Richard Vendome, Musical Director

Richard founded the Oxford Girls' Choir in 1984 to fill a gap in Oxford's musical life, which then had plenty of choral opportunities for boys, but few for girls. He had previously performed as a countertenor and directed choirs in Oxford, his home town, and London. His special interests include musicology, keyboard playing, conducting and the psychology of music-making. Over the past twenty years he has encouraged the choir to commission many new works from young composers.

Richard studied organ, piano and composition at the Royal College of Music, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists before winning a scholarship to the Queen's College, Oxford, continuing his keyboard studies with James Dalton and later with Susi Jeans. He has performed both at home and abroad, most recently in Malta, Norway and the USA, and is organist of Littlemore Parish Church.

His development of algorithms for the computerized editing and printing of music, inspired by research on choral and keyboard manuscripts at Christ Church library in the 1970s, was among the first in its field. Richard has held British Technology Group and Leverhulme research fellowships at Oxford University and was awarded the British Computer Society Medal in 1990. He has taught techniques of composition and music history for Queen's and St Hilda's Colleges, and advises on the design and conservation of pipe organs. His special interests include the psychology of music and female musical traditions, such as the Venetian female choral tradition and Hildegard of Bingen.

Penelope Martin-Smith, Associate Musical Director and Oxford Boys' Choir

Penny read music at Goldsmiths' College, University of London, and has a diploma in singing from the Guildhall School of Music. A coloratura soprano, her career as a performer and teacher spans the whole range of vocal music from medieval to modern, including American, English, French, German and Italian song. She is equally at home in plainchant, opera and jazz.

Her recordings include We're all in business now (Ramsbottom / Goodall), Songs for Unicorns, Music for Liner Days and The Song of the Rose (Gift of Music), and Classics for Cats (Past Times).

In the world of opera she is an experienced performer of Handel (Galatea in Acis and Galatea, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare) and Mozart Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Constanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, and both Susanna and the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro). She has also sung Romantic and 20th century opera (Richard Strauss: Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Donizetti: Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda, Britten: Mrs Noah in Noyes Fludde and Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes, and Tippett: Bella in The Midsummer Marriage).

In oratorio Penny has performed the soprano solos in the Bach's St John and St Matthew Passions, Mass in B minor and Christmas Oratorio, Handel's Judas Maccabaeus and Messiah, Mozart's Mass in C minor and Requiem, Haydn's The Creation and The Seasons, Verdi's Requiem and Orff's Carmina Burana.

Jane Brown, Oxford Prep Choir

Jane read sociology and economics at Durham University, where she sang in St Aidan's choir and the university choral society. She was also technical director of the University Theatre. Jane took over "Musical Originals" from Imogen Crowcroft in 1990 (musical activities for children aged 6 months - 7 years).

Camilla Stephenson, Oxford Prep Choir

Camilla studied music and education at Homerton College, Cambridge, where she also sang in the choir of Downing College and played the flute in the CUMS orchestra. She taught at The Hall School, Hampstead and St Andrew's School, Pangbourne before founding "Semiquavers" (music classes for pre-school age children) in 1991. Camilla is now Director of Music at the Oxford High School pre-prep department at The Squirrel.

Joyce Morris, Oxford Girls' Junior Choir and musicianship tutor

Joyce read music at Bristol University before returning to her native Leeds to teach at Lawnswood High School. The different positions that she held during her teaching career brought her into contact with young people across the complete school age range. Her last post before her retirement was as Director of Music in the Junior Department of Oxford High School. Under her direction the choir went from strength to strength and were finalists in the first BBC Songs of Praise Competition in 2003. She is the rehearsal accompanist for Woodstock Music Society and sings with Kidlington Church Choir. Her daughter Catherine was a founder member of Oxford Girls' Choir.