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Musical Director		Graham Coatman who succeeded Carol Cook as Musical Director in January 2024 was inspired to learn piano after hearing the legendary Artur Rubenstein playing Chopin at the age of 9. He has never looked back. His principal piano teacher was the eminent accompanist David Willison, and he has played as accompanist at many concert halls around the UK, including London’s Wigmore Hall. Now he enjoys a varied career as conductor and musical director, piano accompanist, continuo player and as composer & arranger. He also works as a creative projects and workshop leader. He gained a music degree at Bristol University, following this with postgrad studies at Nottingham and Huddersfield Universities. He has been Musical Director and composer, working on musicals and opera, for shows that have been performed from Canada to Canberra, Australia! He has appeared on TV with Robson Green, directing Haalin’ the Lines, a community history project with 6 community choirs, brass band and soloists in Northumberland, working with Geordie singer-songwriter Tim Dalling. As UK representative on the Erasmus+ project ADDUP, he has worked with choirs, training choral directors, across France, Italy and Poland as well as the UK. As a Senior Lecturer at Leeds College of Music for several years, he taught piano & composition at all levels, ensemble coaching and directed choirs, continuing this more recently at Bath Spa University. Currently he is Musical Director of Salisbury Community Choir, with 130 singers, with whom he will be touring to France in July 2024, with orchestra and soloists, in centenary celebrations for Fauré’s Requiem, and music by Palmeri (Misa Tango), Stanford, Ešenvalds, Gjeilo and Lauridsen. Note: To read Geoff Wickham’s obituary click HERE
Accompanist		Diana Williams took over as accompanist in March 2019 following the sad death of Hazel Wickham who had been accompanist for the choir for over 47 years. Diana was born in Stoke-on-Trent and started piano lessons at the age of seven. She came to live in Yate in 1984 and has been a member of the Yate Choral Society since 1986.