People
Musical Director, Richard Vendome is both the foundation and inspiration for the choir. He has a long history of surrounding himself with exceptional teachers who bring a unique mix of talent and enthusiasm to the choir. This combination of experience and excellence, youthfulness, dynamism and just enough realism is the key to the choir's success.
Richard Vendome
Musical Director & Senior Girls
Biography
Richard Vendome's earliest choir-training experience was at St Francis’ Church, Cowley, where he was organist from the age of 14. He went on to study organ, piano and composition at the Royal College of Music, and took singing lessons as a countertenor. He sang in several London choirs and at weekends directed the music at St Giles’ Church, Oxford. Having won a scholarship to The Queen’s College, Oxford, he continued his organ studies with James Dalton and later with Lady Susi Jeans. After graduating Richard was appointed Organist at Exeter College and stayed on to research 16th-17th century…
Hannah Rhodes
Prep 1 and Prep 2
Biography
Hannah Rhodes is a freelance musician and works as a teacher, performer and composer. Hannah has a toddler, Margot, who also takes up a lot of her time! Hannah directs the prep choirs at Oxford Youth Choirs and has enjoyed leading music workshops in a variety of Early Years settings for Oxford Contemporary Music and Wild Boor Ideas. She taught classroom music, piano lessons and directed choirs at St Gregory the Great Primary School and St John Fisher Primary School for a number of years. Much of Hannah's experience of facilitating music with Early Years comes from composing the music for…
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…
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…
Margaret Lingas
Juniors, Combined Choirs, Vocal Coach
Biography
Margaret Lingas was born in Cyprus, raised (mostly) in Oxfordshire, and completed her BMus and Linguistics minor at the University of Victoria, Canada, where she studied with Benjamin Butterfield. Margaret’s formal music training began when she joined Oxford Girls’ Choir at the age of 11, and she is thrilled to be back teaching with an organisation that played such an important part in her musical development. As a female soprano based in a city where many of the most stable singing and educational posts are traditionally reserved for men and boys, she feels especially strongly about empowering other women and…
Amy Chang
Senior Girls, Combined Choirs
Biography
Amy couldn't keep away after accompanying the Senior Girls’ Choir for two years, and has since enjoyed covering for the Prep and Boys’ choirs on occasion. She grew up in Sheffield and has a decade of experience working with choral groups, including local ones such as Sheffield Youth Choirs and Stannington Choir, as well as university choirs in both Oxford and Sheffield. Amy recently graduated from Oxford University with a First-Class BA in music. She now works as assistant editor in the music department at Oxford University Press and is a keen champion of music by female…
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. During 2022-23…
Trustees
Lydia Vella (Chair)
Geoff Sutton (Treasurer)
Maria Chataway (Designated Named Safeguarding Trustee)
Catherine Wearden
Alex Silverman
Jerome Finnis
Matthew Brown
Patrons
Lord & Lady Berkeley, Sophie Bevan MBE, Dr Ruth Davis, Sir Andrew & Lady Dilnot, Tim Gardam, Professor Edward Higginbottom, Dr Rebecca Surender, Roderick Williams OBE