Kate Shipway

Musical Director

Kate joined the Rossendale Male Voice Choir in the autumn of 2009, and brought with her a love of choral music, and a passion further to develop the choir, in terms of repertoire and performance. Having joined her local church choir at the age of five, Kate’s love of singing has seen her perform in many venues, throughout Britain and Europe.

At sixteen, she attended a Sing for Pleasure summer school and there discovered a flair for conducting. After her A-level studies, Kate was awarded a scholarship to the Poole Gakuin University in Japan, where she studied Japanese language and culture as well as taking part in school workshops teaching English songs.

In January 2005 she founded Wigan Community Choir to offer people of all ages, many without previous choral experience, the opportunity to enjoy making music. She left that choir in July 2008 to further her own musical studies at The University of Cumbria.

Alongside her appointment as the Musical Director of the Rossendale Male Voice Choir, Kate has recently been invited to conduct the Rossendale Ladies Choir. Her other conducting post sees Kate as the MD of Liberty Belles UK, a female barbershop chorus based in Stockport.

She still finds time to sing with the BMS Singers and Sine Nomine, an International Touring Choir, who regularly perform at concerts across Europe and beyond.

Michael J Farnworth

Accompanist &
Assistant Musical Director

Michael joined the Rossendale Male Voice Choir in 1968 at the youthful age of sixteen, singing second tenor.

Steeped in the 80 year history of the choir, he is the great nephew of the founder conductor, Fred Tomlinson. His grand-father, Frank, was a founder member and his father, also Frank, is the Choir’s President. Michael made his debut as the Choir’s accompanist in 1969 at the Massed Bands Concert at Belle Vue in Manchester. To many, this may have seemed like a baptism of fire, but Michael was more than capable of the responsibility.

For almost 40 years, choir members have benefitted from Michael’s skill and dedication, and he has had the pleasure of accompanying the choir on everything from a Steinway in the Bridgewater Hall, to rather less grandiose pianos in venues from Germany to Killarney. Rarely, if ever, phased by a complex new piece, an accompanist of this standard is of great, if “unsung”, value.

Michael provides the RMVC with a stable core, and his work, alongside our musical director, has over the years, helped to shape the choir.