People
Gavin Carr - Conductor
Gavin Carr was born in London and studied music and art history at King’s College, Cambridge, where he was a Choral Scholar in the celebrated Chapel Choir. He then emigrated for five years to Australia, where he began his conducting career working with leading ensembles including the Victoria State Opera Chorus and Pipeline Ensemble, and also appeared as baritone in a repertoire ranging from the fourteenth century to a number of world-premieres. Returning to Europe via study in the US, it was as a singer that Gavin Carr made his debut at the Händel Festspiele in Halle as Manoah in Samson, and for the next ten years it was as baritone that he made his name, appearing at many festivals and with major orchestras and choruses worldwide in concert and recital, recording for BBC and German radio, and making his debut with English National Opera as AeneasDido and Aeneas and St IgnatiusFour Saints in Three Acts, going on to appear there as FigaroBarber of Seville with Lesley Garrett.
Numerous opera appearances with companies in the UK (Scottish Opera, Opera North, Opera Project, Pimlico Opera), France, Ireland, Australia and Italy added to his growing reputation, but in 2003 Gavin sought to capitalize on this experience in exploring the role of conductor, and to that end he accepted the post of Music Director of The Athenaeum Singers, swiftly following this with Assistant Conductor at the Wexford Festival and at the Cantiere d’Arte di Montepulciano. At Wexford he was subsequently appointed Chorus Master in 2006 to develop a new Irish-based chorus, and he returned there in 2007 to make his operatic conducting debut with the Peter Brook version of Bizet’s La Tragédie de Carmen, garnering excellent reviews from the national and international press. An affiliation with the leading regional professional orchestra The Bath Philharmonia began in 2006 when he was appointed Associate Principal Conductor after a period as assistant, and concerts in 2007 include Haydn’s ‘Nelson’ Mass and a tour of Handel’s Messiah.
In April 2007 Gavin made his debut with the English Chamber Orchestra, conducting an all-star cast including Emma Kirkby, Sarah Connolly and James Gilchrist in the St Matthew Passion in Bath Abbey. This event saw the inauguration of a new professional choir, Chorus Angelorum, which Gavin has formed to take advantage of the wealth of expert choral talent in the South West region. Last June Chorus Angelorum made a warmly-received debut in Italy singing Messiaen’s Trois petites liturgies de la presence divine with Jan Latham-Koenig and the orchestra of the Teatro Regio at the Turin opera house. In August 2007, Gavin Carr returned to Italy with Chorus Angelorum for performances of Carmina Burana and Verdi Opera Choruses at the Festivals in Naples, Montepulciano, Bologna and Llubljana. Future projects for Chorus Angelorum include the commercial recording of Paul Carr’s Requiem for an Angel, and a second Italian tour in August 2008 under the auspices of the Emilia Romagna Festival in Bologna. Gavin replaced Jason Thornton as conductor of Bath Minerva Choir in January 2008. He also continues as conductor of The Athenaeum Singers, who celebrate their thirtieth anniversary in 2008: plans are well in hand for a special gala concert of Brahms’ German Requiem on June 7 th 2008 in the Minster Church.
Paul Feldwick – Chairman
After more than thirty years working in an advertising agency, Paul is now an independent consultant and has more time to devote to music. A bass-baritone, he sings with Chandos Singers and Chorus Angelorum as well as with Bath Minerva Choir. He is also developing a solo repertoire, and in the past year has sung solo parts in the Durufle Requiem (Minerva), Finzi’s In Terra Pax and Purcell’s Full Anthems (Chandos), and Messiah (Devizes Chamber Choir), as well as giving song recitals in Bath and Melksham.
Paul writes, ‘Bath is lucky to have a number of excellent choirs, but I believe Minerva is unique in being a non-auditioning choir that also aspires to the highest performance standards and performs major repertoire with professional orchestras and soloists. I have no doubt that with Gavin Carr’s outstanding skills as a choral coach and singer we can achieve some astonishing results this year and next.’
Steven HollasSteven Hollas read music at Corpus Christi College , Cambridge . He lives in Bradford-on-Avon and was head of music at St. Laurence School for several years. He now teaches piano, organ and harpsichord, mostly at the Wiltshire Music Centre.
Since 1996 he has played continuo for the period-instrument ensemble Bradford Baroque Band.
Bath Minerva Choir