Dingle’s singing career began when he joined as a chorister at Westminster Abbey. He was later awarded a music scholarship to Oakham School. Dingle also sang and recorded for the RSCM Millennium Youth Choir. In 2001 Dingle was awarded a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He graduated with firsts in both Opera and Electronic Music, a most unusual combination!

As a soloist his appearances have included the role of Christus in Bach’s ‘St John Passion’, Mozart’s ‘Requiem’, Handel’s ‘Messiah’, Butterworth’s ‘A Shropshire Lad’ and the role of ‘Erpingham’ in the premiere of the contemporary opera ‘Erpinghams Camp.’

Perhaps most memorably, Dingle performed as a soloist with the Orchestra of Opera North, and under the baton of John Wilson.

Dingle is a founding member of VOCES8, and greatly enjoys touring all over the world as part of the job. Dingle relishes the challenges of mixed repertoire within the group, which requires huge flexibility and absolute control of one’s instrument.

Dingle is also an electronic music Producer and Sound Designer. His music has been used in online media for Jack Wills and Union Square Software. He has even sampled ‘Gute Nacht’ from VOCES8′s recording of the Bach Motets!

Like several members of the group, Paul’s musical life began as a treble in Westminster Abbey. His singing continued at Bedford School, where he held a music scholarship, and later at King’s College, Cambridge, during his gap year. Whilst studying PPE at the University of York, he spent much of his time performing musical theatre and jazz, most notably appearing in a production of Candide. At this time he was also a member of the RSCM’s Millennium Youth Choir. Upon graduating in 2004 he embarked upon a successful career in corporate training and events with the New London Orchestra and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. In August 2006 Paul assumed the position of CEO for Voces Cantabiles Music.

Paul’s light baritone has made him the perfect choice for VOCES8′s early repertoire. An experienced performer in jazz and music theatre, he also provides the group with the American twang for the lighter repertoire. A height-based comedic partnership with his fellow bass, Dingle, has amused audiences the world over.

Alongside his singing duties with VOCES8 Paul leads the Hatch My Ideas! initiative run by Voces Cantabiles Music. Paul shines both as a Workshop Leader and Manager, and the projects he and his team have designed have innovated music education in UK.

Visit www.hatchmyideas.co.uk for more information.

Robert Smith began his musical career as an organist at the age of 14. He subsequently became Director of Music at St Peter’s Church in Brandon, Suffolk after which he commenced his studies in organ, voice and bassoon at Trinity College of Music, London.

Robert has performed many solo organ recitals throughout the UK and in concert improvising alongside Naji Hakim. He is currently studying under Dame Gillian Weir and Peter Wright. In addition to his organ work, he has held choral scholarships at both St Edmundsbury Cathedral and St Martin-in-the-fields.

Despite being a fantastic organist, Robert decided to show the world that he can sing too, and to this end decided to audition to become a member of the vocal group, VOCES8. Needless to say Rob passed the audition and now loves seeing the world whilst on tour with the group.

Charles received his early training in musical theatre where his crowning glory was playing Oliver Twist at the age of 10. Whilst reading for his degree, Charles sang in the chapel choir of University College, Durham, where he held a choral scholarship. During that time he sang extensively in both Durham and Newcastle, and with the RSCM’s Millennium Youth Choir. Since leaving Durham with an MA in Classics in 2005, Charles has worked with numerous ensembles and as
a soloist, where credits include Handel’s Messiah for Channel 4 and a concert with James Bowman in the Newcastle Early Music Festival. He is also principal vocal coach for the Voces Cantabiles Youth Choir, the RSCM’s Millennium Youth Choir and Portsmouth Cathedral Choir and is currently studying for a PhD in Opera.

Charles’ ongoing interest in theatre comes to the fore during VOCES8′s jazzier numbers when he often gets his dancing feet on. This vivacity for life also keeps the VOCES8 team going during tough times, and makes him a real live wire during workshops and masterclasses he takes as part of the Hatch My Ideas! initiative.

Charles has been described as “living the plot of an Oscar Wilde play” but he can neither confirm nor deny whether he is in fact an Ernest or more of a Lord Goring.

Barney began his musical life as a chorister at Westminster Abbey before taking up a music scholarship at Bedford School. During a gap year singing at Winchester Cathedral, he appeared as a soloist for the Waynflete Singers and was a member of staff at the Pilgrims’ School. He graduated with a degree in music from Royal Holloway, University of London in 2007, where he also took to the stage to play the heroic role in Handel’s Opera ‘Rodelinda’. Barney is now studying at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland with Andreas Scholl. Barney is also a conductor and directs many choirs and orchestras including Voces Cantabiles, the Senesino Players and Bracknell Choral Soiety.

As Artistic Director for Voces Cantabiles Music, Barney leads the ensemble in defining VOCES8′s artistic vision. Also the group’s Administrator, Barney spends all his time off doing admin which he also brings on tour!

Barney’s newest interest is Music Technology and he currently enjoys running and playing with VOCES8′s own recording studio.

Chris began singing as a chorister in Crowborough, East Sussex. As a boy treble he was a finalist in the National Choirboy of the Year competition, and sang in Peter Sellers’ groundbreaking production of Die Zauberflöte at Glyndebourne. Later he studied music at Exeter University while singing as a countertenor choral scholar in Exeter Cathedral Choir. After graduating he took up a lay-clerkship at Guildford Cathedral which he combined with an administrative post with the Royal School of Church Music. Following a short excursion to Africa in 2006, Chris returned to London to join VOCES8.

Chris made his debut for Voces8 in the recording studio for the album ‘From Gibbons to Gershwin’ and has now completed over 200 concerts with the group. Whilst on tour Chris like to catch up on the episodes of ‘The Archers’ he has missed. Chris also likes to extend his DVD collection at HMV whenever VOCES8 visits an airport.

Andrea began her career with VOCES8 fresh from graduating with a Music degree from Cardiff University (well almost, Andrea actually missed her graduation due to being on tour with VOCES8!), Andrea brings a wealth of singing and performance expertise to the job. She is also trained in Music Technology, which will be a key skill for developing the recording work of VOCES8.

Andrea has received high praise from audiences around the globe for her clarity of tone and sheer beauty of vocal colour. Andrea had her first recording sessions with the group in only the second week of the job, when VOCES8 was recording tracks for a new Christmas release. You can hear Andrea singing the solo in the opening verse of Gabriel’s Message in the ‘Media’ section of this website, a track wihich was subsequently nominated for ‘Best Classical Track of the Year’ at the 2009 CARAs.

Emily was a choral scholar under Stephen Layton at Trinity College, Cambridge. Upon graduating in 2009, Emily didn’t even stop to breathe before taking her place in the VOCES8 line-up.

Having been a founder member of the Winchester Cathedral Girl’s Choir, Emily’s choral experience is vast. She also enjoyed many solo performances whilst at Cambridge, singing repertoire of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras and most notably appearing live on BBC Radio 3.

As the newest recruit of VOCES8, Emily enjoys the touring schedule which took her to three different continents in her first 2 months in the job!

VOCES8 has travelled to four continents introducing audiences to Jim Clements as ‘the secret sauce in the burger of VOCES8′ and ‘the group’s ninth member’. We thought it was high time that we introduced our fans properly to the man behind the music.

Jim has been writing for VOCES8 ever since the group was conceived. After his initial arrangements, namely ‘Mack the Knife’ and ‘Maria’ were such massive hits, Jim has gone on to arrange over thirty songs for VOCES8. His music features heavily in most concert programmes and on the majority of VOCES8′s CD releases.

2010 will see the release of VOCES8′s first CD with music written entirely by JIm. Alongside this the first VOCES8 songbooks featuring Jim’s arrangements are also going to the printing press.

Fear not! Jim is definitely in the long-term plans of VOCES8 and is currently writing between 5 and 15 arrangements a year!