Emily has recently gained her Masters with a Merit from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, specialising in Early Music (Voice). Whilst at Trinity, Emily studied voice with Laureen Livingstone and Timothy Travers-Brown as well as receiving tuition from renowned musicians such as Philip Thorby and Belinda Sykes. She currently studies with Marie Vassiliou. Previously, Emily had gained her BMus Hons (2:1) from Royal Holloway, University of London, whilst studying singing at the Royal College of Music with Eiddwen Harrhy. Emily has sung in many choirs including Royal Holloway's Schola Cantorum, Chapel Choir and Chamber Choir, the Hampshire County Children’s Choir, Hampshire County Youth Choir, National Children’s Choir of Great Britain, RSCM’s Millenium Youth Choir, the Ionian Singers, Sonus Cantorum, Trinity's Early Music Vocal Ensemble, Celestial Sirens and Musica Secreta. Most recently, Emily is thrilled to be joining London-based ensemble The Delphian Singers. Emily has extensive teaching experience including both working as a Choral Animateur and Project Director for the Dartford Choral Project, Singing Tutor for Kent Adult Education, Vocal Coach for Pembroke Academy of Music, Singing Teacher at Hillview School for Girls and as a Music Specialist at Horn Park Primary School, London. Her most recent post is as a Vocal Tutor & Music Specialist for Kingston Music Service.
Louise Eekelaar - Soprano
Twice winner of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Early Music Competition in 2013 and 2011 with Virtuosa and Ensemble Tramontana, Louise is a professional singer based in London, specialising in early music. Her performances have taken her to venues as diverse as the O2 Arena, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Purcell Room on Southbank, and the Royal Albert Hall. She also holds the post of Director of Music at Holy Trinity Church in Brook Green, London. Louise sings in many small ensembles as a consort singer and soloist, including The Ebor Singers with whom she still regularly performs. As well as singing (and occasionally playing) in the medieval and renaissance group Ensemble Tramontana, she also sings with Cappella Nova and the trio Virtuosa. She was a choral scholar at St Martin-in-the-Fields and still regularly sings with the St Martin's Voices there.She sang with the Schola Pietatis Antonio Vivaldi during its European tour with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and its BBC4 and Radio 3 documentary and film of Vivaldi’s Gloria, filmed in the Pietà in Venice, and was most recently featured on Radio 3 in a live concert broadcast in May 2015. Louise also performed the music of Hildegard von Bingen in recordings and a European tour with Sinfonye, directed by Stevie Wishart. She studied with Alison Wells and Timothy Travers-Brown at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she obtained her LTCL Diploma with Distinction, and currently studies with Marie Vassiliou.
Bethia Hourigan - Soprano
Mezzo soprano Bethia Hourigan trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she won the Early Music Prize with ensemble Virtuosa, and graduated with a Masters of Music degree with Merit. Bethia previously studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree. A versatile singer, Bethia performs repertoire from Medieval to Contemporary, with particular focus on opera. Her operatic roles include Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen with Wedmore Opera, Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Wedmore Opera, Octavian in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Monitress in Puccini’s Sour Angelica with Co-opera Company, Idamante in Mozart’s Idomeneo, Annio in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, La Tasse Chinoise in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges and Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Bethia worked with Eugene Asti on his Brahms project in 2013, forming The Peacock Ensemble who frequently perform in London. Bethia has also sung in the opera chorus with Co-Opera Company, Silhouette Opera and Siam Opera.
Toby Carr - Theorbo/Lute
A versatile musician whose repertoire ranges from medieval music to new collaborative commissions, Toby Carr is a guitarist and lutenist from Hertfordshire who lives in South-East London. While at Trinity College of Music and then Guildhall School of Music & Drama Toby studied the guitar with Graham Devine and Robert Brightmore and lutes and baroque guitar with David Miller and William Carter. An active chamber musician, Toby is a member of Vespertine Duo with flautist Anna Ter Haar, an ensemble who were in 2013 welcomed onto the prestigious performance scheme of the charity Live Music Now. A specialist in Renaissance and Baroque repertoire, Toby regularly performs as a continuo player, accompanist and soloist for projects ranging from intimate Elizabethan Lute song to Baroque Opera. Performance engagements have included appearances at Brighton and Greenwich Early Music Festivals, devising music for a theatrical production associated with the National Theatre, broadcasting on BBC Radio 3 and performing alongside Dame Emma Kirkby with her group Dowland Works. Toby will be supported for the 2015-16 academic year by Help Musicians UK and the Leverhulme trust.
Aileen Henry - Harp Aileen studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance with Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly gaining her BMus and MMus in harp performance. While an undergraduate at Trinity Aileen was introduced to the baroque harp by Frances Kelly and, falling for the beauty of the instrument and its music decided to pursue it alongside the modern harp. During her time at Trinity Aileen had the opportunity to play with many early music ensembles such as Trinity Baroque Orchestra, and in her final year performed Handel’s oratorio Belshazzar under Nicholas Kraemer. Aileen was the recipient of the Trinity Laban John Marson harp award for outstanding musician in 2012. She was also a TL Scholar while studying for her Masters at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Since finishing her studies Aileen has worked with many ensembles around the UK. She has also performed at Greenwich International Early Festival, Brighton Early Music Festival, The Suffolk Villages Festival and Ryedale Festival. Recent highlights include featuring on a recording of Handel’s Nine German Arias and playing in Brighton Early Music Festival’s rarely performed opera La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina, by Francesca Caccini.