Our President

From her early experiences of performing in Welsh Eisteddfodau Marilynne has developed a lifelong passion and enthusiasm for all aspects of performance.Having studied piano, voice and cello at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama she took a Masters Degree in Education and became Head of the School of Performance at York St John University

As a conductor she has trained and conducted orchestras and choirs on a regular basis, some of whom have performed on BBC and ITV. The largest ensemble was a choir of 1100 school children and the smallest a Chamber

Choir of 40 voices with whom she toured abroad on many occasions. Currently she is Deputy Music Director of the 140+ Harrogate Choral Society, director of the Harrogate Polyphonic Choir and of a small vocal ensemble”Beati”.

Her own performing experience has included singing with professional orchestras and choirs, giving solo recitals and solo parts in opera. She now has a practice as a vocal and choral consultant. 

As an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals she is well established and has adjudicated nationally and internationally. She was one of the four music adjudicators at the British Federation Festival of Festivals in Warwick and one of the presenters at the Millennium Festival in Leeds. She has been a regular adjudicator at the National Festival for Music for Youth and at the biennial Yorkshire and Humberside Championship for Festival winners. In October 2011 she was honoured to be made one of the first Adjudicator Fellows of the Federation and is now Chairman of the Fellows.

The promotion of the arts particularly Music has been a lifelong interest and she was Chairman of the Yorkshire Region of the National Federation of Music Societies for many years. She served on the committee of both the Harrogate Concert Society and the Grantley Hall Concert Society and until recently she was on the Council of the Association of British Choral Directors and Chairman of the Yorkshire Regional Committee. She is currently president of the Harrogate Male Voice Choir

When not involved in music making she enjoys playing social Bridge, collecting English enamel patch boxes and walking.