Sarah Athey

For those of you who do not know me, I am a second soprano and have been a member for 10 years.

If voted on, I would listen to the choir and not be apart from it because I sat on the committee. In the short-term we need a choir survey to capture member feedback and opinion. Longer term we need ways to make sure we keep up to date with members’ points of view. Understanding members’ wishes means that our constitution and the way we run the choir can be aligned. If people are consulted and included, they are more likely to be motivated to participate. We need this if we are to fix our financial situation. In addition to expanding our publicity activities and increasing revenue from ticket sales, we also need fundraising. The benefit of fundraising is we can have fun and gain funds – a win win!!

A bit about my experience. At work, I lead large teams delivering clinical development programs. I am responsible for ensuring they are conducted in accordance with the law and regulations. In the past, I have designed and implemented compliant governance structures. I was also responsible for the communications strategy to implement global changes at BP following the Deep-water horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico ten years ago.

If voted onto the committee, I promise to listen to you and make sure the member voice is heard.

Tim Brain

I have been a tenor member of Stroud Choral Society since 2009.

I have been asked by several members of the choir to stand as Chair on this occasion and would hope to be of assistance to the whole choir moving forward.

Until 2010 I was a career police officer, joining the Avon and Somerset Constabulary in 1978 after studying history at Aberystwyth University, graduating in 1975 and later obtaining my PhD. After service in several forces I became Deputy Chief Constable of Gloucestershire in 1998 and Chief Constable in 2001. I was chair of the British Police Symphony Orchestra from 2004-10.

I served as Treasurer of Aberystwyth University (2011-17) and a Trustee of Dean Close School (2009-15). I have been Chair of the Gloucester Three Choirs Festival and the Three Choirs Festival Association since 2012 and 2015 respectively. I am also chair of Governors at Eversfield School, Solihull, and The Friends of Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum.

I have a keen interest in choral music, having been in the past a member of several choirs.

I have, therefore, a background and experience in public service, charity, education and arts leadership and administration which I hope would be of service to the choir. I also have an enthusiasm for singing and greatly enjoy the fellowship of Stroud Choral Society.

I have been a member of Stroud Choral Society for over 30 years - since the last century and through many administrations. I sat on the Committee back in a more simple age with a remit of fundraising. I live in Stroud and am a strong supporter of everything to do with our town. I would be very happy to see Stroud Choral performing more concerts in Stroud for the benefit of our core supporters.

My background is in Public Relations. I worked for several years for Damien Hirst's company, Other Criteria and also for Darbyshire Framers as a registrar.

I have sung in choirs since my schooldays, later in London with the St Paul's Festival Choir. I am a keen amateur pianist and play chamber music with friends. I have sung at Longborough Opera as a chorus member in Madam Butterfly and Tosca and as the Second Witch in Dido and Aeneas.

I would like to sit on the Committee. I hope we can make the choir more friendly, welcoming, enjoyable and fun - and at the same time stabilise our financial and charitable position.

Caroline Bridgens

My background is in Public Relations. I worked for some years for Damien Hirst's company, Other Criteria and also for Darbyshire Framers as a registrar.

I would like to sit on the Committee. I hope we can make the choir more friendly, welcoming, enjoyable and fun - and at the same time stabilise our financial and charitable position.

Jude Comber

I have been a member of Stroud Choral Society for 6 years (I think). I started off as a Tenor and Soprano for Christmas Carols (loved singing the descants!! And have since moved to Alto 2. I have sung previously with Cirencester Choral Society, London Bach, and other smaller choirs. I can sight read (with both pairs of glasses) & reached Grade 7 Clarinet & grade 8 Piano (long ago now I worry about the dust collecting on the Piano! I am a member of the Old Blues of Christ's Hospital, but during my time at school [with knees knocking!] stood in front of Prince Charles in St Pauls Cathedral singing for the Memorial Service to Sir Barnes Wallis - (bouncing bomb))

I have been on several committees - from Student Nursing Committee (which included pulling pints at Student Bar, along with Student Rep at Gloucestershire University for 3 years in a row. I have also been on the committee for the Cotswold Canals Trust and later including being a Director for the Cotswold Canal Trust (1997-2000). During my time with the Canal Trust I drew up the plans for raising money for a new boat (Perseverance - still going!), Managed a Large Music & Beer Festival on the Painswick Rugby grounds (where I couldn't drink as I was "point of contact for H&S, First Aid & License for Alcohol" :-()

I often take minutes & type them up for PPG & PPG Cluster groups. However, this is as a stand in when the Secretary of the PPG Cluster is not available.

I successfully ran my own company for over 7 years as Director & worker.

I have created & maintained websites. (one for my daughter when she was making jewellery - of which 2 parts were donated to the "Auction for the Pelicantata")

My background is dual Computing & IT. MSc in Computing & IT - from tutoring "new to computing" for over 11years through to teaching how to edit a digital photograph & perform in depth research online. I was an IT Manager in London for a train company where I managed a team of 11 support workers & a budget of £3M for servers, communications etc. During this time I also was in charge of pulling all of the documentation from the IT Department into ISO9001 (Quality Management) and was trained in H&S and I was a registered First Aider.

I have time available to spend on choir matters and would love to have the choir back to what was a fun and friendly choir when I joined and would not just listen but HEAR what the entire choral society wants & needs from it's committee.

Ann Cooper

I have been a member of the society for nearly five years, and have been creating and having printed the concert programmes since summer 2015.

I was part of the team that in 2008 converted Wycliffe Choral Society from a school choir to an independent society with charitable status, and have been close to the running of that choir ever since.

Prior to moving to Gloucester I was on the committees of 2 musical societies.

In my professional life I am known for my organisational skills and my attention to detail. My current responsibilities include compiling and revising the procedures etc that keep my company compliant with the regulations for manufacturing medical devices, which is a similar activity to ensuring compliance with the Charities Commission.Any society is the sum of its members, not an entity in itself.

I joined the group of 20 who called for the EGM because I was concerned that the current committee had little interest in the wishes of members. You will remember Gail’s account of being advised to look for another choir when she raised legitimate questions. Hers is not an isolated case.

The more I learnt, the more concerned I became, both about what has been done and the many gaps. As I said at that meeting, the musical standard has been greatly improved in past years but the management has not kept pace.
If elected, I will work to improve the way the society is governed, so both committee and members know what their responsibilities are, and we are all content that it meets our personal and artistic goals.

Brough Girling

Brough was Chairman here for 5 years. Before that he was a Committee member at Wycliffe for a year or so, and before that he was Chair at Chipping Norton Choral Society for 2 years.

In his 5 years at Stroud Brough, worked with teams of lively members in an attempt to make Stroud a really exciting and enjoyable choir to belong to. Innovations made by his Committee included:

Singing in Bristol Cathedral, Swansea chapels (twice)

Singing in London for the first time – St John’s Smith Square

First foreign tour – Belgium

Raising ten thousand pounds and commissioning a new work – The Pelicantata

Starting our own children’s choir – The Minpins

Staging a World Premier in Bath Abbey.

Singing ambitious works for the first time – Belshazzar, Gerontious etc.

Getting John Rutter for a workshop in Stroud

Brough wrote and directed our presentation ‘Handel’s The Messiah for Children and Families’.

Why vote for Brough?

‘My vision of Stroud Choral Society is that it’s a choir where everyone is welcome – no tests, no entry qualifications. People of varying ability come together under the direction of a brilliant musician, to sing great choral works to the best of their ability, and in a spirit of companionship.’

‘Oh, and it’s SOCIETY – it’s owned by its members – the Chair and Committee are there to respect, honour and champion the members’ desires and interests.’

(‘I won’t be standing for Chair again, but I’d happily put some energy into the new Committee’)

Veronica Pride

I am a second alto who loves singing with SCS. I’ve belonged for about 6 years and I think, first and foremost, we all pay our fees and turn up every Monday to sing in the choir because we love it.

The main aims for SCS are surely to continue to perform to as high a standard as we can, while enjoying the experience. However, in order to do this we need to improve the financial stability of the choir.

From my working life I have experience of marketing and publicity - two areas that are vital given the society’s current financial situation. Publicity and fundraising should not only raise money but also help inject some fun, involving as many members as possible. I know that we have masses of skills, talents and knowledge amongst the membership and hope that many would have ideas and would want to support the committee to that end.

Over the last few years I have taken on small jobs, for example doing the seating plans for concerts to support Susie in her role as Concert Manager. I would now be happy to serve on the committee to take on further roles to help the choir.

Fran Wade

I am putting myself forward for election to the committee in the hope that I can make a positive contribution to the organisation I have benefited from so much in the past few years. It takes a lot of hard work to keep a choir as large as ours functioning and although I have helped out at concert times with the logistics of seating and other arrangements I would hope I could better represent the interests of the members and support the activities of the choir from within the committee.

My experience of running community organisations comes from the mists of decades ago, chairing a pre school institution. Professionally I ran several departments as a senior manager in Further Education and more recently I am involved in facilitating two Stroud community music events - the annual pub carols at the Prince Albert and Rodborough Folk Orchestra.

All organisations have issues of communication and difference. It is my experience that issues are best addressed through listening, problem solving, transparency and a large dollop of humour.

Candidate details