Matthew Jelf
Bass-Baritone, Conductor, Pianist
Workshops
Matthew has always been keen to promote primary and secondary music making, using his skills and contacts to create interesting opportunities for schools and local communities to showcase their talents wherever and whenever possible.
Matthew studied Community Music with Bruce Cole at the University of York and gained experience in festival management working as an Assistant at the 2007 Bradford Mela. He also worked as a freelance Tutor of Composition at a number of local sixth-form colleges in North Yorkshire, advising GCSE and A-Level candidates on composition portfolio presentation.
In 2008, Matthew set up a primary school music initiative called PYMF (Primary Youth Music Festival) with assistance from Lewisham College and a host of staff based at Ashmead Primary School. The singing project brought together around 100 primary school pupils from all over South East London and they performed Jonah Man Jazz to a delighted audience of family and friends. The children were joined by Balham Gospel Choir (who had recently performed on the BBC) which really added to their experience of singing alongside music professionals.
More recently, Matthew has been working as a Choral Animateur for the Rochester Cathedral Chorister Outreach Project, funded by the 2008 Sing-Up Initiative. The post involved a teaching a series of ten week singing workshops in primary schools across the county. Between 200 - 300 children and staff benefitted from these cross-school programmes and it is clear that singing is still a fantastic way to bring people together.
Following two years of successful outreach work with Rochester Cathedral, Matthew will be starting a three day per week Vocal Animateur post with Bedfordshire Music Service. Matthew will be one of a team of eight animateurs who will provide singing workshops in over 200 schools across the county.