Born into a very musical family in Tredegar, Gwent, Siân began her musical studies at the age of seven and by the time she left school had gained a distinction in Grade 8 singing and piano.
She studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under Margaret Tann-Williams and Patrick Piggot. Her distinguished musical career has taken her all over Britain and abroad as a solo artiste.
Despite her accomplished musical background, Siân has chosen nursing as her full time career and works as a Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care. Siân is married to baritone chorister David Gould.
In her thirty five year leadership of the Choir, Siân has taken the choir to many venues in the U.K. and overseas including Germany, Holland, Canada, California, Austria, Scotland and Poland. She has led us on two P & O cruise ships to the Mediterranean and later to the Canary Islands, Portugal and Spain. In 2013 she also led us on a tour to Cornwall and in 2017 to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh and Stirling. She also led us on a 5 day tour to Krakow, Poland in June 2019.
As a conductor, soprano soloist, compère and highly talented musician, Siân is invaluable to our choir and has been one of the prime instruments to our success over the past 30 years.
From the age of 11, Welsh speaking Shirley Anne thoroughly enjoyed taking charge of School choirs in both concerts and Eisteddfodau whilst in Ysgol Pantycelyn, Llandovery.
While studying music at the South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education she organised many variety shows before beginning a teaching career in Chatham, Kent. She returned home after three years to take up a teaching post in Talley, Carmarthenshire. Whilst there she was proud to have been conductor of the Llandovery Male Voice Choir for six years.
Shirley Anne later conducted the South Glamorgan Junior Schools Choir from 1990 -1993 and has also assisted Brecon Male Voice Choir on occasions. Since her early twenties she has led many traditional and modern singing festivals. In 2018 she accepted the challenge of conducting the Gymanfa Ganu for the Monmouthshire Festival and returned with the choir taking part in 2019.
Shirley Anne was appointed Assistant Musical Director of the Choir in 2002 and in common with Siân and John, she is an essential and valued member of our unique and talented musical team. With her humorous anecdotes, stories from school and her very own musical style, she is a firm favourite of the choristers. The mother of two children she lives in Cardiff and has recently retired from teaching after 37 years.
Olivia was born in Oxford and began piano lessons at the age of eight. Performing in festivals, competitions, and concerts during her childhood inspired her to pursue music as an interest and future career.
After completing her school studies at Henley Sixth Form College, Olivia was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Professor Stephen Savage where she obtained a First Class Honours degree in Music followed by a Master’s degree in 2020 as well as receiving several awards and accolades.
In the same year, she returned to her family home in Wales where she currently teaches a broad array of piano students, works with St Briavels school choir, accompanies Serenata Ladies Choir and performs for care home residents and people living with dementia as part of outreach projects run by Wye Valley Music in Monmouthshire.
Since leaving University Olivia has performed in several prestigious events and venues at home and abroad and enjoys performing a wide range of musical styles, has an ongoing love of art song, and indulges in jazz when she can.
Olivia joined the choir to a very warm welcome on January 8th 2024.
John joined the choir in 2001 as a second tenor but after a couple of years, he stood in a few times accompanying practices and played some of the pieces in concerts. From there he grew to be one of the Choir’s full-time accompanists.
Originally from Tenterden in Kent, John learned the piano and church organ as a schoolboy and as well as accompanying the choir he is also the organist at the parish church in Magor.
Trained as an engineer, he had a long career with Rolls-Royce, moving from the Midlands to work in Bristol and regularly commuting to Norway! In the Midlands he ran a successful dance band appearing alongside such names as Syd Lawrence, Joe Loss and Roy Castle. Before moving to Caldicot, John also performed with a Folk Trio producing two albums. He can now sometimes be seen playing electronic keyboards as part of a duo to raise money for the choir and other charities.
Now in retirement John is able to spend more time with his family and enjoy his wide range of hobbies.