Haydn's Creation
Saturday 15th February 2025, 7.30 pm
Les chansons des roses
February 2024
Anglo-French concert, May 20th 2023
The sprig of thyme, February 2023
New year concert, February 2022
.Craig
Lawton took over as musical
director of Conchord Singers in 2010. A lively and enthusiastic
conductor, he also currently holds positions with Romsey Sinfonietta,
Winchester Chamber Orchestra and Charity Symphony Orchestra. He also
plays weekly services as Director of Music at Christ Church, Freemantle
and occasionally gives organ recitals.
Craig initially
studied with Dr John Traill and later at the University of
Southampton where he studied conducting with Robert Browning and
organ with Sarah Baldock. He has continued to develop his skills
with Jason Lai in London and in Berlin with Prof. Colin Metters
(RAM)
2022 saw his
Royal Albert Hall debut as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust series.
In Europe he has enjoyed podium time in Norway, France, Berlin,
Bulgaria and Milan.
In conjunction
with a busy conducting schedule, Craig makes time for charitable
music projects. In 2016 he spearheaded the “Oncology Choir”, formed
of staff from Southampton’s University Hospital oncology department,
to fundraise for the revolutionary new ‘Centre for Cancer
immunology’. In conjunction with a friend and colleague, Paul
Ingram, he also organised three musical marathons for Comic Relief
at the Turner Sims in Southampton: Haydathon (2009), Beethovathon
(2015) and Orchestral Decathlon (2017).
Off the podium,
Craig is a member of CAMRA, an avid film fan and enjoys walking.
When not rehearsing or performing, you can often find Craig in a
local watering hole enjoying a pint of real ale with friends.
Rosie Woods was appointed assistant director in 2017. She came to
Southampton from a childhood in Devon when she gained a place at
Southampton University. She gained a joint honours degree in English and
Music, and also spent her undergraduate years singing and dancing where
possible. Coming from a very musical family, Rosie felt the void left
when she graduated and, although still singing with a Bournemouth-based
big band, she started to look for a choir of which to be a part.
Conchord offered just the right mixture of music styles, and immediately
welcomed Rosie into the soprano section, and now after nearly 4 years,
she is proud to have been asked to take up the baton as an assistant to
Craig.
Chris Bluemel studied piano with Martin Penrose, and then Joan Dixon at
University of York, where he gained a degree and the DipARBSM in piano.
He has since taught A-Level Music classes as well as one-to-one piano
and violin lessons. Over the years, he has played violin, piano and
guitar in orchestras, jazz groups and theatre pit bands. He is currently
the rehearsal accompanist for the Conchord Singers, and bass player for
the protest folk band Seize The Day, which whom he has played at the
Glastonbury Festival four times.