Cantabile Past - 3

. . . / continued

Nick left to join the team on the BBC TV science programme Tomorrow's World. From there he moved to Scotland and became a producer for the BBC in Aberdeen. He subsequently became a partner in a major independent production company in Scotland, then more recently opened a hotel in the Cairngorms. His place was filled by Paul Hull, who contributed to Cantabile's many successes in the late eighties and for almost all the nineties. He left at the end of 1998 to pursue his own blossoming career as a solo cabaret artiste; he also co-founded the chain of Limelight Theatre Schools, which operate out of North London, and in which he takes a personal, guiding interest.

Next to go was Stewart - in the spring of 1991 - who has gone on to many great things: as a journalist he contributes regularly to Classical Music magazine, and he has for some years now been Artistic Director of both Henley Festival and the Barbados Festival the swine. His alter ego , The After Dinner Singer, has kept him busy with singing - his accompanist being Andy Read, who played keyboards in Blondel and who himself has a fine list of Cantabile credits to his name. The Herculean task of taking over from Stew fell to Mark, who assumed the part with consummate ease. The rest is history. Mark's first appearance on record was on Cantabile in Cambridge...

Then Bob went. No-one knows quite what happened to him, but it seems he may have been captured by aliens, who eventually rejected him. He came back - obviously - but the Mystery Years while he was away (end of 1991 to autumn, 1996) gave the other members of Cantabile the opportunity to work with yet more new stimulating young singers. First in Bob's shoes was William Purefoy, who came to Cantabile with the distinction of being a counter-tenor who also played jazz trumpet in the jive band, the Honkin' Hepcats . Bill features on our album A Tribute to Hollywood, both singing and playing. He left at the end of 1994, after (but not because of!) Cantabile's first tour of the States. In fact, he returned to College. He had studied Maths in Oxford, but now joined the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to gain him the necessary experience to set him on what is looking like a great career in classical music.

So Cantabile's third 'permanent' counter-tenor arrived - this time from the Emerald Isle: Morgan Crowley. Morgan had gained a wealth of singing experience in Ireland - as a baritone! England - and London in particular - has always offered the greatest opportunities for the counter-tenor, so Cantabile benefited from Morgan's decision to come and live here. Amongst the many places we visited while Morgan was with Cantabile, he made four trips to the States, and the first visit to South Africa. Happily, his contribution to the progress of the group is also captured forever on CD: Cantabile Live in Cape Town! He was remarkable in the Stephen Oliver Trilogy - almost his last gig before leaving in the autumn of 1996. Since then Morgan has continued to travel extensively, for the simple reason that he went straight into Riverdance - as the solo baritone! This is not say he forsook his counter-tenor voice; nor, indeed England - he is presently touring the UK (in a dress) in Chicago!

Next on the Honours Board, replacing Paul at the beginning of 1999, is Steve Trowell. Steve's time with Cantabile seems at once long and short. We did so many different things during his period of tenure - from recording our album of Comedian Harmonists' material, to touring in Germany (including our three weeks at Berlin's Bar jeder Vernunft) to bringing in the new Millennium together in the snows of Sweden - it's hard to believe that he was with us for less than two years. Steve is now working his way up the ladder of the Pop industry, together with his friends in that great six-piece a cappella band, the Magnets. Make sure you get to see them if you can.

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