Aysgarth School

B.Mus (Hons), FRCO, LRAM, Dip.Mus(Holland), Cert.Ed (Moray House, Edinburgh)

Tom has two brothers, and plenty of nephews and nieces. He is one of the longest serving members of staff and is very dedicated to the music at Aysgarth. Tom’s interests are obviously music, architecture, gardening and bridge.

Tom has the ability to instil commitment, dedication and great love of music in the boys and has never ending patience in obtaining the very best musical results from them.

John joined the Coldstream Guards Band in 1963 from the Gordon Roys School. He taught French horn at the Guards Depot. He did a bandmaster’s course at Kneller Hall and in 1976 he was appointed Bandmaster of the 2nd BTN Royal regiment of Fusiliers until 1985. He then retired from the army. John has had various teaching posts mainly with Durham music service. His interests are painting in all mediums, composing, arranging, model railways and walking.

Dominic has a Mus.B(Hons) degree. He graduated from Manchester University in 1979. He lives in the Yorkshire Dales where he works as an instrumental teacher, teaching guitar and double-bass.

He is married with 4 children and his interests are Mountaineering and Amateur Radio.

Peter studied music at the Royal Military School of Music. He played professionally in Japan and the Middle East, doing mainly radio and television studio work. Aysgarth is one of 7 schools that Peter teaches at. He plays all the woodwind instruments and has played in a number of local orchestras. He recently completed and Advanced Diploma in Jazz Studies at St Andrews University.

Tom started piping at the age of 9. He joined the Scouts and played in their pipe band for 6 years. He is now a member of Thirsk Fire Station Pipe Band which was started 4 years ago.

Stephen has been teaching singing at Aysgarth since 2009. Previously he had been the singing tutor at Bradford University and had also taught privately. He is very keen to to help the boys realise their potential as singers.

Stephen started singing as a boy chorister at Durham Cathedral Choir, where he became Head Chorister, and subsequently as a Choral Scholar at Christ Church Oxford. Since graduating he has worked as a professional freelance Counter-tenor, touring extensively with the foremost 'early' music groups, notably The King's Consort, The Tallis Scholars, The Gabrieli Consort and The Sixteen.

In his spare time Stephen is a keen runner and his other passion is astronomy, to the extent of going back to school recently to take his GCSE (he got an A*!). Stephen lives with his wife, a primary school teacher and his three children in West Yorkshire.

After studying piano and singing at the Royal Manchester College of Music, Evelyn took a PGCE at Manchester University before starting a career in teaching music. She has taught in Primary and Secondary schools, aswell as becoming a Head of Music at a Comprehensive School before joining Aysgarth.

Evelyn has always loved teaching individual pupils and playing for choirs. She is married to a musician and has two sons who both trained as musicians and now follow a musical career. During her spare time she enjoys playing music with her husband and adores crossword puzzles.