From Popular Classics to Show Tunes, we pride ourselves on performing a varied programme that will set the mood perfectly, whatever your event or function.
Complex harmonies beautifully expressed. Uplifting Anthems to lilting melodies from Opera, Big Band Sounds to sparkling Jazz.
A musical harmony group of talented singers, based in Harrogate and North Leeds and operating throughout Yorkshire.
From up to twelve singers, conductor and piano accompaniment, to a more intimate selection Cadenza will enhance any public or private function.
We will tailor an exciting programme to suit your event, or the season. Tell us about your event for a considered selection of songs.
Cadenza have built an extensive répertoire, giving us the opportunity to present for you a unique performance. One not to be forgotten.
Margaret was born in Leeds into a family of four girls. She started to discover her musical ability in her late twenties, thanks to her local choirmaster. She subsequently studied with Madam Edythe Reeve, with Maryrose Moorhouse, with Barbara Rowbotham and with American vocal coach Stuart Smith.
After obtaining her LRAM qualification she was offered contracts with English National Opera, Covent Garden and Opera North, but family commitments kept her in Yorkshire where she has developed a reputation as a vocal coach and singing teacher. As a solo performer, Margaret has given concerts all over the country and appeared in major roles with various touring companies, two of her favourites being, ‘The Countess’ in Mozart’s opera ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ and the title role in Bizet’s ‘Carmen.’
In recent years, in addition to her concert work and teaching commitments, Margaret has embarked on a conducting career studying with the Association of British Choral Directors. She recently obtained her intermediate certificate in choral direction which she puts into practice as Musical Director of ‘Cadenza.’
Brian's theatrical and musical CV is long and wide-ranging. Having learned piano, guitar and violin, sung as head choirboy in his local church choir, conducted his school orchestra and played with the County School's Orchestra, he became a founder member of LIDOS. He played leading roles in over a hundred plays, shows and pantomimes, in and around Yorkshire.
Brian conducted Cadenza from its inception until his untimely death, and had wide experience as a stage manager, stage director and music director. An ALCM (diploma), he held the NODA long service medal with fifty year gold bar and also special merit medal.
Paul undertook his professional training at Birmingham School of Music (now Birmingham Conservatoire) and Leeds University. He works on a free-lance basis having spent 38 years enjoying the classroom, at St. Aidan’s, Harrogate and, for over 31 years, as Director of Music at Easingwold School from where his senior choir toured several countries including Latvia, Norway, the USA and the Czech Republic.
Paul served as Warden of the Music in Education Section of the Incorporated Society of Musicians and was also editor of Mastersinger, the journal of the Association of British Choral Directors. His conducting experience has included Harrogate Vocalis, Knaresborough Choral Society, Knaresborough Pro Musica, St Paulinus Singers and York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir. Adjudicating experience includes over twenty festivals in the north and midlands encompassing such venues as Colne, Lichfield, Middlesbrough and Scunthorpe. Involvement with examination work for over twenty years included serving as a senior member of the A level team at a major board for 14 years.
In addition to the posts mentioned above, he also acted as Chorusmaster of Harrogate Operatic Players for over ten years. He continues to teach privately, the subjects including Piano, Jazz Piano, Theory, Harmony, Composition and Conducting. He spends his spare time enjoying cricket, about which he has written over 250 articles as well as six books including A Century of Headingley Tests and Yorkshire's 30 Championships. He currently writes a weekly column for Yorkshire CCC’s website. ’
Andrea started her musical career by learning the cello, clarinet, flute and saxophone. She also had a great fondness for singing. During her gap year, before going to study at Hull for a career in nursing, she auditioned for the Knaresborough Musical Society's production of 'Annie' and later took a number of leading roles for the society. She continued to work with KMS as a performer and choreographer until the society closed in 2007. Subsequently she joined other members in forming Cadenza.
Andrea studies singing with Margaret Padwell and acting with Margaret Jowett; she holds the LAMDA Bronze Award. Her repertoire includes opera and classical song, but her first love is musical theatre.
Mike started his musical career with piano lessons at the age of seven. In 1959, music master Stanley Thewlis at Lancaster Royal Grammar School fostered his interest and he had his first taste of Gilbert & Sullivan. His love for G&S continues to this day. He graduated in economics and business management at Leeds University in 1963 and was a keen member of Leeds University Light Opera.
With his wife Brenda he spent eight years in Glossop where he sang with Glossop G&S Society and with the Lindow Singers at Alderley Edge. The couple moved to Yorkshire in 1976, since when Mike has performed with Knaresborough Musical Society, Ripon Amateurs and Harrogate G&S Society, for whom has been Business Manager since 2004. He also sings with the Concert Group Side by Side. Mike studied singing with the late Wendy Green and is now a student of Margaret Padwell.
Mike's interests include charitable activities, coupled with some coach driving and volunteer work for the Wensleydale Heritage Railway.
Ian's only formal music training consisted of a year's trombone tuition. Inspired by the Shadows and the Beatles, he learned to play the guitar in the mid 60s, forming a group and playing gigs around his home in Sydenham, south-east London. His main musical influence is the Beach Boys, together with other American west coast harmony groups and British R & B. He attended the University of Leeds, where he played with an R&B group and enjoyed concerts by star bands such as The Who and Led Zeppelin. He became increasingly fascinated by vocal harmony and by the structure of the songs he admired. After graduating he worked with another band, writing and recording, and helped other musicians with recording and technical processes. He spent five years as half of the guitar/harmony duo The Double Dealers; he also worked with a Sixties tribute band.
In 1998 he moved to Knaresborough and joined Knaresborough Musical Society; when it disbanded he joined Cadenza. Ian also performs regularly with Firefly, a swing vocal group formed in 2004.
John, originally from the Midlands, studied German and French at Swansea and librarianship at Aberystwyth. He worked for the University of London and then for the British Library. As a child he was influenced by a wide range of music and drama - his father's favourite songs, the swing band repertoire of Jimmy Dorsey and others, radio plays and theatre performances. In Germany he discovered he was a tenor and whilst over there he sang with a church choir.
John, together with his wife Helen, became involved in amateur drama in Kingsbury, London and following the birth of their son joined a harmony singing group. Since moving north, John has appeared in numerous productions with Knaresborough Musical Society, has directed a number of plays and also sings with the Harrogate Gilbert & Sullivan Society.
Fascinated from an early age by folksong, Lesley frequently sang at musical gatherings whilst travelling with HM Forces - notably in Hong Kong and in Germany, where she also joined a drama group, performing old-time music hall material and straight drama (including a production of Ayckbourn's 'How the Other Half Loves', which won the BAOR Drama Festival).
Later she took part in a number of productions with Leeds Arts Theatre, including 'Free as Air'. She has performed with Harrogate Dramatic Society in two productions of 'Stepping Out' and a number of plays. She also appeared with Knaresborough Musical Society until the group disbanded. She has performed in pantomime and drama productions with the Knaresborough Players (including - yes - another 'Stepping Out') and enjoys singing both folk and classical music. She won an award for her Nidderdale Drama Festival performance in Bernie Crosthwaite's play 'Head to Head'. Lesley currently studies singing with Margaret Padwell.
Born in Burnley Tracey's musical life has included choral work, folk, rock and original songwriting with a wide variety of collaborators. Starting to develop bands of varying style with friends, performing new material at clubs such as Palm Cove in Bradford. Initially she sang harmony parts, but gradually she began to sing lead. She has sung at the Glastonbury Festival and in a number of competitions.
Aside from singing Tracey’s passion is photography. In 2001 she moved to Knaresborough, where she now lives with her husband Phil. She is Director of Photography for the annual 'feva' festival in Knaresborough and also operates as a freelance photographer and web designer.
Jim remembers singing his first solo at the tender age of 8, but can’t recall either the occasion or the song! Throughout secondary school his musical interests revolved entirely around playing the trumpet and it was only when he went to Glasgow University that he returned to singing with a choir – Trinity College choir, but not at all like any of the Cambridge college choirs! For many years thereafter as he followed a highly mobile military life, singing and playing vied for his limited time, and it wasn’t until 2004 that he finally decided to concentrate on choral music. Since then he has performed with different groups, but most recently tended to focus on the Harrogate Gilbert & Sullivan Society, as well as Cadenza.
Jim’s musical interests are eclectic, from jazz to oratorio, classical to easy listening, musical theatre to opera … and he still likes the occasional brass band!
Born in Leeds Sharron began at 3 years of age at the Jean Pearce school of dance in Leeds. Singing in choirs and acted from early childhood she became a semi-professional singer in clubs by the age of 15. At 19 she joined the acclaimed Leeds entertainment group, The Showstoppers.
In 2010 she found Red Ladder Theatre Company providing her with acting training and a part in a play called 'Bittersweet Sunshine' for the Leeds Emerge Festival as well as being one of the street entertainers for the production of 'Big Society' where she was asked to do a read-through with Phil Jupitus. An original member of Cadenza she split her time by joining other companies. Acting roles include, Jim Cartwright “Two” where she played the little boy and the mother in “Lucky Sods” and most recently and ongoing, being a member of The Bradford Players where she’s played the minstrel in Babes in the Wood and is a chorus member for other productions.
Singing has always been part of Rachel’s life; formative memories include Sunday hymn-singing and singing in the school choir under the baton of Agnes Grisdale at Christmas concerts.
Choirs Rachel has sung with include Brighton Festival Chorus, the Alan Cuckson singers and Harrogate Theatre Choir, with venues including the steps of St Pauls Cathedral, small churches in rural Yorkshire and village halls.
Working with primary school children was crammed with magical singing moments, nothing being so uplifting as a group of children performing a song they love! Rachel enjoys the challenge of performing with Cadenza, with its varied repertoire from Victorian part-songs through to jazz and seventies pop songs.
Kellie has been singing since age 11 but was first involved with Musicals at St. Andrews Players when she was in the chorus of Oklahoma. After joining Knaresborough Musical Society Kellie she was Bet in Oliver and participated in various other shows, including A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum and a number of revue shows.
When Knaresborough Musical Society disbanded she became involved with Northern Stars and was one of the original members of Cadenza. After a short break Kellie has more recently been involved with the Knaresborough Players production of Guys & Dolls before returning to Cadenza. She has also sung with the Henshaw’s HotSpots, part of the music workshop at Henshaw’s Arts & Crafts Centre.
Susan was born in London and sang in various school choirs. When she moved North she took singing lessons and joined Bradford Festival Choir. Later she joined Harrogate Choral and Harrogate Gilbert and Sullivan Society. She has a love of musical theatre and was a member of both York Musical Theatre and Easingwold Drama group.
Susan has recently joined Cadenza and is studying singing with Margaret Padwell
Originally from Greenock, Scotland, Allan spent his formative years in and around Toronto, Canada. He returned to the UK in 2000 with his work and has spent the last 16 years in Knaresborough. As a youngster Allan sang as a boy soprano in the church choir, only stopping when his voice broke. He did not go back to singing in a formal group until many years later, joining his church choir in 1992. Since returning to the UK in 2000, Allan has been singing and performing in a variety of choirs and musical societies, including Knaresborough Choral Society, Deanery Players and Kamamica. He continues to sing with Knaresborough Choral Society and joined Cadenza in October 2014.
Allan is also a keen, although obviously amateur, golfer and is currently Club Captain at Rudding Park Golf Club (2016). When he is not at rehearsal or performing he can usually be found chasing a small white ball around!
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