Marc Murray was born in Cape Town, and educated at the University of Cape Town’s College of Music (U.C.T.). He moved to the U.K. in May 2010 to take up the post of Director of Music at St. Botolph’s Church, Boston (Boston Stump). He was, until May 2015, Director of Music and Conductor for Peterborough Opera. He has conducted many local opera and choral groups, and is in great demand as a teacher, vocal coach and accompanist.
At U.C.T. he was a winner of the Leslie Arnold Award and the Metropolitan Methodist Church Organ Prize He holds several teaching and performing qualifications : from the University of South Africa (Performing and teaching); Trinity College of Music, London and the Royal College of Organists. Marc is a holder of both the Fellowship Diploma and Choral Directing Diploma of the R.C.O. Marc has completed a MA at the University of York with Professor Peter Seymour focusing on Baroque performance practice and harpsichord with Catherine Pierron (Hollingworth) . He has played continuo with the university's Baroque ensemble, Ad Hoc BAroque and also Leeds Baroque Orchestra. He is currently reading for a PhD in musicology. Marc also conducts Southport Bach Choir and The Rawstorne Singers.
As an organist, Marc has given recitals and played in concerts throughout South Africa, as well at the U.S.A., Germany, Sweden, and the U.K. including recitals in Westminster Abbey, Southwark, St. Paul’s, Newcastle, Chester, Blackburn, Liverpool and Bradford Cathedrals.
In South Africa, Marc worked for the National Department of Education on a programme, which gave all school learners the opportunity to participate in choral singing. He also worked as Acting and Assistant Chorus Master for Cape Town Opera.
Marc formed his own chamber choir in 2003 and was for twenty years, Organist & Director of Music at St Saviour’s Church, Claremont (The Parish Church of the Archbishop of Cape Town).
Elin Rees is the Organist at Bury Parish Church, is a freelance accompanist, and piano and organ soloist.
Welsh pianist and organist Elin Rees began performing and accompanying when she was very young, initially with piano and harp, beginning organ studies at 12 at Llandaff Cathedral. Having gained a scholarship to the Purcell School of Music at 16, she studied with James Gibb (piano), and with Ann Elise Smoot (organ) at St. Margaret’s, Westminster. At the Royal Northern College of Music, she obtained a BMus(Hons) followed by an MMus in Solo Piano Performance, studying piano with Carole Presland and Paul Janes and organ with Kevin Bowyer. While at the RNCM, Elin was appointed Pilling Trust Organ Scholar at St Ann's Church, Manchester city centre, working alongside organist and director of music Ronald Frost, holding the position for 4 years.
From 2014-16 Elin was a Junior Fellow in Accompaniment at the RNCM, where she continues to work as a freelance accompanist, playing for many of the College’s principal study tutors, particularly in the School of Vocal Studies. She has performed Krzysztof Penderecki's violin sonata as part of a duo in front of the composer, played in classes for celebrated singers including Sir John Tomlinson, Hilary Summers and Richard Stokes, and accompanied several winning RNCM Vocal Students in competitions. She has performed at venues such as the Bridgewater Hall and St David's Hall, and performed at the conservatoire's Day of Song on several occasions.
As an organist she is in regular demand as an accompanist to choirs across the North West, including the Alteri Chamber Choir, Congleton, Bury and Salford Choral Societies and Ad Solem, the prize-winning University of Manchester Chamber Choir. With the Bury Parish Church Choir she has played for a week of services at Canterbury Cathedral, an Evensong at Carlisle Cathedral and for a week at Gloucester Cathedral in the summer of 2018. She enjoys giving organ recitals, at venues that have included Bangor and Bradford Cathedrals, and frequently performs at St Ann's, Manchester, and at the Summer Recital Series at Mill Hill Chapel, Leeds.
The John Pilling Organ Scholar 2021/23 : Xuan Wang