Jack Pickford (1983 – 2010)
Jack Pickford comes from Anglesey. He studied Music at York.
Jack taught music at Hadfield School in the early 1980s. Later he spent 15 years as Head of Music at a secondary school in Oldham. He was also organist at Oldham Parish Church from 1982 to 1987 and at Glossop Parish Church from 2000.
Jack founded The Pennine Singers in 1983 and directed them until 2010. Under Jack’s direction, the choir worked with many distinguished singers, organists and other musicians, including instrumentalists from the BBC Philharmonic; they also undertook weekend visits to English Cathedrals and Abbeys, including Hereford, Lichfield, Worcester, Chester, Lincoln, Coventry and Tewksbury.
In 2014, Jack took up the post of director of music at Holy Trinity Church, Hereford.
Marco Bellasi (2012 – 2014)
Marco Bellasi studied violin, composition and conductig at the Conservatorium G. Verdi of Milan and studied lyric singing privately as a bass-baritone. As a conductor he studied with Daniele Agiman. After graduating, he became Agiman’s assistant for many opera productions with the “Orchestra Rossini di Pesaro.
He graduated with a Masters Degree in conducting at the RNCM, and has just finished his appointment as Junior-Fellows conductor. In addition to the RNCM orchestra, he has worked with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the Halle Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble 10/10, the official chamber orchestra of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Elizabeth Brocklehurst (2014 – 2023)
Elizabeth Brocklehurst read English at Exeter University where she was a member of the University Chamber Choir (The Exeter Singers) and the Chamber Orchestra. Thus music began as a hobby for Liz but, as her career has progressed, music has gradually taken greater prominence. Trained as a Primary School teacher, in recent years she has worked at Oldham Music Service ‘where she delivers Curriculum Music in schools. Liz has a DipABRSM in Singing, gained a distinction in the ABCD Intermediate Conducting Course and in 2013, she completed a MA in Education (Music).
At the end of 2022 we said farewell to our Musical Director of seven years, Liz Brocklehurst. Liz joined the Pennine Singers as a soprano over 20 years ago, so we were very fortunate when someone who understood the choir so well agreed to step up following the departure of our previous MD.
Liz has led the choir in over 20 concerts and other performances, and three cathedral weekends at Coventry, Tewkesbury and Gloucester. Her contribution to the choir these past 20 years, and especially during her time as MD, has been immense.