ANDREW MARPLES – Our Musical Director (Photo – Albert Thomas)
Andrew studied music at the University of Reading and won a post-graduate scholarship to study piano accompaniment at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is in great demand as a conductor locally – his current societies and groups include Chesterfield Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Baslow Choir, Cantiamo, Holymoorside Choral Society and MusicWork Vocal Ensemble. He has been a guest conductor with Rotherham Choral Society, Present Company, Matlock Operatic Society, Sheffield City Opera and Peak Performance. He was accompanist and then conductor of Chesterfield Co-operative Choral Society for 20 years. He has led regular choir tours to France. Germany and Prague. Andrew performs over 40 concerts annually as either pianist, conductor or singer. Past theatre performances include all the G&S operas, Gigi, Oliver, The Merry Widow, West Side Story, Wizard of Oz, The Elixir of Love (at Sheffield Crucible for SCO and Buxton Opera House for Present Company) Iolanthe and Viva Mexico. He has conducted many concert works with full orchestra including: Te Deum and Creation part 1 (Haydn); Requiem (Fauré); Exsultate Jubilate (Mozart); Magnificats by Vivaldi, Albinoni and Pergolesi; Gloria (Vivaldi); Gloria (Poulenc); Come ye sons of Art (Purcell); Coronation Anthems and Messiah (Handel); Mass in C (Beethoven), Judas Maccabaeus (Handel) and Requiem (Mozart). Recent concerts have included Elgar’s The Music Makers and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria.
He was a songman at Sheffield Cathedral Choir for 6 years, toured with them to Holland, France and the USA and has recorded 6 CDs and made two live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 with them. He co-founded the very successful Saturday lunchtime concerts at Chesterfield library (now in their 29th year) and established a monthly series of concerts at Elder Yard Chapel. He teaches piano in Bakewell at St. Anselm’s School and privately and is a long-suffering fan of Chesterfield F.C!
CAROL BARNES – Our Accompanist (Photo – Albert Thomas)
After studying music at Manchester University, Carol spent many years working as an IT manager in the Pharmaceutical industry, retaining music as a source of pleasure and relaxation. She particularly enjoys playing with and in support of other musicians, and has accompanied a number of choirs, including Chapel-en-le-Frith Male Voice Choir for several years in the 1990s. Since taking early retirement, Carol has been enjoying the challenge of taking on more accompanying assignments, including the choirs in Hathersage and Baslow. She plays regularly at Whaley Bridge Uniting Church.
(Notes taken from the programme of the 2019 Summer Concert)