Editorial Committee
Michael Leighton Jones
Michael Leighton Jones has been involved with music all his life – his mother was a professional singer – singing in choirs throughout his school days and at university, as well as playing French horn. Post-graduate studies took him from New Zealand to England, where he sang in the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge (with Sir David Willcocks) and later, Westminster Abbey.
He was a member of the London-based vocal quintet The Scholars, with whom he appeared in more than a thousand concerts world-wide. He left the group to join the music staff at the University of Queensland in 1981. In Brisbane, he formed the vocal sextet Jones & Co, touring with them both nationally and internationally.
He has always maintained an active solo singing career – in recitals, opera and oratorio – appearing with all the major symphony orchestras and leading chamber music groups in Australia and New Zealand. He was a finalist in the London Royal Over-Seas League competition (1974 & 1975) and a Young Musician of the Year for the Greater London Arts Association (1976). He created the role of The Friend in the première of Débussy’s operatic sketches La Chute de la Maison Usher (Frankfurt 1977) and sang in Australian first performances of Rameau Anacréon, Webern Cantata II (SSO & Sir Charles Mackerras) and Penderecki Paradise Lost (SSO, conducted by the composer).
In 1997 he was appointed Director of Music at Trinity College, University of Melbourne, where he conducted the college choir in services, broadcasts, concerts and recordings, as well as on regular international tours to Baltic States, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and the United States and Canada.
He retired from Trinity College in 2014 and now pursues a busy free-lance career as an adjudicator, arranger, composer and conductor.
Daniel Mitterdorfer
Daniel Mitterdorfer studied piano and organ during his formative years and sang in school choirs. From 2000-2012 he was a member of the choir of Christ Church St Laurence, Sydney, and since 2012 has sung with the choirs of St Peter’s Eastern Hill (Melbourne) and Gloriana Chamber Choir.
Daniel started Crescendo Music Publications in 1999 with the goal of producing new, authoritative editions of out-of-print and hard-to-find choral works, a business that has grown with the involvement of both local and international composers. In 2020, Crescendo Music Publications issued the first complete edition of Charles-Marie Widor’s piano works, spanning seven volumes and more than 1,300 pages.
Brooke Shelley
Brooke has had formal classical training in Piano, Harpsichord, and Composition. She completed a Bachelor of Music (Hons) in Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and a Master of Music in Advanced Musical Studies majoring in Historical Musicology at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Brooke’s experience in choral singing has translated into the bulk of her composition portfolio being choral music for the liturgy, which has been performed by choirs such as The District Eight (Washington DC); Sydney Philharmonia Choirs; The Song Company, Queen’s Phoenix, Sydney Chamber Choir; Adelaide Chamber Singers; The Choir of Christ Church St Laurence; The Choir of St James’, Sydney; The Choirs of St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane; The Choir of Trinity College, University of Melbourne; Ensemble Gombert; The Giovanni Consort; and Sydney Antiphony. She has been commissioned privately and by choirs such as Sydney Chamber Choir, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, The Choir of Christ Church St Laurence and The Choir of Trinity College, University of Melbourne.
Although classically trained, Brooke has always loved popular music, particularly Scandinavian metal music. She formed the band, Resonaxis, as way of combining metal and renaissance music with the organ improvisations of renowned Australian organist, David Drury. Resonaxis was perhaps the only band in the world with a classical organist.
Brooke’s music has led her to be interviewed on a number of ABC Radio National programmes (Andrew Olle, The Rhythm Divine, In the Spirit of Things), and reviews of her music have appeared in European progressive music magazines and ezines.
Brooke has sung with a number of vocal ensembles in Australia and the UK. She has provided vocals for Nick Littlemore on projects such as Elton John vs Pnau, and White Shadows. Brooke also collaborated with Nick on his Two Leaves Project (Evening of the Sky).
The Rev’d Christopher Waterhouse
Christopher is the Precentor and Chaplain for the Arts at St David’s Cathedral in Hobart. Prior to his ordination, Christopher was Director of the St James’ Institute in Sydney.
He was born in the UK but grew up in Tasmania and took an early interest in the theatre and in music. He studied organ and voice and appeared in many local theatre productions before moving to Sydney in 2008 to take up a role with the Sydney Theatre Company. As Operations Coordinator he assisted with the daily running of the theatre and liaising with visiting companies and productions. In 2012 he moved to London as was appointed Operations Manager and later General Manager of the newly built St James’ Theatre.
Sensing a strong call to ministry he left the theatre industry and moved to Oxford to commence his theology studies through Ripon College Cuddesdon and to work as Canons’ Verger and Sacristan of Christ Church Oxford. He is a former Altar Server of St James’ King Street, Christ Church St Laurence, All Saints Margaret Street and Pusey House and a passionate advocate for the arts.
He is committed to reclaiming the church’s role as a patron for the arts, in particular in the commissioning of new works and new compositions. Christopher has over 20 years of experience as a radio presenter in Hobart, London and Sydney and is an award-winning public speaker and MC. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Divinity through Trinity College, Melbourne.
He is Chaplain to the Tasmanian Division of the Royal Australian Air Force Association, Chair of Young Voices of Hobart, Vice President of the Friends of the Theatre Royal, and a National Board Member of the Anglican Board of Mission.