Matthew Jeffrey: Musical Director

Matthew works as a conductor, singer, and singing teacher in and around Exeter and the rest of Devon. His conducting career started in 2018, when he took over the Exeter University Singers, the University’s chamber choir. With this group he has covered repertoire ranging from Renaissance polyphony to music by living composers, and has collaborated with world-famous chamber choir, Voces8. While at University, he was the musical director of the University’s opera society, with whom he conducted fully staged performances of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, along with several concerts and orchestral galas. He also took over as the Musical Director of Budleigh Salterton Male Voice Choir in February 2023. Matthew teaches singing at Exeter Cathedral School and Blundell’s School in Tiverton, where he also helps to run choirs throughout the school, ranging from the chorister choir consisting of younger children, to the Cantorum, made up of the school’s most experienced singers. Matthew is a Tenor Lay Clerk, a full-time professional singer, in Exeter Cathedral choir, with whom he has been involved in a variety of concerts, singing solos in Bach’s St. John Passion, on Radio 3 broadcasts, and in concert with the world-renowned viol consort, Fretwork. He has a busy schedule as a solo singer around Devon and Somerset, with engagements including Bach’s B Minor Mass and St. John Passion, Handel’s Messiah, Purcell’s Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day and Hayden’s The Creation to name a few. Matthew was a member of the 11th Genesis Sixteen cohort, the highly competitive choral scholarship scheme run by The Sixteen, one of the country’s best choral ensembles.

  

Sandra Jepps: Accompanist


​Sandra has been our accompanist since 1995 when she answered our advertisement, in order to escape three toddlers.  She now accompanies two other choirs and is the organist at the Royal Marine Training Centre in Lympstone while teaching in a local primary school as her day job.  She obtained her music degree from the University of Huddersfield and her piano teaching diploma from Trinity College of Music. She studied piano with Peter Donohoe and composition with Richard Steinitz.

She is an invaluable member of the team, yet during our concerts she sits quietly in the audience. In our Anniversary Year we should like to give her enormous thanks for her many years helping us to learn our music. Long may it continue.

Andrew Millington: President

Andrew Millington’s career in Cathedral music has spanned some forty years, most recently as Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral (1999-2015).  He studied the organ at Worcester Cathedral before gaining an Organ Scholarship to Downing College, Cambridge. In 1975 he became Assistant Organist at Gloucester Cathedral where he was closely involved with The Three Choirs Festival. He held the conductorship of several notable choirs in the Midlands, two of which won major awards in the BBC competition “Let the Peoples Sing”.  

In 1983 he succeeded Philip Moore as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Guildford Cathedral. His work with the Guildford choir over a period of 16 years included tours throughout Europe and North America, numerous recordings and an appearance at the BBC Promenade Concerts. In addition to his Cathedral duties, he was closely involved with the Guildford International Music Festival, was conductor of Bracknell Choral Society, Diocesan Organs Advisor and Chairman of the RSCM Guildford Area.

Andrew has worked with several leading orchestras and he is well known as a recitalist. He has made several recordings as an organ soloist, including a highly-acclaimed DVD on the organ of Exeter Cathedral. He has played in most of the major venues in the UK, and in 1995 was organist for the Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall. He is an examiner for The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and a past President of the Cathedral Organists’ Association.
 
Since his arrival at Exeter, Andrew's work with the Cathedral Choir has included several broadcasts and recordings and highly successful tours of Russia, France, Norway and USA. He has been awarded honorary diplomas by the Guild of Church Musicians and the Royal School of Church Music. In 2003, he was appointed Director of Music of Exeter Philharmonic Choir and has conducted them in many of the major choral/orchestral works. His final performance with the choir was Elgar`s The Dream of Gerontius in 2017. He is the Honorary President of the St Cecilia Singers of Gloucester, Exmouth Choral Society and Axminster and District Choral Society. He is an active composer of church music and has had many works published.
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In 2015 he stepped down from his post at Exeter Cathedral  in order to pursue freelance musical activities and much neglected hobbies. 
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Officers and Committee Members
Committee and support team  
Chair: Liz Chowienczyk                 
Treasurer: Sarah Kellagher
Secretary: Nick Ricketts
​Minutes Secretary: Trudi Cotton
Webmaster: Ian McLauchlin
Membership Registrar: Anna Turner
Social activities organisers: Sue Jones, Heather Stratford