| Spires Music | telephone: (02476) 670211 |
Spires Board and management
The activities of Spires Music are controlled by Spires Music Limited, a company limited by guarantee (see foot of front page for statutory details). The current Directors of the Company are listed below. They are supported by a dedicated management team and a number of regular volunteers.
Keith Bowen (Chairman), formerly Professor of Engineering at the
University
of Warwick, is Director of Engineering at Circadian Solar Ltd, a solar energy company
in Coventry. He was previously a Director of Bede plc until his retirement from the Board
in 2005.
He devotes much of his semi-retirement time to musical charities and is also President of Kammermusik Workshops, Inc., a nonprofit corporation running chamber music workshops in New Mexico, USA and in Oxford, England. He plays 2nd clarinet, basset horn and bass clarinet in Spires Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to his scientific and professional qualifications (he is a Fellow of the Royal Society) he holds a Diploma in Music and is currently studying for an MA in Music at the Open University.
Colin
Touchin (Artistic Director and Conductor) is the founder of Spires Music. He was Director of Music at the University
of Warwick for over 14 years.
His full biographical details are set out on a separate page here.
Chris Wiltshire (Finance Director) is a Chartered Accountant and a Senior Lecturer in Finance at the University of Gloucestershire. His musical credentials include an ATCL Diploma in Piano Accompaniment, and involvement as an Official Accompanist at the Leamington Spa and Birmingham competitive Festivals and duties as part of the team of accompanists at the annual NODA Summer School in Loughborough. He is a Director of the company which runs the very successful Stratford Music Centre.
Between its formation in 1999 and 2009 Chris was a vocal coach and rehearsal accompanist for Sing Live Central (part of Sing Live UK). His responsibilities included a number of opportunities to guest conduct the chorus and orchestra in Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
He has worked regularly with Jayne May-Sysum, soprano, with whom he has presented several concerts and released a CD covering a range of classical and non-classical styles.
In September 2009 he began an involvement in rehearsals for the inaugural concert of the 260-strong Midland Voices at Warwick Arts Centre, a Christmas Spectacular on 5th December 2009.