About us
The Exeter Bach Choir (neé Society) was founded on 21 March 1995, the anniversary of J S Bach’s birth, at a meeting in The Guildhall, Exeter by Alderman Ramon Yeo, an accomplished organist and admirer of J S Bach’s many compositions. Since its formation the choir has delved deep into J S Bach’s repertoire, hosting numerous performances of his cantatas, Lutheran masses and instrumental works.
Our choral performances over the past few years have included J S Bach’s Missa Brevis in F, Christmas Oratorio, St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, and his iconic Mass in B Minor. Major concerts and cantatas feature professional musicians and soloists from Devon and further afield. The choir continues to stay true to its Baroque tradition but frequently takes steps into the wider musical world including Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass (Summer 2019), Britten’s Saint Nicolas (Christmas 2018), Will Todd’s Mass in Blue (Summer 2017) and Durufle’s Requiem (Easter 2017).In addition to choral and orchestral concerts, the Exeter Bach Choir organises an annual public choral workshop, instrumental recitals and talks throughout the season, which runs from September to early June.
Our people
There are currently around 50 active members in the Exeter Bach Choir. We represent a broad spectrum of musical ability and experience, ranging from accomplished sight-readers to those who have had few prior opportunities to perform this type of music. What we all share is a passion for J S Bach’s music, an enthusiasm for performance, and a committee who ensure we have plenty of opportunity to do so.
We are supported ably by our Honorary President and founder, Ramon Yeo. Our Honorary Patron is Jonathan Peter Kenny. Jonathan enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a counter-tenor and is currently one of the Musical Directors of English Touring Opera – one of the UK’s leading opera companies and known for creating vivid new productions of the works of J S Bach which it brings to venues across the UK.
The Exeter Bach Choir is lucky enough to have an expert selection of local professional instrumentalists on whom to call, led ably by Anna Cockroft, and they accompany many of our concerts and generously volunteer their time for free events, such as cantata services. Many of these musicians support us on a regular basis and provide the expertise to expand their ranks when required – as with the ambitious double Baroque orchestra needed to accompany the St Matthew Passion.
If you are interested in joining the Exeter Bach Choir or would like to learn more, please have a look at our Join us or Contact us pages for more information.
Committee and Musical Staff
Musical Director Assistant Musical Director Leader Honorary Patron Chair Treasurer Secretary Membership Secretary Committee Members
Matthew Jeffrey
Our new Musical Director introduces himself….
“A little bit about me. I moved to Exeter in 2016 to be a choral scholar at the cathedral on my gap year before heading off to uni, but then decided to stay in Exeter to study Physics at the university here. Over my four years as a student, I became more and more involved in the music making on campus. I was part of the conducting team for the university’s chamber choir, the University Singers, the musical director of the (now unfortunately disbanded) opera society, and sang semi-regularly with the University of Exeter Chapel Chapel Choir, when it didn’t clash with my cathedral commitments. I also started to get work as a freelancer, first bumping choruses (including your own!) for performances, and then as a soloist.
Then, during my third year of university in 2020, Gordon Pike retired as a lay vicar in the cathedral choir, having first sung in the choir in 1962. I applied, and was offered, his job, giving me a permanent position in the cathedral choir. All of this gave me a good basis on which I could build a portfolio career once I graduated. I now work teaching singing and running choirs at various schools, including Blundell’s and Exeter Cathedral School, and have picked up a few choirs, starting with Budleigh Salterton Male Voice Choir, then Exmouth Choral Society, and most recently, yourselves.
I also continue to work as a freelance ensemble singer, soloist, and recitalist, and have recently founded my own 8 person consort, made up of local professional singers, the Dumnonii Consort. Please feel free to follow us on Instagram or Facebook, I’ve got big plans for the coming year!”
Matthew Wright
Matthew Wright, a Lancastrian by birth, has lived for many years in Devon, playing music, teaching and writing books. He was a scholar and chorister of St John’s College, Oxford, and was awarded piano diplomas by the Associated Board and Trinity College of Music. He is Assistant Organist of St Margaret’s Church, Topsham, and accompanist to the Exeter Singers; he has also been Organist to the Clerkes of St Giles, pianist in the Confederates Jazz Band, a member of the Laudian Singers of London and Capella Festiva of Poughkeepsie, and accompanist to the Chester Choral Week, Exeter University Choral Society, Exeter Chorale, River City Chorus and many others.
His favourite composer is Bach, his favourite food is Toblerone, and his favourite colour is turquoise.
Anna Cockroft
Anna Cockroft played both violin and piano from an early age and went on to study at Birmingham Conservatoire. After graduating she moved to Devon to start her playing and teaching career, and has enjoyed her music immensely ever since.
Anna freelances for many orchestras and is also the rehearsal pianist for the Shaldon singers. She has led the Exeter Bach Society’s Orchestra for many years and was present at the Society’s very first rehearsal. Honorary Patron
Jonathan Peter Kenny
Jonathan Peter Kenny is from Liverpool and studied at the University of Exeter and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is a founder of the Old Street Band.
Jonathan has performed with Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, English Baroque Soloists, Gabrieli Consort, Ulster Orchestra under such conductors as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Richard Hickox, David Parry, Ivan Fischer, Thierry Fischer, Jane Glover, Andrew Parrott, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Ivor Bolton, Paul McCreesh, Harry Bicket. Recordings include Mattheus-Passion (Miller/Goodwin); Agrippina (Gardiner); Buxtehude/Cantatas (Immerseel); La conversione di Clodoveo (Gester); Israel in Babylon (Fontaine).
Jonathan is baroque specialist at the Royal College of Music International Opera School and prepared singers for Handel’s Poro, Atalanta, Alessandro, Il pastor fido and Rodelinda, as well as Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea with Michael Rosewell whom he also assisted on Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen. For Trinity-Laban, Jonathan worked on Giustino and Rinaldo.
After many years leading his own ensembles, Jonathan made his operatic conducting debut in 2005 with a staging of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater on Valentia Island for artist Dorothy Cross and OTC Dublin. The film was shown at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and in Los Angeles. In 2007 he conducted a new production of Handel’s Teseo for ETO, touring the UK, and in 2009 a new production of Flavio which opened to great enthusiasm as part of the HANDELFEST marking the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death. From these performances, a new period instrument orchestra, the Old Street Band, was formed, making a highly acclaimed debut in autumn 2011 in a new production of Xerxes. Other appearances include a staging of Carissimi’s Jephte for the National Churches Trust; Monteverdi: 1610 and all that at the RCM and a highly praised The Duchess of Malfi Webster/Gesualdo at the Royal and Derngate Theatre Northampton.
Chair
Raymond Flack
Treasurer
Nick Dubuisson
Secretary
Shusha Scorer
Membership Secretary
Nick Dubuisson
Committee Members
