The Apex Singers

Lydia Wonham is a multidisciplinary creative working across film, music, and education. She trained at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and is passionate about engaging new audiences and empowering young people through the arts. Lydia has a strong foundation in ensemble singing, having taken part in the young artist programmes with both VOCES8 and The Sixteen. She now works with the VOCES8 Foundation’s education team, delivering A Cappella workshops in schools across the UK and France - often in areas with limited access to music education. Lydia’s background in music and performance informs her approach to visual storytelling. She has worked on seven short films to date, contributing illustration and animation to several award-winning projects. Her directorial debut, The Mermaid Wife, won Best Special Visual Effects at the AVAs and Best Music Video at the British Independent Film Festival, where it was also nominated for Best Short Film. Lydia feels privileged to be a member of The Apex Singers, taking particular interest in the study of folk music in its social and cultural contexts.The music of Hiraeth will always hold special memories of the ensemble’s beginnings and the people who have shaped its journey.

Eva is a Manchester based fourth year undergraduate cellist at Royal Northern College of Music. Eva has sung from an early age in school and church choirs and then in Halle Children’s Choir and Halle Youth Training Choir. Eva was awarded a place at Chetham’s School of Music at 14 as a joint vocal and cello scholar. During her time at Chetham’s she performed in the chamber choir and in all the school orchestras. Eva has continued to sing in RNCM and was awarded first place in the Elias Prize as a solo vocalist. Eva has performed at Bridgewater Hall on many occasions with the Halle Choirs and at Latitude Festival as a solo vocalist on the Waterfront stage. Eva is passionate about music education, organising and leading children’s choirs and she is a member of EMAE (Early Music as Education) programme which introduces early music to children as an educational tool. Eva’s vocal training at Chetham’s was as a classical singer but she loves all genres of music. Eva is especially drawn to the close harmonies employed by The Apex Singers. Eva only joined The Apex Singers in January 2025 but is loving the repertoire and being surrounded by fellow singers who share her passion for folk music and singing in general.

Katie, a recent music graduate from The University of Manchester, is a Manchester-based singer performing with a variety of music groups. She is a Primary School Teaching Assistant by day, and a musician from tea-time til late! Recent classical performances have included singing Elgar’s Sea Pictures with the University of Manchester’s Symphony Orchestra, playing the role of the eponymous heroine in a world stage production of Judith Weir’s Armida as well as playing the role of the Book of Fate in Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig, singing in the chorus of Haydn’s creation at the 2019 Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and performing as the mezzo soloist in John Casken’s Memorial at the University Chorus’ December concert in 2018 which was later recorded. Katie was both a member and manager of the auditioned University chamber choir Ad Solem and also sang with the University Chorus throughout her undergraduate degree. While she is classically trained, Katie also has a passion for jazz and folk and is a vocalist in a range of groups including an 8-piece new-jazz ensemble called Laga Runa, as well as an indie-folk trio called the Deep Blue with fellow Apex member Niamh.

Toluwani is a Mezzo - Soprano from Dundee and a recent music graduate of the University of Manchester. She was a Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholar for the past two years under Andrew Earis, musical director of Londons St Martin in the Fields and is currently alto Lay Clerke at Blackburn Cathedral. She was a member of the thirteenth cohort of Genesis Sixteen which was an incredibly experience working under Harry Christophers and Eamonn Dougan. She has sung for groups such as the BBC daily service Singers and under amazing composers such as Karl Jenkins. She is a founding member of the Mancunium Consort, a growing early vocal ensemble based in Manchester. Toluwani is currently a bridging the Gap Artist for the Dunedin consort and is looking forward to tour with them in the new year.

Douglas is a Manchester-based tenor and freelance arranger with a background in contemporary a cappella music and a master’s degree in electrical engineering. As the former musical director of the University of Bath’s award-winning contemporary vocal group, Aquapella , Douglas twice performed at the ICCA finals in New York, completed several sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and arranged and recorded the group’s latest album, Until Then . During this time, he also performed a range of repertoire with the University of Bath Chamber Choir and made regular appearances in student musical theatre productions. More recently, Douglas co-founded Elision —a CARA-nominated pop vocal ensemble—with whom he has performed at private events and showcases across the UK, as well as European festivals such as Black Forest Voices and Vokal Total. Having first listened to the Apex Singers’ debut album Hiraeth in 2019, Douglas is a long-standing fan of their distinctive folk sound, and is delighted to now perform with the group and to continue developing his love for vocal music.

Michael is a London-based vocalist, specialising in vocal percussion. While studying for an MSci and PhD in Psychology from the University of Bath, Michael became involved in the UK’s collegiate a cappella scene, competing nationally and internationally, facilitating vocal percussion workshops and performing in a myriad of festival shows, studio albums and music videos. Following this Michael co-founded AXIOM, an ensemble of singers from across the UK seeking to push their individual and collective sounds to the highest quality. AXIOM have competed in and won several national and international a cappella competitions and had the opportunity to collaborate with groups from around the world. Alongside AXIOM, Michael provides vocal percussion for several other a cappella ensembles. Although Michael’s background has often been competitive, what drives him most is a passion for connecting with audiences through expressive and genuine performance. He feels beyond lucky to sing with The Apex Singers and explore storytelling through the medium of folk music, brought to life with beautifully intricate arrangements.

George's love of vocal music originated from their time in the Hallé Children's Choir, performing from the age of 9 on stages such as the Bridgewater Hall. After this, George sang with other renowned ensembles, including the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and the BBC Proms Youth Chorus. They made their way through the Hallé family of choirs, even helping out with administrative work, eventually becoming a bass in the critically acclaimed Hallé Choir. They have performed a variety of repertoire including Elgar's 'The Dream of Gerontius’, and as a child in Mahler's 8th symphony, however it has often been the smaller more personal pieces that have resonated with them.

Elliot is a Manchester-based low bass who graduated from The University of Manchester with a BSc in Physics with Theoretical Physics. He is currently undergoing training for work as a sound engineer for live and studio work, whilst working as a freelance singer and layclerk at St Chad’s The Oratory. Elliot developed his vocal talent through community choral singing throughout Greater Manchester, providing a wealth of experience in performing music of different genres. During his time at university, Elliot sang with the Hallé Choir and further developed his craft before joining The Apex Singers back in 2018. He’s performed on various tours as a vocalist, travelling to Malta, Prague, Bratislava, and Madrid; and has received the opportunity to perform at The Proms, the Manchester International Festival and to record alongside the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Elliot has a passion for listening to and performing a wide variety of music styles; from jazz, to indie folk, to musical theatre, and even to renaissance polyphony. Through singing with The Apex Singers, he has found real enjoyment in the medium of a capella, and, with his more technical brain, Elliot particularly enjoys the live production aspect of The Apex Singers and is excited for how their sound world continues to evolve.