Current Choir Members
Lottie Greenhow (Soprano & Director)
Lottie Greenhow was born in Norway and brought up in Buckinghamshire. She studied Music at Cambridge University, where she held choral scholarships at Christ's and Jesus Colleges. She later studied Acting at Thames Valley University and Opera at the Associated Studios in Hammersmith, and currently studies singing with Jennifer Dakin.
Lottie has performed all over Europe and as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India. She performs regularly as an opera and oratorio soloist and is also much in demand as a choral and consort singer. Lottie also teaches singing, piano and violin at Bedford School, Bedford Girls School and Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School.
Lottie lives in Bedford with her husband Harry Bagnall (a tenor) and their yellow Labrador, Mungo. In her spare time she enjoys playing her violin with the Bedford Sinfonia. Lottie is also the choir's webmaster.
Visit Lottie's website
Lottie Greenhow was born in Norway and brought up in Buckinghamshire. She studied Music at Cambridge University, where she held choral scholarships at Christ's and Jesus Colleges. She later studied Acting at Thames Valley University and Opera at the Associated Studios in Hammersmith, and currently studies singing with Jennifer Dakin.
Lottie has performed all over Europe and as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India. She performs regularly as an opera and oratorio soloist and is also much in demand as a choral and consort singer. Lottie also teaches singing, piano and violin at Bedford School, Bedford Girls School and Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School.
Lottie lives in Bedford with her husband Harry Bagnall (a tenor) and their yellow Labrador, Mungo. In her spare time she enjoys playing her violin with the Bedford Sinfonia. Lottie is also the choir's webmaster.
Visit Lottie's website
Madeline Smith (Mezzo-Soprano)
Madeline Smith has been singing since the age of 11, when she joined St Paul's Cathedral Junior Choir in Wellington, New Zealand, where she was born. Her first instruments, however, were piano and violin, which she studied from the age of 4 and in which she gained performance diplomas while still at school. After graduating to the adult choir at St Paul's at the age of 15, she joined various small vocal ensembles around Wellington, and also founded a chamber choir - Victoria Voices - at her university, and sang regularly with these groups around New Zealand until she left for the UK in 2003. Since arriving in London, she has sung, toured and recorded with various groups, including the London Gallus Consort, Pegasus chamber choir and Oxford Voices. Whilst working at Westminster Cathedral in her "day job", Madeline has been singing with the professional quartet at St Magnus the Martyr since 2011.
Madeline Smith has been singing since the age of 11, when she joined St Paul's Cathedral Junior Choir in Wellington, New Zealand, where she was born. Her first instruments, however, were piano and violin, which she studied from the age of 4 and in which she gained performance diplomas while still at school. After graduating to the adult choir at St Paul's at the age of 15, she joined various small vocal ensembles around Wellington, and also founded a chamber choir - Victoria Voices - at her university, and sang regularly with these groups around New Zealand until she left for the UK in 2003. Since arriving in London, she has sung, toured and recorded with various groups, including the London Gallus Consort, Pegasus chamber choir and Oxford Voices. Whilst working at Westminster Cathedral in her "day job", Madeline has been singing with the professional quartet at St Magnus the Martyr since 2011.
Bradley Smith (Tenor)
After studying music as a Choral Scholar at St John's College, Cambridge, Bradley went on to train at the Royal Academy of Music where he was a prize-winning finalist in the Joan Chissel Prize for Schumann Lieder, winner of the Blythe-Buesst Aria Prize, and winner of the Tom Hammond Opera Prize.
Concert performances include Britten's Serenade for Tenor and Horn, Schumann's Liederkreis Op.39, Faure's La bonne chanson at King's Place, soloist in Bach's Christmas Oratorio at St John's Smith Square, soloist in the Bach Passions with the Hanover Band and Ex Cathedra, a reciital of Schubert Lieder at St Martin-in-the-Fields and soloist in a concert of the music of Henry Purcell at the Cadogan Hall.
Operatic highlights include Tamino/Die Zauberflöte (LFO Young Artists' Tour), Peter Quint/The Turn of the Screw (Young Artist Opera Holland Park), and Trojan/Idomeneo (Garsington Opera). With Royal Academy Opera he played Tom Rakewell/The Rake's Progress, the Male Chorus/The Rape of Lucretia, le Prince Charmant/Cendrillon and le petite vieillard/L'enfant et les sortileges. Bradley was also a member of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera Chorus for Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie.
Following success at the International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro Antonio Cesti, Bradley performed the role of Lelio in Cesti's Le nozze in sogno as part of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music with performances at the Salzburg Mozarteum.
Future highlights include the role of Oduardo in Handel's Ariodante in Vienna, Hamburg and Paris, and the role of Albert in Britten's Albert Herring, at the Buxton Festival this summer.
Visit Bradley's website
After studying music as a Choral Scholar at St John's College, Cambridge, Bradley went on to train at the Royal Academy of Music where he was a prize-winning finalist in the Joan Chissel Prize for Schumann Lieder, winner of the Blythe-Buesst Aria Prize, and winner of the Tom Hammond Opera Prize.
Concert performances include Britten's Serenade for Tenor and Horn, Schumann's Liederkreis Op.39, Faure's La bonne chanson at King's Place, soloist in Bach's Christmas Oratorio at St John's Smith Square, soloist in the Bach Passions with the Hanover Band and Ex Cathedra, a reciital of Schubert Lieder at St Martin-in-the-Fields and soloist in a concert of the music of Henry Purcell at the Cadogan Hall.
Operatic highlights include Tamino/Die Zauberflöte (LFO Young Artists' Tour), Peter Quint/The Turn of the Screw (Young Artist Opera Holland Park), and Trojan/Idomeneo (Garsington Opera). With Royal Academy Opera he played Tom Rakewell/The Rake's Progress, the Male Chorus/The Rape of Lucretia, le Prince Charmant/Cendrillon and le petite vieillard/L'enfant et les sortileges. Bradley was also a member of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera Chorus for Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie.
Following success at the International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro Antonio Cesti, Bradley performed the role of Lelio in Cesti's Le nozze in sogno as part of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music with performances at the Salzburg Mozarteum.
Future highlights include the role of Oduardo in Handel's Ariodante in Vienna, Hamburg and Paris, and the role of Albert in Britten's Albert Herring, at the Buxton Festival this summer.
Visit Bradley's website
George Dye (Bass)
George Dye joined the choir of St Magnus the Martyr in 2014. He was a choral scholar at St John's College, Cambridge where he studied singing with David Lowe. He sang principal roles with the Cambridge University Opera Society and Clare College Opera Society as well as performing a minor role in Sam Hogarth's contemporary opera David and Goliath. He also studied at the St Petersburg Conservatory as a student of Mariinsky Artist Sergei Aleksashkin. During this year he sang the National Anthems of England and Russia on the occasion of HRH Prince Andrew's visit to St Petersburg, and also performed Winterreise in St Petersburg, Cambridge and in Somerset. George has sung with the Monteverdi Choir under Sir John Eliot Gardner as well as for many professional choirs around London. George is also Music Director of his own male voice quartet Cantores Glastonii, and sings with professional male voice consort the Gents of London.
George Dye joined the choir of St Magnus the Martyr in 2014. He was a choral scholar at St John's College, Cambridge where he studied singing with David Lowe. He sang principal roles with the Cambridge University Opera Society and Clare College Opera Society as well as performing a minor role in Sam Hogarth's contemporary opera David and Goliath. He also studied at the St Petersburg Conservatory as a student of Mariinsky Artist Sergei Aleksashkin. During this year he sang the National Anthems of England and Russia on the occasion of HRH Prince Andrew's visit to St Petersburg, and also performed Winterreise in St Petersburg, Cambridge and in Somerset. George has sung with the Monteverdi Choir under Sir John Eliot Gardner as well as for many professional choirs around London. George is also Music Director of his own male voice quartet Cantores Glastonii, and sings with professional male voice consort the Gents of London.
John Eady (Organ)
John Eady was born in 1976 and studied music at King's College London, the Royal Academy of Music and cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Stefan Popov. In 2002 he started to learn the organ with Anne Marsden Thomas at the St Giles International Organ School and in 2006 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He is currently a freelance cellist and organist, manages his string quartet named Four Strings Attached. He has also been a visiting instrumental and theory teacher at Eastbourne College, Battle Abbey School and Lancing College. Since 2008 he has been organist at St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge. In 2012 he won a composition competition at St Paul’s Cathedral with his Pentecost anthem Veni Sancte Spiritus and in 2013 won a further composition competition at Lincoln Cathedral with his eight-part Matin Responsory.
John Eady was born in 1976 and studied music at King's College London, the Royal Academy of Music and cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Stefan Popov. In 2002 he started to learn the organ with Anne Marsden Thomas at the St Giles International Organ School and in 2006 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He is currently a freelance cellist and organist, manages his string quartet named Four Strings Attached. He has also been a visiting instrumental and theory teacher at Eastbourne College, Battle Abbey School and Lancing College. Since 2008 he has been organist at St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge. In 2012 he won a composition competition at St Paul’s Cathedral with his Pentecost anthem Veni Sancte Spiritus and in 2013 won a further composition competition at Lincoln Cathedral with his eight-part Matin Responsory.
William Petter - A Tribute
William Petter (Tenor & Director)
William Petter was a freelance choral director, tenor and singing teacher based in London. He began his musical life as a chorister at New College, Oxford, under the direction of Edward Higginbottom. Whilst studying for a degree in Neuroscience at University College, London, he started singing as a tenor, and went on to study as a postgraduate at the Royal Academyof Music, for which he gained the highest award, distinction with DipRAM.
William started singing at St Magnus when the choir was formed in April 2005. He took over as Director of Music is November 2011, and has since directed the choir’s first two CDs, Regina Coeli and Inexplicable Splendour, and introduced a regular series of events where amateur singers augment the St Magnus quartet to perform larger scale works for special occasions, most notably the Rossini Stabat Mater on Good Friday 2014. He directed the amateur chamber choirs Concordia Voices, based in Hampton Hill, and Sine Nomine Singers in Bickley. As a singer, William enjoyed a variety of work as an oratorio and recital soloist, as well as singing for groups including The Sixteen, the Choir of the Enlightenment, Philharmonia Voices, Britten Sinfonia Voices, London Voices, Westminster Abbey Choir, Westminster Cathedral Choir and other London church choirs. He also taught singing at Orchard House School and St. Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park.
William was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma in 2013. As the illness progressed he continued to sing, conduct, teach and to the greatest extent possible, live life to the full. During this period William also began to develop his composition more seriously. Many of his works were written for the choir at St Magnus-the-Martyr and received their first performances there. Survived by his wife Rebecca and daughter Rose, other family members and his many friends, William leaves a considerable professional legacy not just in his recorded works, but through the gifts he made during his lifetime as a coach, director and — not least — a talented performing musician.
More information about William and his work as a singer, composer and director can be found on William's website.
William Petter was a freelance choral director, tenor and singing teacher based in London. He began his musical life as a chorister at New College, Oxford, under the direction of Edward Higginbottom. Whilst studying for a degree in Neuroscience at University College, London, he started singing as a tenor, and went on to study as a postgraduate at the Royal Academyof Music, for which he gained the highest award, distinction with DipRAM.
William started singing at St Magnus when the choir was formed in April 2005. He took over as Director of Music is November 2011, and has since directed the choir’s first two CDs, Regina Coeli and Inexplicable Splendour, and introduced a regular series of events where amateur singers augment the St Magnus quartet to perform larger scale works for special occasions, most notably the Rossini Stabat Mater on Good Friday 2014. He directed the amateur chamber choirs Concordia Voices, based in Hampton Hill, and Sine Nomine Singers in Bickley. As a singer, William enjoyed a variety of work as an oratorio and recital soloist, as well as singing for groups including The Sixteen, the Choir of the Enlightenment, Philharmonia Voices, Britten Sinfonia Voices, London Voices, Westminster Abbey Choir, Westminster Cathedral Choir and other London church choirs. He also taught singing at Orchard House School and St. Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park.
William was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma in 2013. As the illness progressed he continued to sing, conduct, teach and to the greatest extent possible, live life to the full. During this period William also began to develop his composition more seriously. Many of his works were written for the choir at St Magnus-the-Martyr and received their first performances there. Survived by his wife Rebecca and daughter Rose, other family members and his many friends, William leaves a considerable professional legacy not just in his recorded works, but through the gifts he made during his lifetime as a coach, director and — not least — a talented performing musician.
More information about William and his work as a singer, composer and director can be found on William's website.
Other Musicians who feature on our CDs
Rebecca Lea (soprano)
Rebecca completed her MMus with Distinction at the Royal Northern College of Music. Previous to this she studied at The Queen’s College, Oxford, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Rebecca features on the choir's second CD, Inexplicable Splendour, on tracks 1, 2, 8, 11, 18 & 20.
Visit Rebecca's website
Rebecca completed her MMus with Distinction at the Royal Northern College of Music. Previous to this she studied at The Queen’s College, Oxford, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Rebecca features on the choir's second CD, Inexplicable Splendour, on tracks 1, 2, 8, 11, 18 & 20.
Visit Rebecca's website
Marie Degodet (Mezzo-Soprano)
After singing as a child at the Dijon cathedral, Marie specialised in Gregorian chant and the French Baroque repertoire for 12 years, performing in France’s major venues. Concomitantly, Marie trained at the Guildhall School and then at the ENO. In the operatic repertoire, she actually am a young dramatic soprano but currently sings the Zwischenfach mezzo parts and enjoys being an alto in consorts. She looks forward to singing more opera in Europe in the months to come, and hopefully one day in Bayreuth! She grew up in Burgundy, but her love of Great Britain, its culture and people, has kept her happy in London for the past 12 years.
Visit Marie's website
Marie features as the mezzo-soprano on the choir's second CD, Inexplicable Splendour.
After singing as a child at the Dijon cathedral, Marie specialised in Gregorian chant and the French Baroque repertoire for 12 years, performing in France’s major venues. Concomitantly, Marie trained at the Guildhall School and then at the ENO. In the operatic repertoire, she actually am a young dramatic soprano but currently sings the Zwischenfach mezzo parts and enjoys being an alto in consorts. She looks forward to singing more opera in Europe in the months to come, and hopefully one day in Bayreuth! She grew up in Burgundy, but her love of Great Britain, its culture and people, has kept her happy in London for the past 12 years.
Visit Marie's website
Marie features as the mezzo-soprano on the choir's second CD, Inexplicable Splendour.
John Murton (Bass)
John Murton read Music at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he sang in the choir and studied singing with Peter Harvey and Ashley Stafford. In Oxford he sang the roles of the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, and David in A Hand of Bridge. He also gave a number of recitals in venues across Oxford including the Holywell Music Room. Prior to his undergraduate degrees, he held a choral scholarship at St Martin-in-the-Fields, and sang at the National Theatre. John now combines his freelance singing work in a number of different choirs with work as a conductor. He is one of the founding members of the opera and music theatre production company Dioneo whose first production in 2011, Victor Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis, was given at the Arcola Theatre for performances as part of the Grimeborn Festival to critical praise. John was the regular bass at St Magnus from 2012-2014 and is now studying for a Masters in Conducting at the University of Cincinnati.
John features as the bass singer on the choir's first CD, Regina Coeli.
John Murton read Music at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he sang in the choir and studied singing with Peter Harvey and Ashley Stafford. In Oxford he sang the roles of the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, and David in A Hand of Bridge. He also gave a number of recitals in venues across Oxford including the Holywell Music Room. Prior to his undergraduate degrees, he held a choral scholarship at St Martin-in-the-Fields, and sang at the National Theatre. John now combines his freelance singing work in a number of different choirs with work as a conductor. He is one of the founding members of the opera and music theatre production company Dioneo whose first production in 2011, Victor Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis, was given at the Arcola Theatre for performances as part of the Grimeborn Festival to critical praise. John was the regular bass at St Magnus from 2012-2014 and is now studying for a Masters in Conducting at the University of Cincinnati.
John features as the bass singer on the choir's first CD, Regina Coeli.
Paul Ayres (Organ)
Paul Ayres was born in London, studied music at Oxford University, and now
works freelance as a composer & arranger, choral conductor & musical
director, and organist & accompanist.
Paul’s music is widely performed, with pieces commissioned by choirs,
ensembles, schools, churches and individual musicians across the world.
His works have been awarded prizes in composition competitions in Canada,
Croatia, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.
As an organist, Paul particularly enjoys playing music of the seventeenth
century, and contemporary works – he has given premieres of dozens of
pieces by fellow composers. He has also developed a niche in making
sophisticated classical-style transcriptions, arrangements and adaptations
of popular tunes.
Paul is the regular conductor of City Chorus and the choirs at London
College of Music (University of West London), accompanist of Concordia
Voices, and associate accompanist of Crouch End Festival Chorus. He has
led many music education workshops for children, played piano for
improvised comedy shows and musical theatre.
Visit Paul's website
Paul features as organist on the choir's second CD, Inexplicable Splendour.
Paul Ayres was born in London, studied music at Oxford University, and now
works freelance as a composer & arranger, choral conductor & musical
director, and organist & accompanist.
Paul’s music is widely performed, with pieces commissioned by choirs,
ensembles, schools, churches and individual musicians across the world.
His works have been awarded prizes in composition competitions in Canada,
Croatia, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.
As an organist, Paul particularly enjoys playing music of the seventeenth
century, and contemporary works – he has given premieres of dozens of
pieces by fellow composers. He has also developed a niche in making
sophisticated classical-style transcriptions, arrangements and adaptations
of popular tunes.
Paul is the regular conductor of City Chorus and the choirs at London
College of Music (University of West London), accompanist of Concordia
Voices, and associate accompanist of Crouch End Festival Chorus. He has
led many music education workshops for children, played piano for
improvised comedy shows and musical theatre.
Visit Paul's website
Paul features as organist on the choir's second CD, Inexplicable Splendour.