Carl Raven – soprano

Carl is equally at home in a classical orchestra or jazz ensemble. After graduating from the RNCM in joint study clarinet and saxophone he regularly performs with the leading orchestras in the North, including the Halle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Northern Ballet, Manchester Camerata, Northern Sinfonia and Opera North.

He has made TV appearances with the Andy Prior Orchestra, ‘Soapstar Superstar’ (Granada) and BBC Folk Awards (BBC) with folk band ‘Bellowhead’. Theatre tours include Sondheim’s ‘Pacific Overtures’, ‘Anything Goes’, ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, “West Side Story’, ‘On Your Toes’ (West End) and  ‘Saturday Night Fever’.

On the clarinet, Carl is a founder member of ‘Random Access’ contemporary music group, and has performed with Ensemble 10:10, Cardew Ensemble and Ensemble Eleven.

Carl has recently performed the premiere recording of Malcolm Arnold’s Saxophone Concerto with Manchester Camerata.

 

Mark White – alto

Mark obtained his degree in Music from the RNCM in 2003 and now works as a saxophonist, composer and arranger throughout the UK.

He regularly plays with The Glen Miller Tribute Orchestra, Memphis Belle Orchestra, Northern Swing Orchestra, and other smaller jazz /function outfits.

In the classical field, he has performed at the BBC Proms, Purcell Rooms, Symphony Hall, Birmingham and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall in a BBC Radio 3 broadcast. He has given premieres in America and Europe, and made recordings for contemporary groups and larger ensembles.

He has also appeared regularly on TV programmes such as the hugely popular ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ and ITV drama ‘Island at War’.

As a composer/arranger, he writes for ESQ and various other ensembles. He composes and produces music for media, currently specialising in music for video games. Visit Marks’s site at www.markwhitemedia.com.

 

Neil Crossley – tenor

Neil graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Music, then studied saxophone at the RNCM, completing his Postgraduate Diploma in January 2001.

As a freelance saxophone/woodwind player he has played on West End shows such as: ‘The Producers’ (Drury Lane), ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ (London Palladium/UK tour), ‘Les Miserables’ (Queens), ‘City Lights’ (Old Vic), ‘Privates on Parade’ (Jermyn Street Theatre) and UK tours including ‘Starlight Express’, ‘Beauty and The Beast’ and ‘Miss Saigon’.

He has performed with Manchester Concert Orchestra, SaxAssault, Northern Chamber Orchestra, National Musicians’ Symphony Orchestra, Andy Prior Big Band and on several TV soundtracks.

Neil is a member of the ‘World Tenor Saxophone Consortium’ – a collaboration between like-minded musicians that aim to expand the repertoire of the tenor saxophone. In 2005, they commissioned ‘Passing’ by Graham Fitkin, which was premiered in eight countries simultaneously.

 

James Fieldhouse – baritone

Jim is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and music educator, based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

He graduated with a first-class degree in Music from Huddersfield University in 1999, and then completed a Postgraduate Diploma in saxophone at the RNCM, graduating in 2000.

Jim now plays with many classical, contemporary and jazz ensembles across the country. These include the Halle Orchestra, SaxAssault, East Midlands Orchestra, Andy Prior Big Band, National Festival Big Band, Glen Miller Tribute Orchestra and Nelson Riddle Tribute Orchestra. He is also a championship euphonium player for Hepworth Lanson Homes Brass Band.

As a composer/arranger, Jim writes for ESQ, SaxAssault and a variety of other groups. He has written several arrangements for ‘Edition Peters’ and recently the BIFA-nominated Paramount feature film ‘Asylum’.

Alongside his performing schedule, he is ‘Musician-In-Residence’ at The Blue Coat School, Oldham.