The Dawn Chorus 

The Dawn Chorus is an exciting vocal ensemble directed by Sian Croose from Norwich and Brendan Taaffe from Vermont. The group is made up of 14 choir leaders and singers from England and Wales, including Jane Harris, Director of Songways. The group’s debut tour in March 2018 featured a fabulous programme of traditional and new songs from the US and UK, including beautiful new compositions by both Sian and Brendan: vibrant harmonies and captivating rhythms from a great line-up of singers and instrumentalists. Performances and workshops included: The Cut, Halesworth, Suffolk; The Octagon Chapel, Norwich; and Wesley Methodist Chapel, Cambridge.

Sian Croose is a singer, conductor and performance maker with over 30 years experience of creating and directing singing projects. She co-directs The Voice Project, making large scale, site-responsive performances with singer and composer Jonathan Baker and directs Big Sky, regularly commissioning new music from UK composers. She has created Harmonium, a vocal ensemble of 12 women, composing systems-based a cappella installations.

Brendan Taaffe is an acclaimed composer and song leader from Brattleboro, Vermont.. His pieces have been performed by choirs throughout the world and are featured on numerous recordings. A popular song leader throughout the US and the UK, Brendan is the director of The Bright Wings Chorus, the founder of Turtle Dove Harmony Camps, and a frequent teacher with Village Harmony. He performs the jubilee gospel quartet The Waxwing Four and fronts his band The New Line. In his spare time, he is also a writer and a visual artist.

Jane Harris is an experienced choir leader and Director of Songways, based in Bath. She leads singing workshops and singing holidays in beautiful places and three thriving choirs.

Roxane Smith runs community choirs in Wales and the Shropshire borders as well as directing Sing for Water for the Thames Festival alongside Michael Harper.

Roger Jackson is a published composer and arranger of various genres of music. He leads the Festival Choir at Towersey Festival and is a regular leader at The Chiltern Community Choirs Festival, and the massive annual Community Choirs Festival in Stratford on Avon. Along with other smaller festivals and workshops, Roger directs his weekly choirs, SingCambridge and SingOxford.

Jamie Dawes is a singer and choir leader based in North Wales. He leads Gwaenysgor Community Choir and Bangor’s Greenhouse Singers. He sings with one of Wales’ foremost mixed voice choirs Côr Dre, and has toured with the Spooky Men’s Chorale.

Su Hart has been touring with her world music band Baka Beyond and teaching internationally for 25 years. In UK she directs Walcot State Choir and Widcombe Choir (Bath), the BruTone singers (Bruton) and the London Rainforest choir, as well as composing for women’s voices and writing and performing her own songs.

Karen Dickman studied Music at Durham University where she sang in the university chamber choir and chapel choir. She now works for the Learning & Inclusion Team at Snape Maltings Concert Hall and enjoys exploring how music can bring together the local community.

Niamh Bury is a singer and song-writer from Dublin. She’s inspired by all types of traditional singing, and currently forms one half of the folk duo, Of The Clay, alongside Joe Potter.

Alfie Carpenter is a vocalist, performer and visual artist; creating landscape art through a variety of media, including paint, sounds and songs and works as part of Snape Maltings Learning and Inclusion programme.

Kimberley Moore is a singer – songwriter and performer . She facilitates music and singing sessions bringing people with range of abilities together and works as part of Snape Maltings Learning and Inclusion programme, Sing your Heart Out and Creative Arts East.

Iain Lowery is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer based in Norwich. He has performed at venues and festivals all over the country in various groups, spanning a multitude of genres. Iain also coordinates The Voice Project Choir.

Joe Potter is a singer, song-writer and guitarist from Norwich. He is interested in the singing traditions of East Anglia, and takes inspiration from singers such as Peter Bellamy and the music of The Young Tradition.