Mark Shanahan, Musical Director
The Hackney Singers were absolutely delighted when Mark accepted the position of Musical Director in 1998. He takes many rehearsals personally and oversees the musical direction of the Choir alongside his many other commitments.
Mark Shanahan was born in Manchester of Irish parentage and studied at Chetham’s school of Music, London University and the Royal Academy of Music, London.
His orchestral engagements include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Northern Philharmonia, National Symphony Orchestra and RTE Concert Orchestra of Ireland, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Filarmonica de Gran Canaria, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and Georges Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, in addition to his work with the Forest Philharmonic as Artistic Director.
Opera companies include Frankfurt Opera; La Fenice, Venice; Nantes Opera; Nationale Reisopera, Holland; Wexford Festival Opera and Grange Park Opera alongside Opera North and English National Opera. He has broadcast throughout Europe and the Far East.
This season he makes his debut in Marseilles with Jenufa and returns to Frankfurt Opera for Nabucco. Concerts include Forest Philharmonic, his debut in Denmark, Alpine Symphony with the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and his first visit to the Orchestra de Pays de Loire for the Haydn Festival 2009. www.markshanahan.co.uk
Dan Ludford-Thomas, Associate Conductor
Dan Ludford-Thomas began singing as a chorister at St Matthew’s Church, Northampton, and in 1986 became Choirboy of the Year which led to radio and television broadcasts, and concerts at many of the major venues throughout the UK. As a tenor Dan won choral scholarships to Wells Cathedral and Durham Cathedral where he read music at the university.
He is a member of the choir of St Brides Church, Fleet Street and has performed regularly with many major ensembles, including Chapelle du Roi, The Kings Consort, The Academy of Ancient Music, Florilegium, and The Sixteen.
Dan is in demand as a choral animateur, directing choral workshops and projects both in the UK and internationally. Recently he has conducted concerts in Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. He is at the forefront in the delivery of the national singing initiative Singup in collaboration with Ex Cathedra, and is a pioneer in the development of new repertoire for young voices.
Dan is currently Head of Singing at Dulwich College, and is a singing teacher at Eton College. He is the Musical Director of Concordia Chamber Choir, the Director of Music of Lewisham Choral Society and the Associate Conductor of The Hackney Singers.
Andrew Storey, Repétiteur
“The choir has that ability, no matter how tired or fed up I feel, to cheer me up on a Thursday evening.”
Andrew has been the Repétiteur with the Hackney Singers for many years, working with at least 4 directors. He takes a central role in training, accompaniment and leading rehearsals when Mark or Dan cannot personally attend.
Andrew Storey was born in Blackpool and was Organ Scholar at Blackpool Grammar School. He read Music and Mathematics at Kent University and studied the organ in Canterbury Cathedral under the now organist David Flood.
He taught music at Halliford School, Shepperton and City of London Freemans School before returning to academic life to study Computing and Mathematics. On completing an MSc and PhD Andrew went back to teaching and is currently Head of ICT at Dulwich College.
Andrew is the regular organist for the Ashtead Singers who sing the services in various cathedrals around the country and have regular engagements at St George’s Chapel Windsor and Worcester Cathedral. Andrew also has a strong association with Ashtead Choral Society with whom he regularly tours abroad, most recently to Pisa and Florence. He is heavily involved in the music at his school where he teaches composition, sings in the Chapel Choir and has been the musical director for several musicals. To ensure that he is kept busy Andrew is also an ISI schools’ Inspector.
