ALEX PATTERSON BA (HONS) 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 Beacon Voices, Leicestershire's Children in Care Choir and the Nottingham Playhouse Choir.

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 Spem in Alium, the 40-part motet by Tallis, Handel's Dixit Dominus, J. S. Bach's Mass in B Minor, Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610, 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.  

He is also a trustee for the Binns Organ Trust and Finzi Trust.
​www.alexpatterson.co.uk

JAMES PERKINS BMUS (HONS) ARCO ATCL 
​Organist

James Perkins was educated at St. Peter’s Wolverhampton, the Royal Military School of Music and the Royal College of Music.

James was an Army Musician in the Royal Artillery Band (Woolwich) having trained at RMSM Kneller Hall. He played the French horn and piano for Public Duties, investitures, Regimental events and international tattoos. During this time he achieved for ATCL diploma for Piano recital.

Leaving the Army, James went to the RCM to study the organ, harpsichord and conducting, taking the BMus examinations and the ARCO diploma. During this time he was Organ Scholar at All Saints’ Margaret Street under the direction of Paul Brough, and was accompanist to Concordia Chamber Choir. James was the Organist at Haileybury and Imperial Service College and held a similar post prior to this at Bradfield College. In a complete change, he has most recently been pastoral assistant at Holy Trinity in Ettingshall in Wolverhampton.

​He also co-directs the liturgical chamber choir ‘Laus Deo’ and was a member of the Schola Cantorum of Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy for 5 years. His interests include walking, reading, sailing, chamber music and real ale. 

ELLIE MARTIN BMUS (HONS) MSc LTCL
Youth Choir Director

Ellie began her musical training at a young age, learning the violin and piano, before later focusing on singing. She went on to study Vocal Performance at Trinity College of Music, graduating in 2010 with First Class Honours.

Ellie is a professional singer, and member of London-based choir Blossom Street, with whom she has toured internationally. She features as a soloist, as well as part of the ensemble, on four critically acclaimed CDs: ‘Sleep, Holy Babe’, ‘Down by the Sea’ and ‘A Short While For  Dreaming’ and, the most recent, ‘This Day’, which features works by women composers in celebration of the 100th anniversary of women in Britain gaining the vote.

Ellie has extensive experience as a singing teacher and vocal animateur, and for several years was the Vocal Coordinator for Bird College Music Service in the London Borough of Bexley. In this role she directed choirs from age 4 to adult, and conducted a massed choir of 700 young people in the Royal Festival Hall on several occasions. In 2016 she moved to Nottingham to undertake a master’s degree in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, which she completed last Summer.

In addition to her role as Youth Choir Director at the Cathedral, Ellie is Head of Singing at Repton School, Musical Director of Mansfield Choral Society and conductor for Sherwood Daytime Voices (Music for Everyone).

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.