Conducting: Nick is an experienced choral musician having been involved with choirs since the age of 8. Beginning as a singer in choirs such as the Surrey Youth Choir, Nick soon progressed to conducting as he founded the Cadenza Youth Choir while still at school. From inexperienced beginnings singing hymns and Christmas carols, Nick's enthusiasm encouraged the group to improve to the extent that the 12 of them sang evensong at Southwark Cathedral just 18 months after formation. This conducting experienced inspired Nick to apply to study music at Oxford where he was fortunate enough to gain an organ scholarship to Hertford College. This position involved accompanying and conducting the unaudition choir in services twice a week, as well as touring cities such as Leipzig and Barcelona. As well as choral music, Nick also got involved in orchestral music, becoming the conductor of the Hertford College Orchestra where he directed the ensemble in complex works such as Dvorak's Ninth Symphony and Ginastera's Dances from Estancia. He is also the co-director of the Surrey Youth Festival Choir, a scratch choir that meets for two days during university holidays to give concerts of high quality music, including MacMillan's Miserere in July 2012. Always looking to improve, Nick has gained a national conducting scholarship with the charity Sing for Pleasure, which entitled him to a year's worth of training with Manvinder Rattan, and he has also studied recently with Ralph Allwood. Nick is a strong believer in inclusivity and choral music for all and so is looking to expand his musical experiences in community groups in particular, whilst still looking to maintain a high standard. Organ and Piano: Nick has been playing keyboard instruments since a young age, but only began to play them seriously in his last years of school when his love for conducting and choral music necessitated an improvement in his keyboard skills. Having gained his grade 8 piano in 2012, Nick also took up the organ, just months before applying to Oxford for an Organ Scholarship. Through hard work, and a wealth of accompanying practice during his last two years of school, Nick was lucky enough to be awarded the scholarship. Now at Oxford, Nick has been on a steep learning curve, going from a small organ repertoire to having to play voluntaries, canticles, psalms and anthems every week. After 18 months of university he has now experienced playing a wealth of the anglican repertoire, including Bairstow's Blessed City, Heavenly Salem, and has gained a distinction in his grade 6 organ. He also accompanied the Oxford Girl's Choir for a year and has begun accompanying a number of instrumental recitals in the college. Teaching: In addition to his university work, and his conducting and accompanying duties, Nick has also had some experience of music teaching. Whilst still at school he taught 3 children beginners piano, and took them all through their ABRSM grade 1 exams. At Oxford he has given both singing and organ lessons to a number of interested amateurs. Moreover, as a student tutor for Schools Plus, he has had experience of going into challenging local schools to help with music lessons every week.
