Musical Director: Catherine Andrews
Catherine studied singing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and performed as a classical and jazz singer before training to be an English teacher at Langley Park School for Boys. In 2014, when her children were pupils at Highfield Infants and Junior Schools, she set up a junior choir which expanded quickly until she had 140 members, two chamber choirs and an infants’ choir. The choirs performed at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music ‘Shine’ Concert and Classic FM awards at the Barbican, the London Mayor’s Office, at BandFest at the Churchill Theatre, and they were selected to take part in a workshop with Yale Glee Club. In the same year Catherine set up the Highfield Youth Choir for children of secondary school age and the Highfield Community Choir for parents and staff at the school. Now known as The Shortlands Choirs, both choirs now have a wide membership from the local Shortlands community and beyond.
Catherine has worked as a curriculum teacher for Bromley Youth Music Trust (BYMT), directed the Beckenham BYMT Junior Choir and held the post of Head of Music at DUCKS, Dulwich College. She has returned to her teaching roots and joined the music department at Langley Park School for Boys. Catherine sings regularly with the Allegri Singers and the Philharmonia Chorus.
Assistant Musical Director: Nicholas Mannoukas
Nicholas Mannoukas is an organist, accompanist and teacher based in south-east London. He studied organ and piano at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 2018. He has held church positions at St Laurence, Catford; Guy’s College Chapel; St Barnabas, Beckenham; St George’s, Beckenham, and All Saints, Margaret Street, and is currently Organist and Director of Music at the Church of the Ascension in Blackheath.
As a freelance musician, Nicholas works with several different choral and instrumental groups including The Shortlands Choirs, as well as maintaining a regular schedule of solo engagements. Recent recital venues include Brentwood Cathedral and Union Chapel Islington. Nicholas is much in demand as a teacher and accompanist, and, having worked as a BYMT peripatetic teacher and a music curriculum teacher in Bromley schools, he is currently a Year 3 teacher at Hayes Primary School.
