When and where was your first experience of music / singing?

My first experience of singing was in my first year of secondary school. I had absolutely no desire to do any music but my fantastic music teacher heard me singing in the back of class and made me join the school choir. This school choir exposed me to a wide range of music including renaissance polyphony, Gaelic folk song arrangements, and contemporary choral music, sparking a passion for music and choral singing.

Where did you grow up? Did you have access to classical music?

I grew up in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and while I probably had access to music I just had no desire to engage with music at all beyond primary school recorder lessons. It wasn’t until I was in secondary school when my music teacher made me join the school choir that I really discovered a love of music.

What has been your most memorable performance so far?

This is a really difficult question. I’ve had some of my best performance experiences directing my University Chamber Choir, and being able to introduce my University friends to contemporary music and ‘forgotten’ pieces that they hadn’t sang before brought me so much joy. However, I think the most memorable and profound performances have been with Leeds Cathedral, beyond tackling amazing renaissance repertoire including Morales, Guerrero, and Anerio Magnificats – the sense of satisfaction and achievement in performing this music within a choir rooted in whole-class accessible music education in state schools takes the experience to a whole new level.

What would your dream performance be?

I’m a massive fan of contemporary music and in particular 20th and 21st century music by British composers, so any performance filled with new commissions and hopefully some composers I’ve never sang before would be the dream for me! On the other end of the spectrum, I love renaissance music, and particularly consort singing so any programme of angsty renaissance madrigals, and polyphonic motets one-to-a-part would be a dream for me.

What are you looking forward to with Genesis Sixteen?

I’m looking forward to being able to delve deeply into some great repertoire, and developing the tools to achieve a really high quality sound in everything that I do. I’m also hoping to discover plenty of pieces that I haven’t heard before!

Outside of singing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Outside of singing, almost all of my hobbies are also musical! I’m a keen conductor and composer and love to work with any choir that’ll have me. Outside of this I’m so busy that I don’t really take the time to have a social life, but I always make time for the Pub Quiz each week with my friends.

Are you still in education? Are you in any other young artists schemes?

I have just graduated from a BA in Music at the University of Leeds and am freelancing with a few choirs as a singer, conductor or composer, while building a portfolio of teaching and whole-class curriculum music. I took part in the Chamber Choir Ireland Studio last year, gaining some invaluable coaching from Eamonn Dougan and singers from Chamber Choir Ireland. I have also held conducting or choral leadership scholarships with Sing for Pleasure, The Royal School of Church Music, and Leeds Cathedral.

Outside of performances with Genesis Sixteen, have you got any concerts coming up?

I am taking my University choir on a tour of Dublin this summer where I’ll be conducting varied programmes of 20th and 21st Century British and Irish Music, including quite a few new commissions and international premieres. We will also be serving as visiting choir at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, so that will be a really exciting trip and a nice way to finish my time with this choir.

Any fun facts about you?!

A fun fact is that the first concert that I ever attended was The Sixteen performing in Londonderry, it was only a few months after I started singing and I have no idea what the music was but I know I was absolutely transfixed!