Singing is what I have done most and you can find pictures of me in action as well as some sound files.

Click on the picture of Handel to hear a very short (146 KB) clip of me singing  Thus saith the lord from 'Messiah'.

The full clip, along with some others is on the Concerts and Oratorio page

But there is much more. 

Because I was once a teacher I founded WorkshOpera with my colleague - Soprano, Carol Lesley Green. We take opera into schools and communities of all ages, not only to introduce a great art form and break down barriers but also to encourage good singing and maybe an interest for life.

Out of WorkshOpera grew Heart of England Opera where we present accessible productions, in English, (often of the operas studied in the workshops) as well as galas, corporate events etc.

My work as a director began with Heart of England Opera but has since developed into my 'second-string' so to speak and has recently branched out to include Shakespeare's King Lear.

I have always conducted, right from being at school, and in this vein I direct Stantonbury Chamber Choir and Milton Keynes Youth Choir. I also direct Milton Keynes Youth Opera whose performances have included The Magic Flute, La Cenerentola, Dido and Aeneas and The Little Sweep. Raising funds for this talented group of young people is an uphill struggle.

Until 1999 however, I channeled my compositional urges into arranging - mostly for voices. Then an illness gave me time to write out a Requiem that had been in my head for twenty-five years. A CD was made of the first performance (there have now been six) but so far I've had no luck finding a publisher.

I also adjudicate for the British and International Federation of Festivals as well as taking workshops and master classes  for soloists and choruses (opera and concert and choral singers) and coaching privately at home.

If you want to contact me about anything in the site that interests you then please

  mailto:david@kirby-ashmore.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.