Director of Music
Mr Matthew Haynes
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Matthew Haynes was appointed as Director of Music in September 2009.
He studied music at the University of Huddersfield where he was awarded a first class honours degree, amongst his other accomplishments. For the last year, Matthew has been Choral Animateur with a musical outreach project (sponsored by the Diocese of Leicester and Leicester Arts in Education) negotiating access to many schools, so as to enthuse pupils to sing. He has other part-time roles as a teacher, voice and instrumental coach and conductor.
Matthew was a former chorister here for six years, along with his brother, Simon, when their father, Richard, was the organist. Matthew knows and loves St James the Greater, and well understands the role of music here, both for the choirs and for the congregation.
Associate Director of Music
Mr Mark Batten
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Mark was born Bristol in 1980 and educated at Clifton College. He studied at the Junior Organ Conservatoire of London with Ann-Elise Smoot and subsequently at Birmingham Conservatoire where his principal teachers were David Saint, David Bruce-Payne and Douglas Hollick.
Whilst at the Conservatoire Mark held the organ scholarships at St Chad's and St Philip's Cathedrals and was awarded the Conservatoire's Geoffrey Knowles award that enabled him to further his studies with David Briggs.
After graduating in 2003 with a BMus(Hons) degree and the John Campbell Keyboard Prize Mark spent a year as Assistant Organist at the Birmingham Oratory whilst undertaking postgraduate research for an MMus degree into issues of performance practice in 19th and 20th century French and Belgian organ music.
Alongside his work at St James the Greater, Mark is accompanist to the Leicester Bach Choir and is in considerable demand as a freelance teacher and accompanist. As a solo recitalist Mark has performed in numerous venues including Blackburn, Birmingham, Bradford, Chichester, Coventry, Ely, Sheffield, and Leicester Cathedrals and St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol. Engagements for 2008 included recitals in Ripon Cathedral, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Christchurch Priory in Dorset.
You are invited to visit his website at www.markbatten.co.uk
Assistant Organist
Mr Michael Rule
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Mike's career in church music began in 1998 when he first visited the church of St James the Greater, Leicester. Inspired by the skills of the organists of the church and having been a pianist since the age of four he commenced organ lessons with Thomas Moore and sang in the choir of the church.
Whilst studying for his degree at Bath Spa University he joined the choir of Bath Abbey. In 2005 he became Organ Scholar and was subsequently appointed Assistant Organist of Christ Church, Bath. During this time he took six months out to study at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick where he took organ as his performance instrument and directed the Mary Immaculate College Chamber Choir.
Since returning to Leicester in 2007, Mike has rejoined the choir and been appointed Assistant Organist at St James the Greater. Alongside his work as an organist he is Head of Technology at a Leicester secondary school and from September 2009 he will direct the Leicester University Chamber Choir.
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