James Gaughan, Baritone

James began singing at the age of 5, giving his first public performance as a soloist at the Guild Hall in his home town of Grantham. There he also received his initial tuition from Doreen Palmer. After moving to York in 2006, James began studying at the De Costa Academy of Singing. He has performed with other Academy pupils in concerts in a wide range of genres from Musicals to Opera. He has also sung in many local ensembles including the Clerkes of All Saints North Street. He is currently a member of St Olave’s Church Choir, York and is a regular deputy for the choirs of Bradford Cathedral and Sheffield Cathedral.

In recent years, James has specialised in the song and concert repertoire. In 2016 James won rosebowls at the Huddersfield (Mrs Sunderland) and Rothwell festivals, along with the Victor Ludorum Shield for Senior Singing at the Cottingham festival. James also won Oratorio and song prizes at Cottingham, Grantham and Skipton.

James performs regularly as a soloist with choirs and choral societies. Past performances include Elijah (Mendelssohn); Stabat Mater (Astorga); Cantata 140 (Bach); Ein Deutsches Requiem (Brahms); Requiem (Faure); Israel in Egypt(Handel); Messiah (Handel); Paukenmesse Haydn); Crucifixion(Stainer); St John Passion (Victoria). He has performed with Burton Joyce Choral Society; Holmfirth Choral Society; Horsforth Choral Society; Hull Choral Union; Market Rasen & District Choral Society; Nottingham Hospitals Choir; Ruddington & District Choral Society; Scarborough Choral Society, Sheffield Cathedral Choir, Solihull Chandos Choir; Wakefield Festival Chorus; St Hilda’s Festival Chorus (Whitby) and Southbank Singers (York) among others.

James also gives recitals throughout the year. Past performances include Southwell Minster,Bradford, Bristol, Derby, Edinburgh, Episcopal, Lincoln, Manchester, Portsmouth, Ripon, Sheffield and Wakefield cathedrals; Emanuel United Reform Church, Cambridge; Holy Trinity, Coventry; St Wulfram’s, Grantham; Christ Church, Harrogate; Hexham Abbey; Great Malvern Priory; St Peter’s Nottingham; York Unitarian Chapel and others.

David Hammond, Piano

David Hammond grew up in Thame, Oxfordshire, where he was taught piano by Judy Thompson.

He has been working in York as a musician since graduating from the University of York in 2002, where he studied piano with Liz Haddon. His career has taken him to all sorts of varied places, such as Castle Howard, York Minster, the Royal Festival Hall and Bridgewater Hall.

Much of his work involves accompanying soloists and groups on the piano, including concert work, exams and university assessments. Groups include the South Bank Singers, the Sounds Fun choir, York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir and Fiddlers Wreck ceilidh band. He is a regular musician at the Unitarian Chapel in York, and recently performed the Beethoven Triple concerto with Catherine.

Aside from this he has run workshops in Javanese Gamelan in conjunction with the University of York, plays with two ceilidh bands and sings with the Clerkes of All Saints, a Yorkshire-based liturgical choir.