THE MUSIC TEAM

          Dorothy Chaplin,            Musical Director

Dorothy Chaplin, born and bred in Briton Ferry, was educated at Neath County School for Girls. She has been a resident of Swansea since 1953.

Dorothy studied Singing and Pianoforte from an early age but at the age of 18 she entered the nursing profession. She became a State Registered Nurse, married and had a family, after which she returned to her studies of Singing and Pianoforte with Madame Gething of Neath and Mrs Eileen Gething-Jones of Tonna, Neath

She was a singing member of the Swansea Philharmonic Choir for twenty years. Dorothy, a contralto soloist, is an Associate of the London College of Music and is a teacher of Singing, Voice Production and Pianoforte. She has directed the choir's music since 1960 and greatly extended the choir's repertoire and membership has increased substantially.

          Lynda Richards,             Musical Director

Lynda was born in Swansea. Her single minded ambition to be a teacher was realised when she obtained an Honours Degree in Education with Advanced Music and English as her main studies.

Prior to entering Trinity College, Carmarthen, Lynda studied pianoforte and flute and obtained the Performer's Diploma of Associate of the London College of Music. During this time, she was a member of the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra, which performed at both the Festival Hall and the Albert Hall in London, and at Mannheim and Heidelberg in Germany.

Whilst in her first teaching post at St. Aloysius School in Merthyr Tydfil, Lynda became first a tutor and then Tutor-in-charge of the Mid Glamorgan Ogmore Residential Centre courses in Recorder playing, which resulted in concerts of some 160 children playing recorders of various kinds.

After teaching in Merthyr for many years where she obtained the courtesy title of 'Merthyr's Miss Music' among her contemporaries, she returned to Swansea to teach in Sketty Primary School where she herself was educated. There she teaches at present a Reception Class, is a member of the Senior Leadership Team, Senior Teacher and Co-ordinator of the Early Years Phase of the school. As Music Co-ordinator for many years she continued to impact her love of music throughout the whole school. In September 2007, Lynda relinquished her role as Music Co-ordinator due to managerial responsibilities within the Early Years Phase of Sketty Primary School. As Team Leader of Creative Development she now oversees the standards of Music, Art and Physical Education within the school.

Outside school hours Lynda has directed the music of numerous amateur pantomimes within Sketty Parish. For many years she was the Musical Director of the Singing Group and Orchestra at St. Paul's Church, Sketty, Swansea.

She has been the Musical Director of the Swansea and Brecon Diocesan Youth Orchestra and Singing Group, spreading yet more musical enthusiasm to young people. This, she still undertakes at the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon Annual Youth Camp held near Brecon each year.

This enthusiasm is extended to the Swansea Excelsior Ladies Choir in her shared role of Musical Director with her mother Dorothy Chaplin.

      Roger Clegg                   Accompanist


Roger was born in Rochdale, Lancashire and began piano lessons aged seven. Aged eleven, he joined the Junior Department of the Royal Manchester College of Music, becoming a full-time student at sixteen. At the end of his studies, he was awarded GRSM, ARMCM, and for the next two years, worked at the college as a repetiteur. He was then awarded a scholarship to study at the London Opera Centre, after which he joined Sadler's Wells Opera as a repetiteur.

On leaving the company, he was appointed Head of Production with Schott and Co, music publisher, before joining Hatfield Polytechnic, where he helped establish music as an academic discipline. During this period, he researched the music of Carl Nielsen, being awarded M. Phil by Leeds University. In addition, he was made an honorary member of the Carl Nielsen Society. He remained at Hatfield until coming to Swansea.

Since then, he has taught for the University and worked with the Dunvant Male Choir, the Gower Chorale, the Singleton Ladies Singers, the Swansea Bach Choir, Abbey Players and the Little Theatre.

Some of his research has been published and he has contributed to a music dictionary and a general encyclopedia. He has been interviewed on Danish radio, appeared on television and made a recording of Victorian songs.

He enjoys history, maps, reading, sport and walking in the Valleys and Gower, where he can combine three interests, butterflies, flowers and trees.
  
  

           Howell Price,                 Associate Accompanist

Howell was born and brought up in Glynn Neath, where, at an early age, showed an interest in music. His love for the piano was developed under the direction of both Aubrey Thornburn and Eileen Gething-Jones.

He continued his musical education at college in Oxford where he studied organ with the late John Palmer, piano with Richard Van Bueren and voice with Phillip Cave. On graduation he returned to teach in the area, becoming Head of Music at Glan Afan Comprehensive in 1985. Over the years Howell has been very influential in the musical lives of very many young people and is renowned throughout the area for his choral training.

He has founded and directed many choirs including the NPT County Youth Choir, Cantores Nidum, Cor Afaned and currently directs Cor y Ddadeni which specialises in music from the renaissance period. Howell is also Director of Music at St Mary's Church, Aberavon, which has broadcast live on BBC Radio 4. As well as directing many choirs he is an experienced and accomplished accompanist and has been the official accompanist to the National Eisteddfod.

Howell lives in Neath with his wife and son and in his spare time likes to garden, go biking and has a keen interest in steam trains.