OUR DEPUTY MUSIC DIRECTOR - MARILYNNE DAVIES

Welsh Eisteddfodau provided Marilynne Davies with her early experiences of performance. Such experiences gave her a lifelong interest in and an enthusiasm for all aspects of performance. Having studied piano, voice and cello at the Welsh College of Music and Drama she devoted her attention to Music Education and has a wealth of experience across the age range from Nursery to Post-Graduate levels. Her appointment as Head of the School of Performance at the College of Ripon and York St. John enabled her to maintain and develop Music and Music Education both nationally and internationally as well as building collaborative partnerships in performance between the other creative and performing arts within the School - Music, Dance, Drama, Theatre, Film and Television.

She was a founder member of a network of European Conservatoires and has lectured and conducted workshops in Sweden, Portugal, France, Lithuania, Norway, Holland and Austria. In addition she has been external examiner at the Universities of Edinburgh, Durham, Wolverhampton, Southampton and University College Chichester. As a past Warden of the Incorporated Society of Musicians she now represents the Society in collaboration with the University of Reading developing courses for Music teachers and performers. As a conductor she has trained and conducted orchestras and choirs on a regular basis, some of whom have performed on BBC and ITV. The largest ensemble was a choir of 1100 school children and the smallest a Chamber Choir of 40 voices with whom she toured abroad on a number of occasions. She is regularly involved in workshops and training days for teachers, conductors and singers. In 2003 she became vocal consultant for a large Dance troupe - and experience she is finding fascinating.

Her performing experience has included singing with professional orchestras and choirs, giving solo recitals and solo parts in opera. She now has a thriving practice as a voice consultant and teacher. As an adjudicator she is well established and has adjudicated nationally and internationally. In 2003 she spent four weeks adjudicating in Sri Lanka at the National Sri Lankan Festival. She is regular adjudicator at the finals of Music for Youth on the South Bank and was one of the four music adjudicators at the Festival of Festivals in Warwick and one of the presenters at the Millennium Festival in Leeds. In 2003 she was one of the two adjudicators at the first Yorkshire and Humberside Championship for Festival winners. The promotion of the arts particularly Music has been a lifelong interest and she was Chairman of the Yorkshire region of the Making Music (previously known as the National Federation of Music Societies ) for a number of years. She is Chairman of the Yorkshire Regional Committee of the Association of British Choral Directors and has been involved in the organisation of the National Convention in York in 2002 as well as giving vocal coaching at that Convention. When not involved in making music or listening to music she enjoys walking- the softie's kind - no climbing or scrambling - and collecting English enamel snuffboxes - for interest not for use.