Who’s Who
Dr Peter Levy
Ken Kirkwood
Chris Lane
Tom Baker
Shaun Webster
Paul Brereton
Musical Director
Leonie Cresswell - Musical Director
Leonie began her musical career in Zimbabwe, where she was actively involved in all things musical from a young age. Continuing her studies in London, she studied the piano under Alexander Ardakov at Trinity College of Music before returning to Southern Africa to work as a teacher and developing music amongst youth projects. In 2013 she moved to East Yorkshire with her then young family and now enjoys a varied timetable of accompanying, directing and teaching. In 2019 she established Petrichora, a choir for female voices, and began the role of Director of Music at St. Nicholas’s Church in Hornsea. In addition, she enjoys playing the organ in various local churches for services, weddings and funerals, and sings with Bridlington Priory Choir. Leonie accompanied the Driffield Male Voice Choir full time from 2014-2019 and in January 2025 took on the role of Musical Director for the Driffield Male Voice Choir.
Matthew Stanley - Accompanist
A soloist, duettist, accompanist and chamber musician of many years experience, Matthew Stanley has performed in the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, St. John’s, Smith Square, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Windsor Castle and Bagshot Park (for the Earl and Countess of Wessex), as well as further afield in Japan and Hong Kong, where he also recorded a programme for RTHK.
A dedicated teacher, Matthew taught for 37 years at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he was accompanist for the undergraduate and postgraduate performance courses, and from 2012-17 was Visiting Lecturer in performance. The role of accompanist included regular performances with students in the Friday lunchtime concert series, other performance events throughout the academic year as well as playing for numerous performance exams and recordings.
Accompanist
As a soloist Matthew has performed concertos by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Grieg, Tchaikowsky, de Falla, Rachmaninoff and Prokofieff across the South and East of England. As an accompanist he has worked in master classes alongside Dame Felicity Lott, Susan Bullock CBE, Sarah Fox, Emanuel Hurwitz, the Tippett Quartet, Sir James Galway and Susan Milan.
In addition, with his duet partner Berendina Cook, Matthew has given interviews and performed on BBC Radio 3, the BBC World Service and Classic FM including both recorded and live broadcasts. In 1996 they were selected by the British Piano Duo Association to represent Britain in the 3rd International Piano Duo Competition in Tokyo, where they won the First Prize, the Kodama Prize and the Ongaku No Tomo Sponsor’s Prize.
Although Matthew’s repertoire encompasses many styles and periods, he has a particular interest in the music of Beethoven, Liszt and Godowsky, and the recorded performances of many early 20th century pianists. His teachers have included Julian Jacobson, Angus Morrison (Royal College of Music) and Ruth Harte MBE.
Sue Finn
Sue runs a thriving Suzuki piano studio in East Yorkshire and is part of the East Riding Suzuki Piano Group. She has taught all levels including master classes and lectured across the United Kingdon in a range of Suzuki event, including the Bryanston International Summer School, National Children's Workshire and Early Stages Workshops in London and Ayr and various piano and multi-instrument events in York.
Sue has been involved in teacher training and support in London, Scotland and Yorkshire and is a trustee of the British Suzuki Music Association and Chair of the Graduation Committee. Sue enjoys performing both as a solo artist and as part of a keyboard ensemble, including four hand piano music, multi piano works and even works for twelve hands. She has studied piano with Grant Mead and Florian Mitrea. She is MD to the ladies' choir Pastiche and believes that singing is a vital aspect of musicianship for all instruments. Sue is very proud to be working closely with the Driffield Male Voice Choir.
LIZ WILSON – Assistant MD
Our Musical Director and Conductor is Liz Wilson. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Trent Park College, London, studying voice, choral conducting and education. Following her studies, she taught music and primary education, as well as performing as a soprano soloist in operas, operettas, and oratorios, continuing her vocal studies with Jennifer Caron in London and Betty Middleton in Saltburn. She worked in schools for 38 years, with 17 of those as Headteacher in three primary schools.
Between 1994 and 2006 Liz conducted the Hull Lydian Male Voice Choir,has been the MD for Beverley MVC for the last 21years as well as being the MD of Driffield Male Voice Choir and the Positive Note choir at the Queen’s Centre at Castle Hill Hospital.
Liz teaches singing privately, with pupils being highly successful in festivals and examinations. She also at times, sings solo and duets with the choir.
Liz Wilson
Associate MD/Accompanist
Tom has worked as a teacher at Pocklington School since he arrived in the area in 1988 straight from being an organ scholar at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. His musical interests are many and diverse. At university, in the music department at Pock and in other local musical ventures, he has conducted and directed many varied groups of student and adult musicians, from chamber choirs to rock bands, brass ensembles to large orchestras. As the school organist he has played for special occasions in places like the Minsters of York and Beverley, as well as churches in Pocklington and more rural parishes. He can also be found playing trumpet for York Symphony Orchestra and The Academy of St Olave’s, and in chamber group Jorvik Brass. In addition, he plays in and has recorded with York indie-folk band Pelico on trumpet, trombone, keyboards and accordion. When he isn’t being musical, he enjoys playing cricket, walking in the hills and, when time allows, brewing his own beer. He lives in Melbourne, near Pocklington, where he and his wife are still renovating a Victorian farmhouse cottage.
Associate MD/Accompanist
Having graduated from Leeds University, Martin pursued a career in teaching. At Woodkirk High School he developed the school’s Musical Theatre tradition, directing shows including ‘Barnum’ and ‘Grease’, culminating in a performance at the London Palladium in 1999 for the NODA centenary celebrations.
A move to Pocklington School saw Martin conducting choir and orchestra in annual performances of large-scale choral works, including ‘Carmina Burana’, ‘St. John Passion’ and Requiems by Duruflé, Mozart and Verdi. Alongside the classical genre, Musical Theatre continued to be a passion and he was Musical Director for shows including the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, ‘The Threepenny Opera’, and ‘Oliver!’
Now retired from teaching, Martin is a keen singer, having performed around the world with the Huddersfield Choral Society, and more recently, performing locally with Beverley Chamber Choir and Leeds Festival Chorus. He also enjoys adjudicating music festivals and accompanying. Outside of music, he loves the great outdoors; cycling in the Yorkshire Wolds, or playing golf.