sung with various groups as a soloist, but now prefers ensemble singing.
	Stuart Coats (1999-2002) Stu joined Anon in 1999 after the departure of foundation member Brian Hesketh. He studied Performance Singing with Emily Mair at the Victoria University School of Music and graduated with a BMus in 1993. A successful actor, Stu can currently be seen performing for Capital E's National Theatre for Children and on the occasional television advert. He was a member of the NZSSC from 1986-90 and of the NZNYC between 1992 & 1995 including touring North America with them. Stu is an avid (and pretty useful) 'footballer' and has a burgeoning career as a singer / songwriter (his album "Do you Love me" is available from the source). In September 2002 Stu moved to Auckland to further pursue his career.
	Michael Fletcher. (1999-2001) Michael Fletcher is involved in many groups throughout Wellington as a singer, organist and accompanist. His organ training was with Eric Copperwheat while at St. Barnabas' Church in Roseneath and with Philip Walsh at the Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul. He was previously the Richard Prothero Organ Scholar and later the Assistant Director of Music at the Cathedral under Andrew Cantrill before becoming Assistant Organist at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Wellington. He is recently completed a Music Degree at Victoria University.
	Rebecca Taylor. (1999-2001) Rebecca was born in Canberra, but has spent the majority of her life in Wellington. She has sung with numerous choirs, including 13 years as a member of the Sacred Heart Cathedral choir, the Wellington Youth Choir, the 1998 NZ Festival Chamber Choir and The Tudor Consort. In addition she has sung on numerous occasions as a fill-in for the National Youth Choir and performed with Tower Voices NZ and the NZSO in a performance of Poulenc's Gloria in 1999.
	Jacqueline Coats. Jacqueline is a graduate of the Theatre and Film Department at Victoria University, and, surprisingly, has a career in theatre (although she has been known to wait tables and paint houses in her time). For the past five years, she has stage managed and directed a number of theatre and opera productions in Wellington and most recently has performed, played and puppeteered in several touring productions for Capital E's National Theatre for Children. In 2002 she completed her Master in Theatre Arts in Directing at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School and Victoria University of Wellington. A former member of the New Zealand National Youth Choir and Tudor Consort, she is enjoying the challenge of singing choral music again. In May 2002 Jacqueline directed two new New Zealand Operas, 'The Death of Venus' by Ivan Bootham and 'A Beleagured City' by John Drummond to critical acclaim. She is currently directing a number of productions including the premiere of a new opera by Wellington composer Dorothy Buchannan 'It began with a pony'.
	Selwyn Bates. (2001-2003) Selwyn is a rusty bass, 'cos only the best will do. He spent a year hanging around the likes of Chris, Michael & Stuart, with the NZ Secondary Students Choir, and it's been downhill ever since! One of the cutest choir-boys to graduate from St Mary's Karori parish choir, Selwyn has kept his 'hand' in with concerts & operas for VUW chamber choir and Bel Canto.
	Thomas Wilson. (2001) Originally from the Waikato, Thomas moved to Wellington in 1999 to study organ with Douglas Mews and to take up the position of organist at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Since the he has become one of New Zealand's most promising young artists. Thomas is in national demand as an organ recitalist, accompanist and conductor and he has given recitals in all of Wellington's major churches as well as in prestigious venues around New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He is a current Concert FM recording artist, has recorded two CDs with the Sacred Heart Cathedral Choir and worked with numerous groups such as the National Youth Choir, the Wellington Youth Orchestra, the Orpheus Choir and the Festival Singers. In August 2003 he will take up the opportunity to further his Organ studies at the Royal College of Music in London.
	Liz Ledingham. (2001) Liz has sung with a number of choirs in Wellington including the two Cathedral Choirs. She recently completed her Bachelors degree at Victoria University.