Andrew Carwood

Andrew Carwood is one of the most versatile musicians of his generation, dividing his time between solo and consort singing and directing his own group at an international level. He was a choral scholar at St John's College, Cambridge, a lay clerk at Christ Church, Oxford and Westminster Cathedral, London before holding the post of Director of Music at the Brompton Oratory in London for five years.

As a singer he is particularly known for his performances of the English repertoire, from consort songs by William Byrd to the role of the Male Chorus in Britten's Rape of Lucretia and for music of the Baroque. He has performed with many of the British ensembles both on disc and the concert platform throughout the world, including the Tallis Scholars, The Orlando Consort, The Oxford Camerata and Pro Cantione Antiqua and has performed solo roles for Sir Roger Norrington, Joshua Rifkin, Harry Christophers, Richard Hickox, Paul McCreesh, Phillipe Herreweghe, Robert King and Christopher Hogwood. His discography includes works by Hassler, Vivaldi, Haydn, Warlock, Howells, Poulenc, Janacek and Christopher Headington.

As a conductor he works principally with The Cardinall's Musick and together they have performed throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. He has become a widely acknowledged expert on music of the 16th and 17th centuries and is also known for the scholarly and entertaining way in which he introduces and narrates concerts, breaking down barriers between audience and performers and allowing the music to speak in an even more eloquent way. He has made contributions to numerous BBC Radio programmes and is often called upon to write notes and commentaries for many of the leading UK ensembles. Andrew has also worked as a guest conductor with the BBC Singers, The Sixteen, The King's Consort, Musica Reservata de Barcelona and the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and he is Director of the Schola Cantorum at the annual Edington Festival of Music and the Liturgy in Wiltshire.

Janet Coxwell

Since studying at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Jan has worked professionally as both solo and choral singer. While specialising in the field of Early Music, she embraces eclectically many musical modes - from Tallis and Purcell to backings for Bjork and soundtracks for Disney.

Jan has sung with The Academy of Ancient Music, The Sixteen, The English Concert, Gabrieli Consort, BBC Singers, CB90 and Scholars Baroque. Jan has been performing with the Tallis Scholars since 1991.

Jan works closely with Maidenhead composer Patrick Hawes, whose 10 song cycle The Call - written for her - she premiered with the English Chamber Orchestra in 1999. Their latest collaboration - a new album, Blue in Blue - features Jan's voice "like melting honey on freshly buttered toast" (BBC Radio 3) and the ECO. This has received considerable acclaim from both Radio 3 and Classic FM.

Her work with Patrick has launched her into th world of media music. What the Finanical Times describe as her "Bell-like tones" (Carissimi Jephte, Wigmore Hall) are heard regularly on TV, radio, film, classical recordings and the odd pop CD.

Jan enjoys travelling and performing all over the world with the Tallis Scholars. Closer to home, Jan has led choral workshops, adjudicated competitions, led vocal masterclasses and loves working with amateur singers of all ages.

Despite a busy schedule, Jan still finds time to teach singing at Cheam School in Hampshire and put her own 40-voice choir, The Cecilia Consort, through their paces for 2 concerts each year. She lives in Highclere with husband Andy and their 2 children Charlotte and Oliver.

Patrick Craig

Patrick Craig began singing as a chorister at Lichfield Cathedral, and went on to become Organ Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He then studied at the Royal College of Music with Ashley Stafford where he took lead roles in two Handel operas produced in conjunction with the London Handel Festival. He is currently a Vicar Choral in St Paul's Cathedral Choir and a member of the Tallis Scholars and the Cardinall's Musick. He also sings regularly with the Sixteen, Westminster Abbey Choir and the Gabrieli Consort. Patrick's recent solo engagements include Bach's St John Passion, Haydn's Nelson Mass and Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. Patrick is in demand as a teacher, and was for several years Head of Singing at Harrow School. He also works regularly as a conductor and harpist, particularly with the all-female professional choir, Aurora Nova, which he founded in 1996. Highlights so far in 2006 have included Concerts in Jerusalem and Greece with the Tallis Scholars, CD releases of Byrd and Guerrero, singing for the Queen's 80th birthday in St Paul's and taking the whole of February off with a trip to Australia.

Peter Phillips

Peter Phillips has made an impressive if unusual reputation for himself in dedicating his life's work to the research and performance of Renaissance sacred music. Having won a scholarship to Oxford in 1972, Peter Phillips studied Renaissance music with David Wulstan and Denis Arnold, and gained experience in conducting small vocal ensembles, already experimenting with the rarer parts of the repertoire.

Besides his work with The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips continues to work with other specialist ensembles. In 2004 he appeared with the Collegium Vocale of Ghent, broadcasting on French radio from the Saintes festival, and with the BBC Singers, broadcasting live on BBC Radio 3. He is scheduled to make repeat appearances with both in 2006 and beyond. In 2004 he made his debut with teh Vox Vocal Ensemble of New York, and in 2003 with Musix of Budapest. He gives numerous masterclasses and choral workshops every year around the world.

Peter is also well-known as a writer. For many years he contributed a regular column (as well as a cricket column) to The Spectator. In 1995 he became the Advisory Editor of The Musical Times, the oldest continuously published music journal in Europe. He has published two books: English Sacred Music 1549 - 1649, and What We Really Do, an unblinking account of what touring is like, alongside insights into the make-up and performance of polyphony.

Peter Phillips has made numerous television and radio broadcasts. Besides those featuring The Tallis Scholars (which include live broadcasts from the Proms. the Aldeburgh Festival, the Bath Festival and the Cheltenham Festival), he has appeared several times on Radio 3's Music Weekly and on the BBC World Service, on Kaleidoscope (Radio 4), on Today (Radio 4) and on European, Canadian and North American radio. In 2002 the Tallis Scholars made a special television documentary for the BBC about the life and times of William Byrd.

In 2005 Peter Phillips was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts at des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture and in 2006 his song-cycle for contralto "Four Rondeaux by Charles d'Orleans" was premiered in the Guggenheim, New York.

David Woodcock

David Woodcock began his musical education as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral under Dr Allan Wicks. He returned to Canterbury at the age of 16 and completed 2 years as Cathedral Organ Scholar before going up to Cambridge as Organ Scholar at Queens' College. During his three years at Cambridge, he directed Queens' College Chapel Choir, the St Margaret Society Chorus and Orchestra and the Gentleman of St John's. In September 1992, David was appointed Organist and Choirmaster at Oakham School, where from 1995-2005, he was Director of Music. Oakham has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its music education, and a large number of pupils go on to university with organ and choral awards. David has a deep commitment to fostering music education of excellence. He is a member of the MMA Academic Sub-Committee, MMA University Liaison committee, and was recently elected as a member of the council of the Royal College of Organists. David still finds time to perform. Recent engagements have included organ recitals at Cambridge and Oxford colleges, Coventry Cathedral, and singing as a bass with The Tallis Scholars and the Choir of the English Concert. In September 2005, David took up an appointment as Director of Music at Harrow School.

Tessa Bonner

Born in London, Tessa Bonner began her musical career working for BBC Television as a production assistant in Music and Arts. She then obtained a music degree at Leeds University, where she started singing lessons with Honor Sheppard of the Deller Consort. After continuing her vocal studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she became a member of various leading ensembles including the Tallis Scholars, Taverner Consort, Gabrieli Consort, King's Consort and New London Consort. She has appeared frequently at London's South Bank and Wigmore Hall, as well as performing extensively throughout Europe, the USA, Japan, Australia, Singapore and China. Recent concerts have included the Aldeburgh Festival with the Orlando Consort, the Brighton Early Music Festival with Musica Secreta and the Tallis Scholars and performances of the Monteverdi Vespers with the Gabrieli Consort at Christ Church, Spitalfields.

In addition to those with the Tallis Scholars, her numerous recordings include Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers, Bach's St John Passion and B minor Mass with the Taverner Consort, Monteverdi's Orfeo and Il Ballo delle Ingrate with the New London Consort, the Purcell Odes with the King's Consort, the Vivaldi Gloria and Bach Magnificat with Richard Hickox and Purcell's sacred music with Philippe Herreweghe.

Tessa has enjoyed teaching private singing pupils since 2000.

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