Past conductors
1934 - 1965 William Evans
1965 - 1975 Alvin Tipple
1975 - 1979 Terry Hobson
1979 - 1983 Alvin Tipple
1983 - 1995 Jeffrey Wynn Davies
1995 - 1996 Catherine Williams, Francis Wells
1997 - 1999 Christopher Wiltshire
1999 - Francis Wells
Christopher R. Wiltshire
Chris is a professional composer and musician and already conducts other choirs and orchestras in the Sheffield area. He has considerable experience of male voice choir music having led the Felling MVC for several years. His expertise in MVC music was marked in 1993 by the University of London, Goldsmiths' College when he was awarded a PhD. for his thesis, 'The British Male Voice Choir: a history and contemporary assessment', which traces the development of male choral music in Britain from the 16th century to the present day.
It is, though, as a composer that Chris is best known. In the past, Chris has been commissioned to write several pieces of music for the Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir. Several pieces have been used successfully in competitions by the Choir. His latest composition for us - 'Birth of a Nation' - received debut performance its in June 1997 and was one of the pieces sung by the Choir in its Championship winning performance at the British MVC Championships.
Chris trained at the Royal Academy of Music studying piano, trumpet and composition (with Howard Ferguson and Richard Rodney Bennett). During a distinguished student hood he won the Royal Philharmonic Society's Composer's Award two years in succession, the Royal Amateur Orchestral Society's Composer's Prize as well as numerous other prizes for harmony and composition.
During a highly successful career in education, he taught at every level from primary to higher education. Since turning freelance, he has fulfilled many commissions for a variety of choral, chamber and orchestral compositions and also worked in the professional theatre as a composer, pianist and musical director. Chris adjudicates at competitions in the UK and abroad and has worked as an examiner for Trinity College around the world.
As Archivist for the British Federation of Festivals, he has written the official history of the competitive festival in Britain and produced a fully illustrated publication entitled The British Federation - Portraits of its People to coincide with the organisation's 75th anniversary. His research into the history of British male choirs remains unique and he has broadcast and published several articles on the subject.
In 1991, the Royal Academy of Music awarded him an Honorary Diploma for Services to Music.
Jeffrey Wynn Davies
Jeffrey is one of today's most highly respected and successful conductors, with successes in the whole range of choral music and not just with male choirs. Jeffrey resigned from the choir in September 1995 having spent 12 wonderful years at Bolsterstone and left the Choir in excellent musical shape.
During his time at Bolsterstone, the Choir won the Northern and the English National Championships at Huddersfield and the Welsh Choir of the Year competition. Just as importantly, it was Jeffrey who took us abroad to sing in Germany, Denmark and South Africa, which enabled the Choir to hear the wonderful standard of singing in Europe and stimulated us to emulate it.
Jeffrey's greatest triumph was when, in 1994, he won the Sainsbury's Choir of the Year Trophy with his chamber choir, Canzonetta. Currently, he is the Musical Director for Harrogate Choral Society, Canzonetta, and in 2002 he accepted the position of Musical Director of the Manchester Boy's Choir