ALEX PATTERSON MMus 
Director of Music

Alex Patterson is a Northern Irish-born composer and conductor based in Nottingham. In addition to his role at Nottingham Cathedral Alex is Musical Director for the Radcliffe Ladies’ Choir and conducts Nottingham Youth Voices, Nottingham Lunchtime Choir based in the Nottingham Royal Centre, Beacon Voices, and the Attenborough Choir based at Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester. He is also a trustee for the Binns Organ Trust and Finzi Trust.

Alex studied at the University of Nottingham and later at Birmingham Conservatoire specialising in composition and opera. Since graduating seven years ago, Alex has developed a wealth of experience as a choral animateur, particularly for community and youth music-making, and leads singing workshops across the East Midlands with people of all ages and abilities. He has also conducted a range of major works including J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor, Monteverdi's Vespers​, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Britten’s Noye’s Fludde, both Duruflé’s and Fauré’s Requiem, and the musical thriller Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim.
 
Between his various conducting duties and also working for Arts Council England, Alex is a freelance composer. He has written a wealth of choral music which has been performed all over the world, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and published by Banks Music Publications, and composed music for a range of organisations from Music for Everyone to Streetwise Opera. 

​www.alexpatterson.co.uk

ROBERT GOWER MA FRCO (CHM) LRAM ARCM FRSA 
​Organist

Robert Gower held scholarships at the Royal School of Church Music and Lincoln College, Oxford before a teaching career which led successively from St Paul’s School to Radley College, where he was Precentor (Director of Music) for fourteen years and then onwards to Glenalmond College, where he served similarly - also being Housemaster of a boys’ boarding house and latterly working until retirement in 2012 as Senior Tutor, with responsibility for stimulating intellectual challenge amongst the most academically able pupils.

Robert is Chairman of the Gerald Finzi and Percy Whitlock charitable trusts and examines for the ABRSM and the Royal College of Organists. His publications include composer organ albums for Bliss, Finzi and Walton, an edition of John Ireland’s organ music and OUP anthologies of Ceremonial, Christmas and Lent/Easter repertoire for organ. Robert works extensively within hymnody, contributing original tunes and arrangements (most recently in the new 2013 Hymns Ancient & Modern and in the Oxford Book of Descants).

​Robert and his wife Pauline have a daughter Rebecca and a son Matthew. Robert enjoys art and architecture and is devoted to his trio of border terriers.

ELLIE MARTIN BMus (Hons) LTCL
Youth Choir Director

Ellie began her musical training at a young age, learning the violin and piano, before she began to focus on singing when she was fifteen. She went on to study Vocal Performance at Trinity College of Music, and graduated in 2010 with First Class Honours.
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Ellie has extensive experience as a singing teacher, and in running music workshops, school singing assemblies and staff training sessions. For the past few years Ellie was Vocal Coordinator for Bird College Music Service, a role in which she was committed to promoting engagement with music across all ages and abilities. She directed choirs from age 4 to adult, and conducted a massed choir of over 700 in the Royal Festival Hall on several occasions.
 
Ellie recently moved to Nottingham, and has been the Musical Director of Mansfield Choral Society since January. Aside from her conducting work, Ellie is a professional singer, and a member of London-based choir Blossom Street, with whom she has toured internationally. 

EDEN LAVELLE
Assistant Director of Music

Eden is a conductor, pianist, and singer who is currently a Music student at the University of Nottingham. In addition to his duties at Nottingham Cathedral, he is spending this year conducting a student orchestra as well as a production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Previously, Eden has held a conducting assistantship with the University's Choral Society and Chamber Choir. He has also directed an office choir for Nottingham CityCare and various other vocal ensembles at the University. Beyond the realms of music, Eden is a book lover and keen tennis player.

GRAEME VERNON ARMCM
Organist Emeritus

Graeme Vernon was educated in Nottingham before moving to Manchester where he studied organ at the Royal Manchester College of Music, gaining the ARMCM diploma. Whilst in Manchester he was organist and choirmaster at St Michael and all Angels, Lawton Moor, Wythenshaw, and later at the church of St Martin's, Marple Bridge, Cheshire.

Returning to Nottingham he joined the parish of St Augustine of Canterbury, New Basford as organist and later choirmaster until the church closed and was invited to Nottingham Cathedral as assistant to Peter Smedley - to take over the parish mass and to assist at the High Mass. Graeme continues at the 10am Mass, working with a small group of singers to provide a simple congregational sung mass.

​AMY SUMMERS BA (Hons)
Composer-in-Residence

Amy Summers is a freelance composer and pianist based between Nottingham and Bristol. Having been a choral scholar at the Cathedral during her time as a student, she graduated in music from University of Nottingham in July 2017 and is delighted to continue singing with and writing for the Cathedral Choir. At university, Amy specialised in composition whilst also co-conducting the student-run orchestra and female choir, and was honoured to have two of her choral works premiered by the Cathedral Choir and the University Choir. Outside of music, Amy is a keen kayaker and loving golden-retriever owner.