About Us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marie Elliott – Mezzo Soprano

 

Marie was born in Devon.  She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she was awarded a DipRAM.

 

Opera roles include Bradamante (Alcina) for English Touring Opera, Olga (Eugene Onegin) for English Touring Opera, Angelina, Genevieve (Pelléas et Mélisande) for Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells, Disinganno (Il Trionfo) for The Classical Opera Company, Oronte (La Fida Ninfa) and Licida (L'Olimpiade) for La Serenissima in Venice, St John’s Smith Square, Israel & Bath Festival.  Covers include, Irene (Handel’s Theodora) for Glyndebourne Touring Opera and Eduige (Handel’s Rodelinda) and the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare for Glyndebourne Festival Opera.  Whilst at Glyndebourne, Marie was awarded the annual Erich Vetheer Prize for most promising young singer.

 

Marie's many oratorio performances include the major works of Verdi, Rossini, Elgar and most especially Handel and Bach.  She has worked with many of the UK's leading conductors,

including Nicholas McGegan, Sir David Willcocks, David Hall, Edward Gardner, Vladimir Jurowski and Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.  Most recently she sang the alto solo in two performances of Handel’s Messiah in India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julia O’Connor – Soprano

 

Julia was born and educated in East Sussex. She studied at The University of York where she gained a Bachelor of

Music and later trained with English National Opera and Mary King.

 

Operatic roles have included; title role of Jenufa, Beatrice in Beatrice and Benedict, Ellen Orford in Bath Opera's award winning production of Peter Grimes, Belinda in Dido & Aeneas (University of York), Lady in The Fairy Queen (University

of York), Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute (Opera Nova), Mabel in Pirates of Penzance (John Ruskin Choral Society), Flora in La Traviata (Park Opera), Cousin in Madam Butterfly (Park Opera). 

 

Oratorio includes; Poulenc Gloria, Bach St Matthew Passion and St John Passion (University of York), a world premiere of a chamber oratorio about the life of William Blake written for his 250th Anniversary in St James’ Church Piccadilly, Tippett A Child of Our Time, Handel Israel in Egypt (Canticum Chamber Choir), Britten Rejoice in the Lamb and A

Ceremony of Carols (East Surrey Choral Society), Brahms German Requiem, Jenkins Requiem, Saint-Saens Oratorio de Noel, Haydn Nelson Mass, Mozart Requiem, Mozart Coronation Mass and Schubert Magnificat (John Ruskin

Choral Society), Vivaldi Gloria, Dvorak Stabat Mater and Rutter Magnificat (Bromley Œcumenical Singers).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacquelyn Bevan - Harpsichord/Chamber Organ

 

Jacquelyn Bevan learned to play 'by ear', having listened to her father playing the piano every evening, mostly Bach.  A pupil of Caroline Diffley, and later Dennis Dance at the Guildhall, she gained a First in Music at Bristol University, where she studied piano and harpsichord with Kenneth Mobbs, followed by a PGCE and a full-time career teaching music in sixth form colleges, secondary, Further and Higher Education. 


In 1996 Jacquelyn became a full-time pianist, organist and harpsichord and now has a varied musical life as a chamber pianist, accompanist, composer and arranger.  She is a staff accompanist for South West Music School, the Mid-Somerset Festival, and is in much demand as a freelance accompanist.


Jacquelyn is a founder member and Director of Musicians South West and runs a number of concert series, including free concerts at Midsomer Norton Town Hall and Holy Trinity, Bradford-on-Avon.  With her piano trio, Trio Paradis, she was awarded an Arts Council grant to tour Women of World War One in 2014-18 across the South West.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew Spring - Theorbo

 

Matthew was born in Tanzania, and went to Saltash Comprehensive School in Cornwall. After gaining a first

in music and history at Keele University, followed by an MMus with distinction at Goldsmiths College London

University in ethnomusicology, he then completed a DPhil at Magdalen College, Oxford.  He also enjoyed a gap year at Sarah Lawrence College USA, and studied lute and early music performance at the Royal College of Music. 

Matthew is now a Reader in Music at Bath Spa University. 

 

Formerly he taught at London Guildhall University, where he held a three-year Leverhulme Research Fellowship (1989-92),

followed by a period as music lecturer at Birmingham University.   His ‘History of the Lute in Britain’ was published by OUP in 2001 and won the international Bessaraboff prize from The American Musical Instrument Society (AMIS), and his edition of the Balcarres Manuscript was published in 2010.  He performs with a number of Early Music ensembles and has appeared on over 50 recordings. 

 

Matthew has wide interests in Early Music with a specialism in music for the lute and related instruments.  Since working in

Bath he has developed an interest in the music of Georgian Bath.  Matthew directs a number of professional and student ensembles and has performing experience in world and folk music.