STAFF
Musical Director -
James Longden
BMus (Hons), PGCE
James initially studied the organ and harmony with Alan Phillips (FRCO) and then subsequently with Robert Poyser (FTCL, Director of Music – Beverley Minster). James completed his degree at The University of Hull, where he read Music, BMus (Hons). Whilst at university, he was also awarded the Organ Scholarship at Beverley Minster, playing for services, giving recitals and conducting the Minster and University Choirs.
Currently, James is Curriculum Leader of Music at Waltham Toll Bar Academy, where he oversees and coordinates Music, Performing Arts and Dance for the 6th Form and main school.
Alongside being the Musical Director for The Isle Community Choir, he is also Deputy Musical Director & accompanist for Lydian Choir. In addition to his conducting responsibilities, he is also accompanist for Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir, Choir of the Year 2008 and Scunthorpe Male Voice Choir.
During his professional career as an accompanist, James premiered the 2022 set of Friday Afternoon pieces for the Red House, Snape Maltings, in collaboration with Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir. In addition to this, he has also been a guest accompanist (organ and piano) for BBC's Song of Praise.
In the little spare time he has, he also enjoys singing with Sine Nomine International Touring Choir.
Accompanist -
Daniel Fields
BMus (Hons), PGCE
Daniel was raised in Epworth, North Lincolnshire and developed a keen interest in music at an early age. In 2012 he graduated from the University of Huddersfield where he read Music; studying a varied programme culminating in a final year specialism in musicology. For five years Daniel was a member of the prestigious Huddersfield Choral Society with whom he toured nationally, working with leading orchestras and conductors such as Jane Glover, Martyn Brabbins and Vasily Petrenko. During his time studying in Huddersfield Daniel established a passion for choral conducting; forming his own chamber choir and acting as deputy conductor for the University Choir and University Chamber Choir.
Daniel is Musical Director of the Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir and the Scunthorpe Male Voice Choir and past Musical Director of the Doncaster Wheatsheaf Singers. He is also the conductor of the Lyndhurst Singers and accompanist of the Isle Community Choir. Daniel has been tutored in choral conducting by internationally renowned choral conductors: Dr Sarah Tenant-Flowers, Dr Amy Bebbington, Susan Hollingworth BEM DUniv and Peter Broadbent MBE. Still an active choral singer, Daniel is a member of the Sine Nomine International Touring Choir. Daniel is also an Assistant Headteacher at St Bede’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Scunthorpe and is an organist at the Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in Epworth, working with a team of musicians to ensure high quality music for worship and civic occasions.
Recent highlights of Daniel’s schedule include a collaboration with world renowned vocal ensemble VOCES8 and a commission from composer Bob Chilcott to celebrate the Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir centenary. In the 2022, Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir were commissioned to record, and world premiere, the annually commissioned set of compositions from the Friday Afternoons Project based at Britten Pears Arts in Suffolk, a freely accessible resource for schools nationally and internationally. Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir join a long list of high-profile youth choirs who have been contracted to complete this important work in previous years including the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. Daniel works in a freelance capacity with BBC Songs of Praise, acting as both a conductor for televised recordings as well as a judge in the annual ‘Chorister of the Year’ competition.
Previously, Daniel has brought together over 200 voices from across the North of England to perform in a massed choir concert with Lesley Garrett, and has organised and delivered several concert tours: performing both nationally and internationally with his choirs.