People
Benedict Goodall
Musical Director, Combined Choirs, Senior Girls
Biography
Born in Oxford, Benedict grew up singing in his father’s church choir and playing french horn through the Oxfordshire County Music Service, and studying singing with his OYC predecessor Richard Vendome. He went on to read music at the University of Birmingham and sought every opportunity to work with as many musicians as possible as a conductor, singer or instrumentalist. Studying conducting under Simon Halsey, Julian Wilkins, and Daniele Rosina, Benedict enjoyed directing many of the University's choirs and instrumental ensembles throughout his years there.
As a professional conductor, Benedict is honoured to be the new Musical Director of the Oxford Youth Choirs. Alongside OYC he currently directs four adult ensembles (newCHOIR Oxford, Chipping Norton Choral Society, Oxford University Press
Choir, and Cumnor Choral Society) as well as another youth choir he set up in Chipping Norton (the Cotswold Youth Choir). In 2021 he was selected as one of four members of the National Youth Choirs’ Fellowship Scheme, studying under Ben Parry and working with musicians such as Voces8, Bob Chilcott, and Suzzie Vango, and continues to work for the organisation. Alongside his choral conducting, Benedict regularly works with instrumental ensembles, having conducted the Adderbury Ensemble, Oxford Sinfonia, Trinity Camerata, and was the Musical Director for the Telford Orchestra.
As a countertenor, Benedict has been a Stipendiary Clerk at Magdalen College Oxford, a Lay Clerk at St Chad’s and St Philip’s Cathedrals in Birmingham, a regular singer for the Birmingham Oratory, and a Lay Clerk at Coventry Cathedral. He is also a member of The Acafellas, a barbershop quartet which he formed with friends at university, who have toured the UK and Germany. Benedict is also highly in demand as an educator, providing musical direction, singing, brass, theory, and piano lessons to both adults and children.
He is incredibly excited to be working with OYC and is looking forward to directing the organisation in this new chapter.
Lucia Boué
Prep 1 & 2
Biography
Lucia started singing at Oxford Youth Choirs in 2008 and stayed all the way through school, finishing as Head Girl of the choir in 2018. After A-levels, she decided to follow her passion for early years teaching and is currently a full-time early years apprentice. She thrives on encouraging musicality in young children, and following three years as a student helper in the Prep 1 choir, she was delighted to return as a teacher. She holds a DipABRSM in singing and is keen to develop her musical practice. She is also an experienced ballet and modern dancer, and enjoys choreographing and teaching the dances for the OGC Spring operas.
Monica Nelson
Musical Mayhem
Biography
Monica is a musician, singer and songwriter specialising in early years music. As an alumna and former Head Girl of Oxford Girls’ Choir, Monica was trained by OYC director Richard Vendome and remains a lifelong friend of the choir. She left the choir in 1995 to read English at Glasgow University but continued to sing, performing with several choirs and bands. She spent over a decade working in journalism and PR before having children, which prompted a career change. She now has three children and runs an award-winning toddler music company, Musical Mayhem, which provides live music classes and parties for hundreds of 0-4 year olds across Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Monica plays a number of musical instruments including piano, guitar, ukulele, melodeon and trumpet and writes children’s songs for Musical Mayhem. She also runs workshops and events for nurseries, pre-schools, primary schools and children’s charities. She has a passion for inspiring an early love of music and singing and a friendly, enthusiastic approach.
Margaret Lingas
Juniors, Combined Choirs, Vocal Coach
Biography
Margaret Lingas was born in Cyprus, raised between the UK, Greece, and the USA, and earned her BMus in vocal performance with linguistics at the University of Victoria, Canada, where she studied with Benjamin Butterfield. While in North America, she sang with the Pacific Opera Victoria chorus, and was a soloist with groups including the Victoria Baroque Players, the Sooke Philharmonic, and Fretwork.
Margaret originally sang Oxford Youth Choirs as a student (2006-2014), and then returned to teach and direct with them in 2018. She also directs chamber ensemble Rad Camerata and has led workshops/participated in community music outreach projects with organisations including City University London, Pacific Opera Victoria, Genesis Sixteen, and Ex Cathedra. She attended the 2019 Royal Philharmonic Society’s Women Conductors programme, and is particularly interested in modern premieres/revivals of works by female composers, participating in projects recording and presenting music by Kassiani, Strozzi, Lang, the Boulangers, and many other - from the court of Ferrara to English convents displaced in France during the Reformation.
Margaret continues to perform regularly as a solo and small ensemble singer, touring and recording with groups including Ex Cathedra, The Sixteen, the Tallis Scholars, Cappella Romana, the Carice Singers, and Echo. Having grown up around a variety of musical traditions (Byzantine chant, jazz, baroque opera, and Greek folk music are all family favourites) she particularly enjoys improvisation, singing in new languages, and exploring vocal styles less often heard in UK choral circles.
Keep up with Margaret’s latest projects here: https://www.facebook.com/mlingas/
Colin Danskin
Boys, Combined Choirs, Administrator, Designated Safeguarding Lead
Biography
Colin Danskin is a freelance teacher, conductor and tenor, working in Oxford and London. He enjoyed work as classroom music teacher for several years before completing a masters in Solo Voice Ensemble Singing at the University of York, and has completed the Advanced conductor training course with Sing for Pleasure.
Colin has several years experience directing residential weekends for both youth and adult choirs, ranging from Early Music to Close Harmony. He was Musical Director of renowned jazz a capella group, The Oxford Gargoyles, including a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2022, and now directs Oxford Harmony and Vocus for Chiltern Music Academy. Colin also works for the charity Sing Inside, running singing workshops in prisons, and training Oxford Undergraduate students as part of the Music in the Community course.
During 2022-23 Colin was a lay clerk at Magdalen College, Oxford and a scholar with the Oxford Bach Soloists. He was VOCES8 Scholar 2023-24 and continues to perform and work on education projects for the VOCES8 Foundation.
Helen Birch
Prep 1 & 2 Accompanist
Biography
Originally from Bristol, Helen graduated from the University of York with a first-class degree in Music in 2020. After a year working as an accompanist at Ardingly College in Sussex, she came to Oxford in 2021 to take up a post as a music editor at Oxford University Press and an organ scholarship at the Oxford Oratory.
Helen is now studying for a Masters in Musicology at the University of Oxford and holds a graduate organ scholarship at University College. Alongside this, she undertakes regular work as a pianist, organist, and violist, and is the accompanist for Didcot Choral Society.
Helen loves working with children, especially in a musical setting, and has taught music to children aged 4–17 in the UK, Ireland, and the USA.
Trustees
Lydia Vella (Chair); Geoff Sutton (Treasurer); Maria Chataway (Designated Named Safeguarding Trustee); Catherine Wearden; Alex Silverman; Jerome Finnis; Matthew Brown; Robert Legg; Arabella Saer
