Neil Ferris graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London in 1998 where he specialised in performance and in 2003 gained a Master’s degree in Performance Studies at the Royal College of Music, where he specialised in choral conducting.

As a violinist Neil studied with Pearl Mace, Judith Young and ultimately Julian Cummings and was awarded an ARCM in violin performing in 1997.  He has been conductor of Royal Holloway Chamber Orchestra since 1999, and has made guest appearances with Midland Sinfonia and the City of Southampton Orchestra. 

Neil is much in demand as a choral conductor and workshop leader; he has worked as conducting tutor at Birmingham Conservatoire, the University of

Southampton and Roehampton University.   He also tutors on the Association of British Choral Directors national course.  Neil has been a choir trainer and chamber music coach at the Royal College of Music Junior Department since September 2005. Neil is Music Director of the Epworth Choir (Surrey) and Concordia Voices, a chamber choir based in London that has performed to critical acclaim in venues including St John’s, Smith Square and Christ Church, Spitalfields.  Neil also works regularly as a guest conductor with other choirs; he has worked with the Whitehall Choir (London), and is assistant conductor of the award-winning Joyful Company of Singers.  In the autumn season of 2007 he was guest conductor of Birmingham Bach Choir as cover for the sabbatical of their Music Director, Paul Spicer.  Neil has been guest conductor of the chorus of Filarmonica Arad, Romania, since 2005 and in April 2006 he was appointed Music Director of Cardiff Polyphonic Choir.

Neil is fortunate to have benefited from the expertise of Paul Spicer at the RCM and has studied at the Canford Summer School of Music conducting course under George Hurst.  As a result of the BBC Singers Conductor Fellowship auditions for 2004 he was awarded a masterclass with the BBC Singers and its chief conductor, Stephen Cleobury.

David Geoffrey Thomas: Accompanist

David studied music at University College, Cardiff, winning  prizes for both organ playing and conducting. He is Assistant Director of Music and Personal Tutor at Howell’s Sixth Form College, Llandaff and Director of the Cathedral Parish Choir. He is Director of ‘Cantores Landavenses’ which he has conducted at Worcester, Exeter, Salisbury, Ely, Wells, Truro and St.Paul’s Cathedral and at Westminster Abbey.  David has presented music programmes both for BBC and independent radio. He is the President of the South East Wales Organists' Association, and is in much demand as an accompanist and organist for choirs across the whole of South Wales and as an organ recitalist.