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Artists' Biographies

Duncan Saunderson Duncan Saunderson combines a busy and varied career as a teacher and as a singer. As a countertenor at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama he regularly deputised with The Choirs of St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. After graduating he joined The Choir of St. Bride's Fleet Street before becoming a layclerk in The Choir of New College, Oxford in 1990. After ten years he retrained as a bass and within two years found himself singing Purcell verse anthems with James Bowman at The Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, singing solo on Ulster Radio and with The City of Armagh Choir and becoming a regular member of Musica Humana, a recent group from Oxford described as a 'Supergroup' by the Los Angeles Times on a tour to California. In 2004 Duncan rejoined New College Choir as a layclerk. He has conducted Summertown Choral Society, a 100 strong choir in North Oxford, since 1996.
Stephen Burrows Stephen Burrows was born in Armagh, Northern Ireland and started singing as a chorister in the Cathedral Choir, where he also became Organ Scholar. He read music at Bristol University where he was University Organ Scholar and Cathedral Choral Scholar. After singing in The Choir of Tewkesbury Abbey, Stephen became a lay-clerk at Wells Cathedral under the direction of Malcolm Archer. He sang as a lay-clerk in the Choir of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle until July 2007 and continues to work in the music department of St. George's School in Windsor. Stephen has sung with various ensembles including Tenebrae and The Gabrieli Consort and continues to study singing with Nicholas Clapton.
Matthew Vine

Matthew Vine is a singer, teacher and examiner with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and has been a member of the choirs of St Paul's and Westminster Cathedrals, and Christ Church, Oxford. He has worked with artists from Val Doonican, Roy Castle and Russell Harty to Oz Clarke and Al Pacino. Matthew has performed regularly, often as a soloist, with The Sixteen, The King's Consort and the Clerks' Group, and tours and records with these groups and other ensembles such as the Huelgas Ensemble of Belgium, and the Viana Consort of Barcelona. He has recently been a soloist at The BBC Proms on two occasions.
Ben Alden ~ Tenor

Ben Alden ~ Tenor

Ben studied as an ABRSM scholar at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, completing a MMus degree in concert singing, studying under Peter Alexander Wilson.

Ben currently combines his freelance singing with a Lay Clerkship at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. As a committed ensemble singer, he works regularly with the Monteverdi Choir under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the BBC Singers, Tenebrae, Polyphony, The Sixteen and Dunedin Consort. He appears frequently on CD and in television and radio broadcasts, including the BBC Proms. Engagements have taken him abroad throughout Europe, the Isle of Man and the U.S.A. and he has appeared on stage in the Salle Pleyel, Paris and The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Ben continues to promote himself as a soloist under the guidance of tenor Ryland Davies.

His performances include, Handel Messiah, Monteverdi 1610 Vespers, Mozart C minor Mass and Requiem, Bach St Matthew Passion, St John Passion, Mass in B minor, Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio, Elgar The Kingdom, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Britten’s St Nicolas, Stainer’s Crucifixion, Haydn Nelson Mass and Harmoniemesse, Swayne Stabat Mater.