Our Musical Director – Jenny Morgan
Jenny was born in Southport and studied French Horn under the tuition of Alfred Dowling in Liverpool and Anthony Halstead in London. She was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and has subsequently played with symphony orchestras throughout the United Kingdom.
Jenny read music at Jesus College, Oxford University where she was awarded a University Association Award for the Arts and undertook a wealth of orchestral and chamber playing, notably performing the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings in the University Church and the Schubert Octet with the Allegri Quartet. It was at Oxford that she first undertook responsibility for rehearsing and directing the college choir. She was also Musical Director of the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) where she wrote scores for over a dozen university productions, several of which transferred to the Edinburgh Festival and later toured abroad.
After working as an orchestral musician, Jenny changed direction and worked in Financial Services in London. She founded the Stewkley Singers in 2006 and, after having her children, was Head of Music in an independent school for twelve years. She now undertakes a variety of work as a horn player and animateur. She is also a member of the Oxford based Pavlova Quintet, with whom she performs regularly in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Our accompanist – Siân Menna
Siân is an honours graduate of the Royal College of Music in singing and piano. Siân has worked with many leading orchestras and conductors with performances including Mozart Requiem (The Sixteen and Harry Christophers), Haydn Paukenmesse (Ulster Orchestra and David Hill), Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle (King’s Consort), Haydn Nelson Mass and Copland In the Beginning (Britten Sinfonia and The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge), Mozart Vesperae Solennes de Confessore (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and John Rutter) and Handel Messiah (BBC Concert Orchestra and Stephen Cleobury).
Siân also appears regularly with Choral Societies throughout the UK and her repertoire includes Bach’s Passions, Durufle Requiem, Mozart Mass in C Minor, Copland In the Beginning, Elgar The Dream of Gerontius and Verdi Requiem and Tippett A Child of our Time.
Siân’s discography includes the première recording of Bantock Omar Khyyam with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Vernon Handley, the BBC Singer’s recording of Tippett Choral Music (“The angular solo is admirably sung by Siân Menna” MusicWeb International) and Second Woman in Judith Weir’s The Vanishing Bridegroom with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martin Brabbins.
Operatic roles include La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), the Beggar Woman (Death in Venice), and the young widow in Janacek’s Osud performed at the BBC Proms. Siân was a staff member of the BBC Singers and also sings regularly with leading choirs and ensembles such as The Sixteen, The Gabrieli Consort and The King’s Consort.