Dr ANDREW PADMORE, MA; D.Mus; Cert Ed; FTCL; FLCM; LRAM; ARCM; ARCO (CHM); FFCM; A.Cert.CM; FCSM; F.Coll.P; FRSA. Andrew Padmore was born in Birmingham and studied conducting under Sir Adrian Boult. His main instruments are organ and piano, although he has also played violin and trombone professionally. However, he has also made a special study of the human voice and its use in singing, and is now mainly involved in Choral activities.
Following the post of Director of Music in an old-established Midlands’ Grammar School, in 1978 he moved to Ireland for a career in Cathedral Music, where he became Organist and Master of the Choristers at Belfast Cathedral. He returned to England to freelance in 1988 and now works mainly as an International Choral Conductor and vocal specialist.
CAROL SCHRODER, LLAM (Speech); LLAM (Acting), PGCA.
From an early age Carol trained in drama, dance and singing. She worked in the professional theatre, television and in cabaret where she produced her own one woman show. During this time she gained her teaching qualifications in speech and drama subsequently teaching at drama schools and colleges including Guildford School of Acting, Grandison College and for twenty two years at the Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts. She has recently retired from Croham Hurst School, Croydon, having relocated to Harrogate, North Yorkshire to be nearer her family.
Norma Redfearn trained at the Northern College of Speech and Drama and researched at Leicester University.
She began her acting career in Rep’, and then performed in professional tours all over the UK. As an examiner for Trinity College, London, she has examined students, lectured and performed on every continent, as well as setting and marking written examinations. She received the Chairman’s Award for services to Trinity.
MARGARET J SMITH, LRAM, GRSM
Born and brought up in Skipton, North Yorkshire, and an enthusiastic participant in local festivals from a very young age, Margaret Smith studied the piano, initially with Fanny Waterman, and then at the Royal Academy of Music, with the violin as an additional first study. Now living in Leeds, she has spent many years in musical education with both singers and instrumentalists, having been the Director of Music for twenty years at one of the most highly regarded independent girls’ schools in Yorkshire, where her Girls’ choirs enjoyed a prestigious reputation. During this time, and for 14 years, she was a Moderator for the composition and performance elements of GCSE Music.
GARETH GREEN, MA (Oxon), MA (Leeds), FRCO (CHM), FLCM, ARCM
GARETH GREEN, MA (Oxon), MA (Leeds), FRCO (CHM), FLCM, ARCM
Gareth Green achieved his first musical diplomas at the age of fifteen. By the age of 18, he had collected the Dixon and Turpin prizes for FRCO and was already engaged as a recitalist around Europe. Following his time as a junior Exhibitioner at the Royal College of Music, Gareth spent a year at St Paul’s Cathedral in London as Organ Scholar before going up to Worcester College, Oxford, again as Organ Scholar. On graduation, he became Organ Scholar at Canterbury Cathedral before taking up the position of Assistant Organist at Wakefield Cathedral in 1983. In 1985, he was appointed Director of Music at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, leaving in 1990 to pursue his freelance interests as an organ recitalist, accompanist, adjudicator, Associated Board examiner and composer/arranger.
ELIZABETH L LINKLATER, Cert. Ed. MA, was born and educated in London beginning her ongoing relationship with the North of England when she accepted a place at Scarborough’s North Riding College of Education (Hull University) to train as a teacher. There she specialised in teaching Drama and also in the Early Years. After returning to London, she worked as a teacher rising to deputy headship and gaining a Master of Arts Degree in School and Educational Management at Kingston University. Being a writer herself she has always been a fierce advocate of the written and spoken word. She returned to live in the North in 1992.
In 2005 Elizabeth was granted a place on the Arts Council-funded Yorkshire Art Circus Writer Development Programme in 2005 where she was able to develop her own writing and also to come to an understanding of how she could combine her two passions: writing and education.
Elizabeth is now a Working Writer living in York. She works on her own projects whilst acting as a Creative Writing Facilitator. She creates and runs her own courses and workshops and is keen to get others engaged in the processes of reading and writing. She works with adults and with children; in schools, libraries, parks, museums, art galleries and literature festivals.
MARIE DIXON ALCM, LLCM (Performance), FLCM, LGSM, (S/D Teaching), MSTSD.
Since an early age, Marie Dixon has been involved in the theatre
performing in Liturgical Drama, Lancashire comedies and pantomime,
after which she appeared in Musical comedy in Pyjama Game, Carousel,
The Sound of Music, Rose Marie to name a few. She is a fully
trained Mezzo Soprano and became an Equity Member in 1974. Marie
has appeared in many Television programmes, Radio and Rep and
throughout this time she formed her own Music Hall Company specialising
in the Victorians and Marie Lloyd.
Marie has been teaching Speech and Drama for thirty five years, having
devised and directed many shows for children, and several of her
students are now television performers. At present she is in
demand for
Adjudicators 
