Chorister Staff
Rebecca Taylor – Acting Director of Music, Rugby School
Rebecca read music at Lincoln College, Oxford, where she was also Organ Scholar. She continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music gaining an MA in Piano Accompaniment and LRAM teaching diploma, later becoming a Junior Fellow to the Vocal Faculty and member of staff as an accompanist.
As both an organist and choral conductor she has broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 & 4, conducted and produced CD recordings and performed in the UK and abroad in venues such as Westminster Abbey, St. George’s Chapel Windsor, Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw and St Marks Venice.
Rebecca was Director of Music and Head of the Choristers at Hall Grove Prep School, responsible for all the training and directing of both girl and boy choristers. Rebecca’s international educational work has included working with the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine, Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra School and setting up and leading vocal outreach programmes for children in France and British Schools in Madrid in conjunction with the British Embassy.
Mark Penrose, Director of Music, Bilton Grange
Mark has been Director of Music at Bilton Grange Preparatory School since 2015 and has extensive experience teaching music to a wide range of ages, from reception to sixth form, including singing and leading choirs to the highest standards. He trained as a musician and teacher in Brisbane, Australia, where he was born, and has experience performing in choirs, operas and as a soloist. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Voice) and a Bachelor of Music Studies (Hons I) with a focus on vocal pedagogy from the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, a Bachelor of Education (Secondary)(Graduate Entry) with a Kodály focus from the University of Queensland, and a Master of Education (Leadership and Management) from the University of Buckingham. He is passionate about excellence in music and choral education and is currently a member of the Music Teachers’ Association Committee.
Mark supports The Rugby Choristers at Bilton Grange by ensuring that the choristers develop their instrumental playing and have opportunities to play in ensembles. He works closely with colleagues to ensure that the choristers grow as all round musicians by learning about the theory of music, composition and participating in masterclasses both as instrumentalists and vocalists. Mark also works with the staff of Bilton Grange to ensure the choristers can still be part of every aspect of school life whilst maintaining their busy schedule of rehearsals and services.
Ian Wicks, Head of Keyboard, Rugby School
Ian has a lifelong association with choral singing and choristers having worked at Salisbury Cathedral School as Director of Music, Chorister Liaison and Acting Assistant Organist at Salisbury Cathedral and earlier at Exeter Cathedral School as Acting Director of Music. Most recently he has been Headmaster of The Chorister School, Durham Cathedral and therefore brings a wealth of experience of three choir schools which allow Choristers to embrace all of school life whist maintaining their commitment to singing in the choir and their wider musical education. Ian is also a singer and sang as a Lay Clerk at St Alban’s Abbey with Dr Barry Rose and Andrew Lucas and before this was a Choral Scholar at Exeter Cathedral and Organ Scholar at Exeter University Chapel. He has been a chorister parent of both a boy and a girl chorister and understands the commitment choristers and their families make to experience the joys and professional training that they will receive. Ian’s philosophy is that music is for everyone and he has been at the forefront of music outreach into primary schools throughout his career, developing programmes that led to the government SingUp! campaign and the programmes that now operate across the country.
Ian is the organist to The Rugby Choristers at Bilton Grange and plays for their services in Rugby School Chapel; he also oversees the Organ Scholars from Rugby School who play for services at Bilton Grange Chapel. Ian takes rehearsals and supports the programme by working closely with Bilton Grange staff in collaboration with his wife, Elizabeth, the Chorister Liaison.
Matthew Sandy, Head of Vocal Studies, Rugby School
Matthew studied Music at King’s College, Cambridge, where he held a choral scholarship and sang with King’s College choir, directed by Stephen Cleobury. He went on to specialise in singing at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
He has extensive experience as a choral conductor and choir trainer, and is currently vocal coach to the boy and girl choristers at Coventry Cathedral.
As a performer, Matthew has an extensive concert portfolio, performing as a soloist at venues including Barbican Concert Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square and Amsterdam Concertgebouw, as well as for BBC television and radio broadcasts. He has sung with the London Symphony Orchestra, the English Concert and the Academy of Ancient Music. His specialism is for English song, collaborating with leading academics and practitioners. Recent projects have included recitals, lectures and staged works for the Britten-Pears Foundation at the Red House in Aldeburgh. In opera and staged works, Matthew has worked with Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Matthew takes rehearsals and conducts the choirs in services in Rugby School Chapel in collaboration with Rebecca Taylor.
Emily Bradshaw-Gibson – professional singer and vocal coach at Rugby School
Emily is a singing teacher at Rugby School, as well as a professional classical soprano. A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Emily completed an MMus in Vocal Studies and Opera while studying with soprano Mary Plazas. Prior to RNCM, Emily completed an Mst in Music from the University of Oxford, as well as a BMus in Classical voice performance from McGill University with a minor in Early Music.
As a soloist, Emily has a passion for performing early opera and has performed with companies such as the Opéra National de Paris, Hamstead Garden Opera, Benslow Music, and New Chamber Opera. Emily also has a keen interest in contemporary music, with particular interest in working with composers on new works, and has performed in venues such as Wigmore Hall and Sage Gateshead.
Emily’s choral experience ranges from singing with VOCES8 as a scholar to singing with Consensus Vocalis in the Netherlands. While attending Oxford she was a Lay Clerk at St Michael at the North Gate and Pusey House, as well as holding an Oxford Bach Soloists scholarship.
Edward McMullan – professional singer and vocal coach at Rugby School
Edward McMullan – professional singer and vocal coach at Rugby School.
Since graduating from York with a first-class honours degree, Edward has held positions in the choirs of Gloucester Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and from 2012 to 2025 was a member of the world-famous choir of Westminster Cathedral.
Now living with his wife and daughter in Rugby, Edward teaches at Rugby School and regularly sings with the school’s vocal ensembles and The Rugby Choristers at Bilton Grange. His passion for ensemble music has seen him perform with the country’s finest choirs including The Tallis Scholars, Tenebrae, ORA and Ex Cathedra. Edward was the chorister vocal coach for the choir of Coventry Cathedral from 2023-2025.
Since 2015 Edward has been a member of The Sixteen and as well as performing around the world with the group is involved with their education and outreach work. This includes chorister workshops in churches and cathedrals up and down the country and tutoring consort groups for Genesis Sixteen, The Sixteen’s young artist scheme which Edward was a member of in its inaugural year.
Elizabeth Wicks, Chorister Liaison
As Chorister Liaison, Elizabeth Wicks provides pastoral support and chaperoning for the choristers and is a point of contact for parents about chorister routines. She also provides a voice within school for the choristers helping to shape their schedule, allowing them to embrace all that school life brings and ensuring there is good liaison and communication both within school and with parents. Mrs Wicks brings a wealth of experience of working in two Choir Schools in similar roles and has been a Chorister parent as well. She is a keen amateur singer and sings with the Arnold Singers at Rugby School.
