Petra Weijers
I have loved singing from the time I was a babe-in-arms so to speak. As a young adult it became increasingly clear to me that really good singing involves much more than a love of music and enthusiasm for singing and I decided to make singing my profession. I completed my classical solo singing studies at the conservatory in 2000. After that I set up my own teaching practice in Rotterdam and performed regularly as a soloist. In 2011 I expanded my teaching practice to Delft where I finally came to live in 2015. There I conduct ’t Baghijnekoor of the Oud-Katholieke kerk and also organise various choral projects. The walk-in choir formula, by now a byword on the estate Op Hodenpijl in Schipluiden, is something I first started in Rotterdam where I conducted the Collegium Caccini chamber choir up until the end of 2015. In addition to giving individual singing lessons, over the years I have developed and realised various choral and vocal projects for amateur singers. For example, I have been organising and leading an annual singing holiday in Austria since 2005. I also worked for a year as a teacher at what was then the Zangschool Zuid-Holland, now called the Academy of Vocal Arts, a hotbed for top children’s choirs. It was there that my dream of starting my own choir school with choir classes for children as well as adults was first born. My choir school came into being in 2016. In Delft. As far as I’m concerned, there can never be too much enthusiastic, good singing in the historic Bagijnhof where music has played an important role since time immemorial. I find working with amateur singers the most enjoyable thing there is. Through good coaching, ‘classically sound’ but with fun contemporary methods, they can achieve a great deal. Good singing instruction increases their pleasure in music enormously and that’s what it’s all about for me! In my opinion, the joy of singing is nowhere greater than in a choir where singing together well and with pleasure can be a magical experience. Choristers will know exactly what I mean!
Associates
Gertine Hoefnagel
Gertine Hoefnagel studied organ and church music at the Codarts conservatorium in Rotterdam where she is currently studying choral conducting.
She gives organ recitals throughout the Netherlands and is engaged as church organist at the Ikazia Hospital in Rotterdam. She also conducts several choirs and project choirs and teaches organ, piano and choral conducting at several music schools. In addition to her musical pursuits, she is also studying for a master’s degree in food technology in Wageningen.
Gertine is repetiteur of the Delft Children’s Choir and Delft Youth Choir and gives solfège lessons.
David Hurley
David Hurley is a British countertenor who sang with the globally acclaimed and immensely popular a cappella sextet The King’s Singers. David began his musical life at the age of 8 as a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, later going on to Winchester College before gaining a place at New College, Oxford. On leaving university, he embarked on a career as a freelance singer. In 1989 he was offered the chance to audition as first countertenor in The King’s Singers, replacing Jeremy Jackman early in 1990. Over the next 26 years he toured the world with The King’s Singers. He also made many recordings with them, including a multi-tracked version of Thomas Tallis’s 40-part piece Spem in Alium (2006), and the Grammy Award winning album “Simple Gifts” (2008). In 2016, David handed over to a (much) younger singer, and embarked on a new career in music education. He now teaches at his old school, Winchester College, and is vocal coach at Portsmouth Cathedral. Since 2017, David has been a regular guest teacher at Koorschool Delft where he leads the unique falsetto choir, and also gives singing lessons and workshops for individuals, choirs and ensembles.
Rik van der Ouw
Rik was already teaching piano and guitar at various music schools when he was still studying at the Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam. In 2015 he graduated with honours from the pop music department of Codarts, majoring in bass guitar and minoring in piano. Since 2017 he also fills in there as a music theory teacher. Rik has extensive experience on stage and in studio work, and also as a composer and arranger for both small and large ensembles including the Metropole Orkest. His specialties are instrumental jazz and fusion. All this reveals a special talent for music theory, a subject he enthusiastically encourages his students of all levels to explore. Rik is a member of Marutyri. He makes arrangements for this band and also writes the music for it in collaboration with other band members: www.marutyri.com
And also:
Janine Overbosch speech therapist – voice coach Logopediepraktijk Oudedijk
Jeroen de Ridder organist and pianist
Oscar Bouwmans pianist and sound engineer Oscar Bouwmans
Randall Trehar pianist
Tytsia de Jong pianist
Guus Westdorp pianist Guuswestdorp
Jacqueline Janssen virtual sidekick TweeJees
Judi Haynes-Smart English translations Haynes-Smart
And many volunteers!