JAMES GRIFFETT tenor

Founder member of Pro Cantione Antiqua, James Griffett's solo career has covered such prestigious venues and events as the Salzburg Festival, English Bach Festival, Berlin Festival, Flanders Festival, Festival Estival de Paris, Savonlinna Opera Festival, etc.. His appearances in these and many other famous places have taken him all over the world to East and Western Europe, South America, Hong Kong, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Singapore, El Salvadore and Mexico. He has sung as a solo guest with many well known choirs including the Royal Choral Society, King's College Cambridge, Hannover Knabenchor, Tolzer Knabenchor, Montserrat Choir of Spain, Aachener Domchor, Regesburger Domspatzen to name but a few.. His broadcast and TV performances have been with the BBC, WDR, Yorkshire Television, Radio France, BRT Belgium, NOS Hilversum, etc.

A prolific recording artist, his CD releases include

Bach's "St.John Passion" (evangelist and tenor arias)
Mozart's "Requiem"
Charpentier's "Te Deum"
Biber's "Missa St. Henrici"
Handel's "Messiah"
Stainer's "Crucifixion"
Folk Song arrangements by Haydn & Beethoven
Songs by Robert Burns arranged by
Britten's "Abraham & Isaac"
Purcell's "Oedipus"

on such major labels as CBS, DGG ARCHIV, POLYDOR, CARLTON, HYPERION, MERIDIAN, CAMPION, DECCA, ARS MUSICI, FOXGLOVE, ASV & TELDEC. His recent record contract with REGIS RECORDS, one of the foremost companies to exploit Internet sales, as well as the conventional record shop outlet, has resulted in four records that have received excellent reviews and sales, even though their contents are so diverse - Benjamin Britten, Monteverdi, Grandi plus Victorian and, released in January 2002, Edwardian ballads. Further recent releases include a CD of Folk Songs arranged by classical composers (Britten, Burgon, Vale, etc.) with the guitarist Timothy Walker for Regis, authentic music from the time of Shakespeare entitled "Shakespeare's England" for Griffin Records - who supply CD recordings for record bookshops in venues such as Buckingham Palace, Stratford Old Vic and Westminster Abbey.

He is also featured on all the 80 plus CDs of the ensemble he co-founded - PRO CANTIONE ANTIQUA - including the "Essential Gregorian Chant" CD that rose to being in the top 10 Classical CDs in the 1995 UK and USA list, rising to No.1 in Australia!!

Teaching

Over the past 10 years he has added teaching to his musical activities. He is the director and teacher of the Bradford Grammar School Choral Scholars and founder of Northern Youth. He has also been involved in vocal workshops, giving solo lessons and master classes in Milan, Florence, Berlin, Cardiff, the Prague Conservatoire, Barcelona, Wratslav, Valtice, Brno University, El Salvador, Quimper and the Antwerp Conservatoire. In the Grimsby Triennial International Singing Competition the English Song prize has only twice been won by a non English singer. These two singers came from the Czech Republic and from Italy. Both were taught by James Griffett! Recently he has been involved in master classes for the Antwerp Conservatoire, in particular their presentation of Purcell's "Dido & Aeneas" where he directed three performances.

David Beavan

David Beavan has performed a very wide range of music, both as a singer and as a conductor. Singing with the Swingle Singers all over the world developed interests in many different musical styles and periods. He continues to sing as a soloist and as a consort singer with the Hilliard Ensemble and Pro Cantione Antiqua.

As a conductor he directed the Choral Society of Westfield College, London, and since 1985 he has been the Musical Director of the Market Harborough Singers. In 1990 he formed a group of young professional singers, Serenata Voices, in order to perform many different styles of music.