Our Conductor, MICHAEL BLACKLEY.

and accompanist, KATHRYN BARTLETT

Michael Blackley was born in Orpington and educated at Bromley County Grammar School. As a Treble he sang at Christ Church, Orpington and sang solos in the School Choir and for local organisations.
He won classes for Singing, Piano solo, and Piano duet at the Orpington Festival, classes being adjudicated by Sheila Mossman.
National Service took him to Hong Kong where he was accepted to sing Tenor in the Cathedral Choir.
On his return to England a vacancy occurred at Southwark Cathedral, where on being appointed, the Organist suggested he should study full time. This led to Kent awarding him, in 1958, a County Major Award for Solo Singing at the Guildhall School of Music, where besides Singing he studied Piano, Composition, and Conducting. In his second year he won the School Tenor Prize and the School Sight Singing Prize, Jacqueline du Pré winning the Gold Medal.
In 1960 a Full time post was offered at Westminster Cathedral where he spent two happy informative years singing Plainsong and learning Masses and Motets.
In 1962 he competed successfully for a vacancy at St Paul's Cathedral, where he sang at many important occasions among which were Services for Sir Winston Churchill, J.F. Kennedy, the Queen's Jubilee (being awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal) the Wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and many other State occasions. Concert tours with the Cathedral Choir included, America (twice), Canada, and Holland (twice). He was a member of the "Linden Singers" (with whom he broadcast regularly on Friday Night is Music Night) and travelled extensively in Britain performing to Music Societies (including an Arts Council tour of Northern Ireland), "The Ambrosian Singers" (including a Concert tour of Spain), and "The London New Music Singers", a small group of sixteen voices specialising in new music, a highlight of which included a notable performance at The Proms of Schönberg's "De Profundis".
He has sung as a "Professional in the Chorus" for many Recording Sessions and Concerts where he could observe the World's greatest Conductors and Singers.
He has a wide knowledge of Music for Choral Societies with whom he often appeared as a soloist. In April 1974 Bromley Adult Education Authority offered him the post of Conductor with "The Orpington Chorale" with whom he has performed music of all periods, and enjoyed the opportunity to work with Orchestral players, especially recently in Bach's B Minor Mass. He has conducted Ladies Choirs, is involved in Primary Education being originally funded by the I.L.E.A. Music Centre, and has a number of Private Pupils.
His Wife, Elizabeth who sings with the Chorale, was Head of Music at Newstead Wood School for Girls, and they have three married children and six grandchildren.

Kathryn Bartlett BA (Hons) LRAM is The Chorale's talented accompanist. She started her training as a junior exhibitioner at Trinity College of Music and then joined the young musicians course at Kingsway - Princeton College. She studied for her BA degree in music at Colchester Institute, specialising in performance and studying piano with Clifford Evans. She then undertook a post-graduate course in piano accompaniment at Trinity College of Music studying under Christine Croshaw. Kathryn has given many recitals with singers and instrumentalists appearing at venues such as Southwark Cathedral, The Churchill Theatre, Burgh House and Leighton House. She has appeared in Masterclass with accompanist Roger Vignoles and Geoffrey Pratley and in recital with Willard White and with the soprano Ann Musial with whom she works regularly. She teaches the piano privately and at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School and Bexley Music Centre and is a freelance accompanist.