About us
South Bank Singers, founded in 2011, is a SATB chamber choir of about 30 singers which seeks to develop as an ensemble singing a repertoire of both sacred and secular music with varying degrees of challenge.
Choir members are expected to have a sound ability to read music and be prepared to undertake some work outside rehearsals.
To support the development of the choir, members have a voice assessment to ensure the Musical Director has a clear sense of the potential, range and blend and can suggest ways singers may improve.
The choir aims to have three concerts a year and contributes to the carol service of a local church.
Rather than charging for concerts, the choir has a retiring collection a large proportion of which is given to local charities as selected by the choir.
Our founder and Honorary President is John Guest.
Musical Director
Musical Director
Charlie Gower-Smith works as a freelance musician across Northern England. He directs choirs including the South Bank Singers and the Chapter House Youth Choir.
In demand for his inclusive, informative and encouraging style, he works with many organisations to facilitate singing in the workplace. He has run regular workplace choirs for many companies and organisations.
Work with festivals has included various choral projects for the Grassington Festival, and assistant choral director for the Pennine Spring Music Festival in Heptonstall.
Previous roles include assistant director of the Hallé Youth Choir and Hallé Ancoats Community Choir, and director of Leeds Chamber Choir, who gave regular broadcasts of the Daily Service on BBC Radio 4LW. He regularly sings with the choirs of Ripon Cathedral and York Minster.
Accompanist
David Hammond grew up in Thame, Oxfordshire, where he was taught piano by Judy Thompson. He has been working in York as a musician since graduating from the University of York in 2002, where he studied piano with Liz Haddon. His career has taken him to all sorts of varied places, such as Castle Howard, York Minster, the Royal Festival Hall and Bridgewater Hall.
Much of his work involves accompanying soloists and groups on the piano, including concert work, exams and university assessments.
He is a regular musician at the Unitarian Chapel in York and plays with several ceilidh bands.
Aside from this he runs a Community Gamelan group in conjunction with the University of York, and sings with the Clerkes of All Saints, a local liturgical choir.