Committee

Festival Organiser: Mrs. Carol Thompson

a native Herefordian, has been part of the administrative team since she left school in 1965. She became the Festival Organiser in 1996.
She has been a member of Hereford Operatic Society and enjoys all art forms, particularly visits to the Theatre. She has worked in the voluntary sector all her life and her hobby is Scouting, being the current County Commissioner for the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Festival Chairman: Mrs Anne Ellis

was a lecturer at a local college and now enjoys involvement in the voluntary sector. She is very interested in the Arts and following a number of years service as a steward, in 1998, she agreed to become a member of the Festival Committee. She is now the Chief Steward and is very keen to promote fund raising for the Festival.

Mrs. Mary Durrant

came from a musical family and was encouraged from an early age to sing and sing well. She was a regular competitor at Eisteddfods, the Herefordshire and Cheltenham Festival and gathered a good many prizes. She studied voice training under Alfred Brook, a Cathedral Lay Clerk. She has been a member of the Hereford Choral Society and has sung at the Three Choirs Festival on numerous occasions. She counts herself most fortunate to have had a job and a hobby in music, having spent 50 years behind the counters of music shops, from where she has encouraged children entering examinations and festivals. Mrs. Durrant is the holder of the 25 years Service award from the Federation of Festivals of which she is extremely proud.

Mrs. Hilary Jones

is a local piano, recorder and vocal teacher and a conductor of local choirs. She has been a member of the committee since 1993.

Mr John and Berice White

are native Herefordians, educated at St. Owens and the Hereford High School for Girls. Following careers as an electrician and in banking, they took their first public house in the village of Wellington before moving to the Bay Horse in Hereford, which was to be their home for 30 years, retiring in 1992. They live locally and now enjoy involvement in the voluntary sector.

Mrs. Margaret Williamson

has been a member of the Festival Committee for over ten years. She has a speech and drama studio and encourages all her pupils to compete in the Herefordshire and neighbouring festivals.

Mrs Ruth Wilce

was educated in Gloucestershire. Trained at the Royal Academy of Music in Piano, Singing and Trombone, graduating in 1866. Teaching appointments in Hereford include Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire College of Art , Cathedral and Aylestone schools. Have maintained a private piano teaching practice, working with all age groups, and associated with The Hereford Festival since 1967.

Mrs Catherine Morgan

began her musical career as a regular prizewinner at the Herefordshire Festival. After graduating from Cardiff University with a Master's Degree in Performance Studies, she returned to Hereford to start a private piano teaching practice and later joined the music staff at Aylestone School. Catherine also enjoys accompanying and occasional concert work. She currently teaches at the Cathedral School and has recently been appointed as 'Head of Keyboard' at Hereford Sixth Form.