Soprano 1

Catriona is a soprano in her final year of her undergraduate degree in Music at Cardiff University. She is currently a member of Genesis Sixteen 6 and is a scholar with the BBC National Chorus of Wales. Prior to moving to Cardiff, Catriona sang with the Gloucester Cathedral Youth Choir and is still actively involved in the Three Choirs Festival. As a soloist, Catriona has been privileged to be able to sing in both St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Most recently, she was in the solo trio ‘Lift thine eyes’ in Elijah at the 2016 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester and was also a soloist with Cardiff University Symphony Chorus for the Faure Requiem and with Cardiff University Chamber Choir on tour in Germany. She was also the winner of the prestigious Keith Nutland award at the Cheltenham festival in 2013 and the recipient of the David Lloyd Scholarship in 2015. 

Soprano 1

Joanna is currently in her third year of BMus Music at Cardiff University, studying voice under Gail Pearson. Joanna started receiving vocal lessons aged 8 and has since been involved in various choirs. Growing up in Marlborough, Joanna has performed at many sponsor events and concerts at The Marlborough Jazz Festival. The festival gave her the opportunity to perform in the presence of the Queen and Prince Phillip which remains a highlight of her singing career thus far. Since starting at Cardiff University Joanna has been a keen member of many University ensembles, including the Operatic Society, the Palestrina Singers, Symphony Chorus, Lanyi and Jazz Choir. Joanna also performs with The BBC National Chorus of Wales as a student scholar with performances being broadcasted on BBC Radio 3. This year Joanna was a Hesse student at Aldeburgh Music Festival giving her an invaluable insight into how the festival is run. Joanna is looking forward to graduating from Cardiff University and hopefully pursuing a career in music journalism, after a completing an inspiring placement at Classic FM earlier this year.

Soprano 1

Emily is a soprano in her second year at Cardiff University. She began singing aged 11, under the tuition of Jean Thorley Davies BEM and as a member of the Glamorgan Youth Choir. Emily later joined her school and chamber choirs and also sang in the Gorseinon Youth choir. In her first year at Cardiff University, she performed with various ensembles including the University Symphony Chorus and Jazz Choir. Now in her second year, Emily is a member of the University Chamber Choir as well as the BBC National Chorus of Wales and is excited to be a part of the Palestrina Singers and expand her musical repertoire. 

Soprano 1

Lottie Larner-Reynolds is a singer and flautist reading music at Cardiff University, where she is a member of the Symphony Chorus and Palestrina Singers, and also leads the Flute Choir. Before joining the university, she was a member of the chamber and show choirs in her school, alongside the Cantelina All Girls' Choir, performing in a number of wonderful venues across the Midlands such as De Montfort Hall and Nottingham Albert Hall. They covered a range of extensive repertoire, including Britten's St Nicolas, Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man and Bach's Magnificat. Lottie also performing in a number of musicals at school; The Lion King, We Will Rock You and Hairspray. Outside of the university, Lottie is a member of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and has taken part in a number of BBC Radio 3 recordings and performed in various events at the BBC Proms. Future concerts include the University Symphony Chorus' performance of Brahms Requiem and Handel's Messiah with the BBC National Chorus of Wales.

Soprano 2

Sarah is a third year BMus music student studying at Cardiff University. She is a first study singer with a distinction in Grade 8 voice and piano. While studying at Cardiff, Sarah has been trained by Helen Field and is a member of various university ensembles including the Symphony Chorus, the Contemporary Music Group and the Operatic Society. This is the first year that Sarah has been a part of the Palestrina Singers and she is looking forward to exploring new repertoire and the performances to come.

Soprano 2

Bronwen's love for choral music began when she sang in her church and school choirs from a young age. She was awarded a Scholarship with the Academia Musica Choir of Hereford Sixth Form College, with whom she sang in various cathedrals across the country and in venues including St. John’s Smith Square, London. The choir went on to record with the BBC and tour internationally. Bronwen has also been a member of several orchestras including the Hereford String Orchestra, Hereford Youth Orchestra and the Academia Musica Orchestra. Whilst studying music in Cardiff, Bronwen is currently a member of the University Symphony Chorus and Orchestra and is excited to work with the Palestrina Singers in her final year. 

Soprano 2

Beccy has studied singing from the age of fourteen and has a particular interest in musical theatre. It was only when she moved to sixth form that she had her first taste of classical choral singing in the school Chamber Choir. This quickly became a passion for Beccy and was a deciding factor in her decision to study Music at university. During her first year at Cardiff, she sang with multiple choirs including the University Jazz Choir, Blank Verse, Symphony Chorus and the student-run ensemble, En-Côr. Now in her second year, she continues with these groups and has since joined the Contemporary Music Vocal Ensemble, the BBC National Chorus of Wales and now the Palestrina Singers. Becky is eager to explore the challenging repertoire of these choirs and intends to learn as much as she can about choral singing during the remainder of her time at the university.

Soprano 2

Nia is currently studying Music in her second year at Cardiff University. She is an aspiring violinist under the tutorage of Laurence Kempton and is also a singer. She was brought up around music, which encouraged her to pursue it from a young age; picking up the violin at aged 7 and shortly after discovering her passion for singing also.

Alto 1

Originally a first study pianist, Anna's interest in choral singing began when she joined her school chamber choir at the age of 14. With this choir she sang in St Paul’s Cathedral, at the concert hall in Snape Maltings, and in the NEC in Birmingham. Since then Anna has been a member of many other choirs, including the St Cecilia chorale at her local cathedral, where she sang evensong regularly. In her first year at the university, she joined several of the university choirs including Symphony Chorus and Jazz Choir, as well as helping to set up another small group of singers now known as En-Côr. Being a part of The Palestrina Singers is very exciting, allowing Anna the chance to learn new repertoire and sing with a group of wonderful singers.

Alto 1

Since joining her county’s children’s choir at the age of five, Natalie’s passion for singing has involved her with numerous school choirs, smaller voice ensembles, and the Cardiff University Chamber Choir (of which she is currently a member). With these choirs she has toured around the UK and Europe, performing in a range of venues from Salisbury Cathedral to Disney Land Paris, the iconic Sacré-Cœur Basilica to St Michael’s Church in Hamburg, and a number of Oxford colleges. In addition to singing, Natalie is an accomplished instrumentalist, playing both tuba and flute regularly with the West of England Youth Orchestra and the Cardiff University Wind Orchestra. The Palestrina Singers will be an exciting and integral part of Natalie’s musical career.

Alto 2

Chloe began singing aged 11 as a chorister at Lichfield Cathedral, where she then gained a scholarship to be a member of the Youth Choir at Lichfield Cathedral School. She has competed and won prizes in numerous county festivals, and has played lead roles in productions including Grease, We Will Rock You and Purcell's opera, Dido and Aeneas. Now in her third and final year at Cardiff University, Chloe is a member of the University Chamber Choir, Symphony Chorus and Operatic Society and is enjoying expanding her musical knowledge whilst studying for her music degree. Having been a member of the Palestrina Singers throughout her time at the university, Chloe is looking forward to another fantastic year of singing with the choir. 

Alto 2

Leigh is currently a third-year BMus student at Cardiff University. A first-study flautist under John Hall, she has also been involved in choirs since a young age. She participated in many choirs and consorts prior to studying in Cardiff, performing works by Parry, Britten and Tavener as first a tenor and then an alto. She was also invited to sing solo and 1st tenor for a performance of choral dances from Britten’s Gloriana. Later, she became the musical director of the chamber choir and A-level consort as well as one of the conductors of the school’s main choir. Her interest in choral music has continued since, having joined many vocal ensembles at Cardiff University alongside winds bands and orchestras. Most recently, Leigh earned a choral scholarship as an alto for the church of St. Martin-in-Roath, which she joined in September, and is excited to be a part of the Palestrina Singers this year.  

Tenor 1

Matt is a second year law student at Cardiff University in his first year with the Palestrina Singers. Matt started singing at age 15 in his middle school choir in Bismarck, North Dakota, and hasn’t stopped since. Throughout high school he auditioned for and made it into various regional honor choirs including North Dakota All State Mixed Chorus in 2010 and the All State Jazz Choir in 2011. Before coming to Cardiff, Matt studied philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College in the St. Peter, Minnesota, where he also studied solo voice and sang in various auditioned choirs for four years as a recipient of the Jussi Björling Music Scholarship. In 2015 he had the experience of a lifetime while on tour in Paris with the Gustavus Adolphus Choir when the choir gave a concert in Notre Dame Cathedral. Matt looks forward to building up his musical experience and the making of many more wonderful memories with the Palestrina Singers!

Tenor 2

Hailing from Colchester, Thomas Mottershead is a singer, trumpeter, pianist, organist and conductor based in Cardiff. He started reading music at Cardiff University in 2015 and is also studying performance with Pierre-Maurice Barlier. He is involved in many ensembles in the university such as the Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Chorus, Chamber Choir and more. He is Social Secretary of Cardiff University Music Society, Conductor of Blank Verse and Flute Choir and Assistant Musical Director of the Operatic Society. Outside of the university, Thomas is a singer in the BBC National Chorus of Wales and has performed at the BBC Proms on several occasions. He has been able to perform at Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Aldeburgh numerous times, for example, when celebrating the centenary of Benjamin Britten in 2013, also live on BBC Radio 3 and singing as soloist in John Rutter’s Feel The Spirit. He has been fortunate enough to sing at St Paul’s Cathedral, King’s College, Cambridge and singing and playing on tours in Germany and Italy. On the stage, he performed the role of Khashoggi in We Will Rock You in December 2014 and performed in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience with the Operatic Society in March 2016. Future performances include the Cardiff University Symphony Orchestra and Chorus concert at St David’s Hall, performing Laura Rossi’s The Battle of The Somme and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, as well as conducting Britten’s St Nicolas in December.

Bass 1

Jack Neilly is a bass/baritone third year singer and organist at Cardiff University. He has had the privilege of studying singing under the eminent Kimberly Marston, Pierre-Maurice Barlier and Dominic Peckham, and for organ under Robert Court. After singing for many years in the Ulster Youth Choir, New Irish Arts Choir and Chamber Choir, Jack has taken up a scholarship in St Martin's Church, Roath. In recent years, he has began a career as an organ builder, working alongside different church denominations in Wales, as well as running group programmes on how to maintain and repair church organs. Jack has worked with many choirs as a soloist, his experience ranging from Handel’s Messiah and Hayden's Creation to Les Miserables. He is looking forward to singing with the Palestrina Singers in his final year at the university.

Bass 1

Olly is a first year BMus student at Cardiff University. As a pianist and clarinettist he is more prone to the orchestra pit than on stage, having played in productions such as Les Miserables, West Side Story and Jesus Christ Superstar. However, singing has always been a big part of his musical life; having been raised in a church setting it was common practice, and in later years he had the privilege of singing countless times in the prestigious Redcliffe Church. Olly is currently a member of the Symphony Chorus as well as the Contemporary Music Group and the Jazz Orchestra. He has always loved singing in choirs, a passion that he greatly looks forward to satisfying with the Palestrina Singers.