OUR PEOPLE

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

George de Voil

George de Voil is a prizewinning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. After formative musical training as a music scholar at the London Oratory School, he held the Organ Scholarship at Exeter College, Oxford, gaining a First Class degree in Music, and making a number of successful CD recordings as director of the college’s renowned choir. George has broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Radio 4, and Classic FM, and has given organ concerts at Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, and other important venues in the UK and abroad.

George combines his duties at organist of King’s College School, Wimbledon, with the posts of Director of Music at St James’s, Sussex Gardens, with its distinguished organ and fine professional choir, and conductor of Wokingham Choral Society, where his predecessors include Stephen Layton, Edward Gardner, and Paul Daniel. Until recently, George was also Director of Chapel Music and Head of Singing at Wellington College, where he led an accomplished Chapel Choir on tours to Spain, France, and Germany. His organ videos are available to watch on YouTube and his choral recordings can be streamed on Spotify. In 2025 George will broadcast live on Radio 3 with the Rodolfus Choir and will direct Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with the British Sinfonietta in Guildford Cathedral.

ACCOMPANIST

Oliver Sullivan

Oliver’s musical training began in church music, singing as a chorister at Sheffield Cathedral, where he also became organ scholar. Whilst reading Philosophy at Trinity Hall, Oliver held an organ scholarship, studying with David Sanger, Andrew Arthur, and attending masterclasses by David Briggs, Peter Hurford and Nigel Allcoat.

After a year as organist and music tutor at Christ’s College in Christchurch New Zealand, Oliver held the post of Countertenor Layvicar at Lichfield Cathedral, and has worked as a professional singer at Guilford Cathedral since 2012. Alongside this Oliver is a singing teacher and accompanist at schools in Surrey and Hampshire. Oilver’s interests range from renaissance polyphony through to 20th century repertoire, particularly Messiaen. Oliver also has a deep interest in jazz, having participated in workshops with Barry Harris and Bob Mover.

Outside of music Oliver is interested in fine art processes, film, history and beer.

PRESIDENT

Jonathan Veira

We are delighted to have as our President, Jonathan Veira, the celebrated bass baritone. Jonathan sings with the ENO and Glyndebourne amongst others and we are delighted that he is our President. He lives in Guildford and has been involved with us, hands on, attending some rehearsals and conducting part of them. In 2017 he also gave a wonderful performance as our bass soloist in Haydn’s Creation. He has been an inspiration to the choir.

Jonathan celebrated 25 years on the operatic stage in 2010. His 25th anniversary saw him on the Glyndebourne stage as the wicked stepfather Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola by Rossini. Most recently he played the title role in Donizetti’s ‘Don Pasquale’ again with Glyndebourne Touring Opera.

Jonathan has performed across the globe in a variety of roles and musical styles from Mozart through to John Adams. He began his musical career studying for his Bachelors at London University and followed that with post graduate studies at Trinity College of Music and subsequently the National Opera Studio.

His considerable vocal and comic talents have resulted in his singing many of the leading comic baritone roles, all of which have received universal critical acclaim.

In addition to his operatic roles, Jonathan regularly broadcasts on BBC radio and television and has recorded numerous CDs and television programs in many genres, including light entertainment and religious broadcasting, particularly with Songs of Praise. Tracks from his CDs are often featured on radio programs across the globe.

Another part of Jonathan’s entertainment portfolio involves his extremely popular one-man show – ‘An Audience with Jonathan Veira’, where he uses his voice and his skills as a musician on the piano and guitar together with his talents as a comedian and most of all communicator. This show goes from opera to pop and includes jazz and country and western along the way – everyone finds a song that they love in the show. Jonathan’s anecdotes and comments on life resonate with his guests which often result in great hilarity shared by all.

Jonathan’s Christian faith has been an essential part of his life and work and he has recorded a number of albums that reflect his beliefs.

For more, look at www.jonathanveira.com

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