Soprano Cheryl Brendish enjoys an active career as an operatic and concert performer.   Cheryl studied voice for many years and her operatic roles include Thirza The Wreckers, a role which had not been performed on stage for 100 years, directed by David Sulkin; Suzuki Madame Butterfly; First Lady Magic Flute; Zerlina Don Giovanni; Dido in Dido & Aeneas and Lucretia Rape of Lucretia.  Cheryl was extremely fortunate to have a role in Paul Dayont’s much acclaimed opera, The Hanging Oak based on a story by M. R James, specifically written for her which premiered in October 2009 in several church locations across the South West of England. Cheryl performed Angelina Trial By Jury with Duchy Opera in Cornwall www.DuchyOpera.co.uk , a role she previously performed at the Covent Garden Opera Festival.  Additional credits include Cherubino Marriage of Figaro; Mrs Page Merry Wives of Windsor; Governess Turn of the Screw and the role of Mrs Noye Noye’s Fludde performed in Truro Cathedral with 500 schoolchildren in 2005.  Cheryl also performed a number of feature mezzo-soprano and soprano roles as a student at Trinity College of Music, London including Siébel Faust; Carmen Carmen; Josephine HMS Pinafore and 2nd Medium The Poisoned Kiss.  Cheryl also performed in Cameron Macintosh’s ‘World Tour of Carmen’ in Australasia in 1990.

Cheryl is also a successful concert artist.  In 1985 she performed Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Sir Simon Rattle and the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and sang Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Alan Opie in 2005.  Other concert repertoire highlights include the Verdi Requiem, Mozart Requiem, Handel Messiah, Bach Christmas Oratorio, Bach Magnificat, Elgar The Kingdom and Charpentier’s Te Deum.

Cheryl performed as the guest soloist for many years with the Mount Charles Band www.mountcharlesband.co.uk at The Minack Theatre www.minack.com for the ‘Last Night of the Proms’.  Experience the exhilaration of this unique Proms set on the dramatic cliffs of Cornwall  ~ not to be missed by visitors or those lucky enough to live in the county.

Cheryl has been invited to attend many masterclasses with her first being in 1982 with John Carol-Case, followed by many others including Ingrid Surgenor (repetiteur for Welsh National Opera), Mollie Petrie (vocal coach for Welsh National Opera), Richard Jackson, Russell Smyth, Peter Harrison (singing teacher and author), Neil and Penny Jenkin at the AIMS Masterclass. and most recently with the world-renowned, John Treleaven.

A member of Cantamus from 1978 to 1983 under the Directorship of Pamela Cook, MBE, Cheryl studied in London before travelling to Australia and joining the Victoria State Opera, Melbourne.  Cheryl moved to Cornwall in 1997 and won the title of Cornwall’s Vocal Champion in 2000.  Cheryl performs many solo recitals both in and out of the county; along with Kay Deeming and Paul Drayton, Cheryl formed the trio ‘Col Canto’ in 2005. See: http://www.cherylbrendish.com/intro.htm

John Hobbs, baritone, is the conductor of the North Devon, South Devon and Bude Choral Societies; and organist at Holy Trinity Church, Weare Giffard. His early singing career began as a choral scholar at Cambridge University, since when he has sung an extensive repertoire of oratorio, lieder and songs with many choral and music societies. He has performed a large number of the principal baritone, operatic roles for the Duchy Opera Company and New Cornwall Opera.

Since retiring from his position as Director of Music at St Petroc’s School, Bude, John has returned to his love of farming on his smallholding near Bideford, in North Devon.

CHRISTOPHER FLETCHER  Conductor

Christopher Fletcher considers himself to be both fortunate and privileged to have been Plymouth Philharmonic Choir’s conductor since 1996, during which time the choir has come to be recognised as one of the best in the South West. As well as the choir’s regular concerts with professional orchestras and soloists in Plymouth he has conducted the choir in cathedrals and churches all over Europe, including Notre Dame in Paris.

Christopher was born in Leeds. At an early age he began to show considerable musical talent. At the age of ten he won the Northern Choirboy’s Championship in Harrogate singing Hear ye Israel from Mendelssohn’s Elijah and two years after this he became the first boy treble in the Bradford Diocese to be awarded the R.S.C.M. St. Nicolas Award.

In 1978 Christopher was awarded a scholarship to study at Trinity College of Music, London. After graduating Christopher moved to South Devon, since when he has been actively involved in choral singing, church music and teaching. He has been organist and Master of Music at Plymouth R. C. Cathedral since 2001, previously holding a similar post at the Parish and Priory Church of St. Mary, Totnes.

Christopher is a former conductor of the Stanborough Chorus, The Lupridge Singers, The Chagford Singers and the South Devon Choir.

As well as being in demand as a workshop teacher, Christopher helped to found the annual Rotary Club Come and Sing in1999.This is now an annual event which, under his direction, regularly attracts two hundred singers from all over Devon and beyond.

In 2008 he was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary International.