Musical Director


Since January 2006 the Sandgate Singers have sung under the musical direction of Zoë Peate.

Zoë trained at Trinity College of Music, where she was awarded the Lady Maud Warrender Prize for outstanding achievements in singing and musicianship, and at the Else Mayer Lismann Opera Workshop.

 


Following her debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, her extensive concert and recital engagements have given her platform at the Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the Fields, St James - Piccadilly, the South Bank and also many provincial and overseas venues. Zoë has twice performed by invitation in the Brighton International Festival.

Operatic roles have included Cherubino "The Marriage of Figaro", Belinda "Dido & Aeneas", Anne Page "The Merry Wives of Windsor" Annchen "Der Freischutz", the Witch "Hansel & Gretel", Jill-all-alone "Merry England", Marguerite "Faust", Lola Cavalleria Rusticana, Gianetta L’Elisir d’amore’ , Papagena “Magic Flute” and the lead in many G & S operettas. Her versatility and energetic personality and her passion for musical education took her on an educational tour of London schools presenting operatic excerpts. She also co-founded the opera group "Scenario" with her husband and accompanist Gary Prior - performing staged operatic excerpts inspired by her work at the Else Mayer-Lismann Opera Workshop.

As well as performing, Zoë also directs and trains a number of choirs. Various West Sussex choirs, of which she is the Musical Director, have performed by invitation at a number of stately homes including Parham House, St Mary’s House Bramber and Petworth House. She has also conducted the Sixpence Singers, a 30 strong children's choir in Henfield, taken part in the West Sussex ‘Sing Out’ project and was invited to conduct the Bi-annual Carol Concert for the West Sussex WI in Chichester Cathedral on two occasions.
As Musical Director she led the Pulborough & District Gilbert & Sullivan Society through many successful productions and to the 2003 Waterford International Festival of Light Opera at which the Company won a special award for ‘Sheer Entertainment’.

In early 2004 she started under the name of Cantatrice two Choirs, one in Steyning and the other in Horsham, both of which have been acclaimed for their performances. 

Sandgate Singers, Storrington, West Sussex Tel: 01798 813088 or 01903 743761

Web design by Forward Marketing
© Sandgate Singers 2008