Chair - Dawn Gilmour
Dawn has been a WCS member for more than 20 years, during which she fulfilled numerous roles both on and off the Committee. We are delighted to welcome her as Chair of Woodbridge Choral Society (appointed September 2024).
WCS Constitution
Musical Director - Andrew Leach
Andrew has been our Musical Director for over 25 years. He was a music scholar at King's College, Cambridge and studied piano with Dennis Murdoch at the Royal Academy of Music. Since retiring as a school Director of Music, latterly at Ipswich School, he has been able to devote more time to solo piano recitals, chamber music and accompanying.
Andrew has also been musical director of a number of operas performed in Woodbridge. He is Chairman of Ipswich Chamber Music Society and organist at St Mary Elms, Ipswich.
Sir Nick Young, President, Woodbridge Choral Society
It is with great pleasure that we announce our new President, Sir Nick Young, who takes over, following the retirement of Julian Royle after nine years of invaluable service.
Nick joined the Choir as an enthusiastic tenor just over two years ago, in 2023. He writes: “I have simply loved singing with the magnificent Woodbridge Choral Society, under its wonderfully talented and enthusiastic musical director Andrew Leach. We sing beautiful music, in beautiful locations such as St Mary’s Church Woodbridge and at Snape, and enjoy the fellowship and friendship that comes from making beautiful sounds together. It is a tremendous honour and a privilege to represent the Choir as its President, and to have the chance to promote the part it plays in the community life of Woodbridge.”
Nick and his family have lived in this area on and off for nearly fifty years. He worked initially as a commercial lawyer in Ipswich, but was then persuaded to join Sue Ryder and Leonard Cheshire VC, helping them to develop new charitable care homes all over the country.
After an initial spell with the British Red Cross, he joined Macmillan Cancer Relief (as it then was) as chief executive, and then returned to the Red Cross as chief executive for the rest of his career. He was knighted for services to cancer care in 2000.
In retirement, the voluntary sector remains a major focus of Nick’s life via his work supporting local and national charities. He enjoys the arts, the countryside, playing guitar, singing and listening avidly to music of all kinds. He has also written two books, about his father’s wartime adventures and about his own experiences dealing with conflicts and disasters all over the world with the Red Cross; he hopes to write a couple more – “if I can only find the time”, he says.
Marina Korneva – pianist
Following the retirement of our long-time accompanist Peter Willsher, we were very fortunate to secure outstanding international concert pianist Marina Korneva as our new rehearsal accompanist. See image
Marina was born in Sergiev Posad, near Moscow, and graduated in Piano from the Prokofiev Moscow Music College in 1984. From 1985 to 1991 she studied at the Russian State Conservatory in Kazan, where she was a student of Professor E. Monaszon.
Having performed in the UK as a concert pianist raising awareness and funds for the UK charity 'Love Russia', she settled permanently in England in 2001, teaching piano and accompanying pupils and choirs.
Marina teaches piano at local schools as well as privately and was also accompanist of the Dorian Singers and Orwell Park School Choral Society. She accompanied Woodbridge Choral Society alongside Peter Willsher in our Spring 2023 Brahms Requiem and was part of the ‘septeto tipico’ in the Misatango concert in December 2024. Marina will play piano in our April 2027 concert of Rutter The Sprig of Thyme and Tippett Spirituals (selection).
WCS Constitution