Vocal Coach/Arranger
Caroline Sceats B.A. (Hons)
Caroline, originally from Bristol, trained at The University of Salford, where she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts. Caroline began her career performing in Celebrating Gospel at The Royal Albert Hall, London, and The Opera House, Covent Garden.
Following this she took a lead role in the touring smash hit production of The Songs of Sister Act, appearing alongside Sheila Ferguson at some of the UK’s most prestigious theatres. Caroline has also appeared as a lead vocalist alongside Marti Webb, Stephen Gately and Maria Friedman in Christmas on Broadway at The O2, London.
Caroline has worked extensively as a vocal arranger for numerous professional theatre touring productions and one off musical theatre concerts. These include Movies in Motion (UK Tour), Hollywood Hits (UK Tour), The Best of Broadway (Palace Theatre, Manchester) and 21st Century Pop (Plaza Theatre, Stockport). Caroline was also the Musical Director of Godspell at Manchester’s Dance House Theatre.
Caroline has a strong background in Gospel music which has helped her to develop an excellent musical ear; she has worked with numerous vocal choirs, most notably as a lead singer on tour with The London Community Gospel Choir. Caroline loves creating and teaching complex vocal harmonies and often writes original vocal arrangements for her productions. Caroline has worked with large casts and also delivers one to one vocal coaching across the North West; she is extremely excited to be working with the Manchester Show Choir and is looking forward to working with the talented vocalists from across Greater Manchester.
Musical Director
Andrew J Smith M.A. B.A. (Hons)
Composer, Animateur and Pianist Andrew J Smith was born in Stockport, Cheshire in 1985. His musical education began at William Hulme’s Grammar School where he was awarded the D.M. Williams Memorial Prize for Music. Since then, Andrew has successfully completed a BA (Hons) Music Studies degree at Leeds College of Music and although having received postgraduate study offers from Durham and York Universities, remained at Leeds to study his MA in Composition under Dr David Fligg and Prof Barry Russell. Andrew was awarded with the Sir Michael Grady Prize for Composition during his final year at LCM.
In addition to the role Musical Director for Manchester Show Choir, Andrew is also Composer In Residence 2009/10 for the Lancashire Sinfonietta and Music and the Deaf – a position which will involve working on a unique project, ‘Sign Up’. Including the arrangements Andrew will be writing for the Manchester Show Choir, some previous and most notable compositions include works written for, amongst other ensembles, ‘The Wakefield Youth Orchestra’, ‘The West Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra’, ‘The Owls’, ‘Opera North’, ‘ The Goldberg Ensemble’, and musicians from ‘The London Sinfonietta’. In Film and Musical Theatre Andrew has worked for ‘Opera North’, ‘York Theatre Royal’ and ‘North West Vision and Media’.
As a pianist, Andrew has performed for a number of musical productions including ‘Grease’, ‘Oliver’, ‘Bugsy Malone’, ‘Cabaret’ and ‘My Fair Lady’. As an accompanist Andrew has performed for ABRSM candidates and choral societies with most notable performances being at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall and Manchester Cathedral.
Andrew is dedicated to working in Music education and is regularly employed by many different arts organizations and institutions for long and short-term projects.
“My objective as a Musical Director, Animateur or Workshop Leader is to develop the quality of music-making in both private and public sectors within diverse social and cultural settings. I have always attempted to remain up to date with emerging trends and developments in the cultural sector and I believe as a result of this, I am able to realise both what exactly people I come into contact with desire in a music programme, and what music can offer them in return.
Ultimately, my approach to music delivery, in whichever project or workshop I am delivering is to achieve all objectives with an overall policy of open creativity. I wish for people to be creative and attempt to express themselves through sound and music.”
