Our Music Team

Lizzie is a Stortford raised/London-based musician who attended Herts & Essex High School 6th form, as well as being a proud member of the Cantate Youth Choir, competing in the World Choir Games in Riga 2014, taking home two gold medals.

Lizzie graduated from the London Centre of Contemporary Music in 2017. An experienced choral singer, she has sung with the BBC Symphony Chorus for over a decade, having had multiple solo opportunities, including the world premier of Matthew Kaner’s “Pearl” in the BBC Proms. As a soloist she has performed alongside many choirs, most recently performing Handel’s ‘Messiah’ with Lee Choral Society and Bach’s ‘Magnificat’ with Constanza Chorus in Cadogan Hall.

Lizzie also arranges music for choirs, having had arrangements performed by the Watford Phoenix Choir and Esterhazy Singers – and some of those arrangements will soon be coming our way! As a director, Lizzie runs a community singing group in her local area in London, and works regularly with the Watford Phoenix choir as well.

She is very excited to join Herts & Soul, both as a local and as a lover of choral singing in all its forms – and we can’t wait to welcome her!

Never one to be outdone or upstaged, Soulster Peter Clayton’s job spec mirrors that of his Co-Musical Director, all of which he nails with zest, zeal and zero footwear (on most occasions).

Peter’s love of music was prompted by becoming a chorister at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in his home town of Bury St Edmunds. Whilst reading Music at Durham University he became a Choral Scholar at Durham University and later on he found a love of teaching through working as a Lay Clerk and SingUp choral animator in the bustling city of Newcastle.

Peter currently enjoys his job as Head of Music at Herts & Essex where, as well as spending time planning for choir concerts with Susie, he enjoys teaching, leading the students’ music-making and hosting Herts & Soul concerts! Over his teaching career Peter has been musical director for Back to the 80s, Cabaret, Hairspray, Annie, The King’s Ears (his own musical creation), Les Misérables and Rapunzel. On the keys he has also tackled West Side Story and Guys and Dolls.

Although most of the choir think that he is ever so slightly mad, Peter continues to thoroughly enjoys his Friday night rehearsals and leading the Soulsters in their choral adventures.

Having spent many years as an advertising sales director and publisher, and as a frustrated ‘only in the shower’ singer, Soulster Chris is a personal and business performance coach, who founded Herts and Soul with a view to encouraging other frustrated singers to step out the shower and on to the stage.

Chris is one of the originators of the ‘Raise Your Game Now!’ approach to personal and business growth, development and practical positive psychology, as well as the ‘Going the Extra Mile’ operating model for engaging workforces to grow sustainable profit. He has authored three books in these fields.

Although he has an inkling that the shower might still be the best place for him to sing, he’s pretty convinced that being involved with the choir is one of the most joyous and life-affirming things he’s ever done.