Kathryn Sargeant Kathryn Sargent LRAM, ARCM, LTCL.
Kathryn Sargent studied singing with Marjorie Thomas and David Johnston and holds diplomas from the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music. Early in her career she sang the role of Dido in a full stage production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. This was followed by a performance with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz for a broadcast by Essex Radio. Kathryn was offered many opportunities to perform as soloist, especially in oratorio and concert work. Amongst these were Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony, Strauss Four Last Songs, Berlioz Les Nuits D'Eté, Verdi Requiem and Britten War Requiem. With Sir David Willcocks she has been the soprano soloist in workshop performances of Brahms Requiem, Rutter Magnificat and Mozart Solemn Vespers. Handel's Messiah is a regular event, particularly at Christmas, and Kathryn has sung in performances in the cathedrals at Wells, Lichfield, Derby, Birmingham and Arundel. Kathryn has had the opportunity to work with several contemporary composers. The solo part in Stuart Johnson's Requiem was written for her, and she sang in the first performance in Lichfield Cathedral and as well as the London premiere. She was also soloist in a performance of Paul Patterson's Millennium Mass at St John's Smith Square in the presence of the composer.

With the English Concert Singers, conducted by Roy Wales, Kathryn sang in the first performance of The Angry Garden by Michael Stimpson.As a member of the Singers Kathryn has sung throughout Europe, in Russia, Hungary, Poland, Australia, South Africa, Israel and China. She was soloist in Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem in Budapest with the Hungarian Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra and in Carmina Burana in the International Choral Festival in Szczecin, Poland. Directed by John Hancorn, Kathryn sang the recently discovered Handel Gloria with the Sussex Baroque Players at Alfriston.She appears as soloist in a CD recording of Vivaldi's Gloria and on the English Concert Singers CD A Choral Kaleidoscope. Kathryn's repertoire extends beyond the classical oratorio, opera and art song above into the contemporary and popular. Accompanied by her husband, Ray, she likes singing songs by Gershwin, Kern, Harry Warren and Claude-Michel Schönberg. As well as performing, Kathryn enjoys all aspects of choir work. She directed the East Sussex Children's Choir on their trip to Forges-les-Eaux in France and also in their performance at the National Youth Music Festival at the Royal Festival Hall. As co-director of Pro Musica she takes a special interest in working on vocal technique with the choir.

Ray Maulkin

Ray Maulkin B.Mus Hons(Durham), FRCO, GRSM, LRAM.
Ray Maulkin was born in Southend on Sea, Essex, and studied at the Purcell School and the Royal Academy of Music. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and holds a BMus (Hons) degree from Durham University. Whilst still at college he was accompanist to the Southend Boys' Choir and appeared regularly with them in a busy concert schedule which took him into many concert venues both in this country and abroad. He played the piano part of Britten's Golden Vanity at the Purcell Room and played the organ part for Britten's Missa Brevis in the Queen Elizabeth Hall as well as in many broadcasts and recordings. Ray's interest in church music began when he sang as a chorister in his local church choir where he quickly developed an interest in both the church music repertoire and in organ music. He spent many hours practising in freezing cold churches! After completing the graduate course at the Royal Academy of Music he continued to study the organ. Ray has had the opportunity to play many fine instruments including those of Westminster Abbey, Gloucester and Canterbury Cathedrals, and made a recording of French music by Widor and Vierne. Ray and Kathryn formed the ad-hoc choral group Gaudeamus which sang services at many cathedrals including Lichfield, Coventry, Ely, Peterborough.

As well as a career in teaching and as a lecturer in music Ray has always maintained his interest in playing and conducting.As conductor of the Southend Symphony Orchestra and Southend Choral Society he had the opportunity to develop his interest in the wider choral and orchestral repertoire. Over several years he conducted many choral and orchestral concerts including Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony, Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto, Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, Verdi's Requiem, Fauré's Requiem, Constant Lambert's Rio Grande. Ray was also conductor of Rayleigh Sweyne Choral Society. Throughout his musical career Ray has worked frequently as accompanist and continuo player, and has especially enjoyed working with choirs. Under the direction of Roy Wales, Ray has accompanied the English Concert Singers on many of their international tours and in concerts in St John's Smith Square and many other venues. Prior to becoming co-director of Pro Musica he was the choir's regular accompanist and accompanied it in concerts and on tours. Together with Kathryn and friend and colleague, John Hancorn, they formed ChorusWorks in 2002 with the intention of presenting a series of choral-based workshops exploring not only standard repertoire but also expanding into techniques of choral singing and different musical styles. The first workshop, on the weekend of the Golden Jubilee, worked on music sung at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. He is currently Organist and Director of Music at the beautiful village church of St Andrew's, Alfriston, which is often described as the cathedral of the South Downs.