Musical Director and Key People

Our Musical Director

MD Jonathan Rathbone

Jonathan Rathbone started his musical career as a chorister at Coventry Cathedral. He was a choral scholar at Christ’s College Cambridge, where he read mathematics. He gained a second degree at the Royal Academy of Music where he studied composition with John Gardner. Recently, the Academy honoured him with an ARAM.

Jonathan joined the Swingle Singers in 1984 and was musical director of the group for a decade. During that time he turned from composition to arranging - creating the majority of their arrangements, both a cappella and with orchestra. He left the group in 1996 to spend more of his time writing and now spends much of his time arranging and orchestrating. Amongst others, he has orchestrated for Katherine Jenkins, the Kings Singers, Sir Cliff Richard, Michael Ball, Stephen Cleobury and the choir of Kings College, Cambridge, and orchestras all over Europe.

He conducts five choirs in north London – London Forest Choir, The Rowantree Choir, Havering Singers, the Crofton Singers and Middlesex University Choir (where he also teaches harmony and aural). He also occasionally teaches Choral Arranging at Cambridge University. He is also musical director at his local church, St Mary’s Walthamstow.

He continues to write, arrange and orchestrate for a wide range of groups, creating pieces for groups such as Voces 8, The Hi-Lo Singers, the Edvard Grieg Kor (based in Bergen), Vocalocity (based in Israel), a student choir in Stockholm, the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in London and Coventry Cathedral. He has also written all the jingles for the popular podcast “Where there’s a Will, there’s a Wake” starring Kathy Burke.

He is married to Helen (also a former Swingle Singer) which enables him to produce SATB music at home for the choirs and for his local church.

I went to a Rowantree Christmas Concert a few years ago, with a friend and really liked the music and arrangements so decided to come along and give it a try. I love singing and the music and Jonathan makes the rehearsals fun. I think the choir is really good for me – it lifts my spirits every week when I've been to a rehearsal.
Jenny – Alto

Assistant MD Geoff Walker

As Assistant Musical Director, Geoff's role is to take Rowantree rehearsals when Jonathan is unable to do so. He has occasionally written or arranged pieces for Rowantree. Having been a member of the choir for more than ten years, and Chairman for three of those years, Geoff understands how the choir ticks and is familiar with much of its repertoire. He was director of music for a number of churches, spanning four decades, and now co-directs a singing company called Hi Lo Singers.

Accompanist Judith Crawford

Judith has been playing the piano for over 50 years now, and has thoroughly enjoyed accompanying the Rowantree Choir since January 1999. She graduated from the Royal College of music in the late 1980’s, and has had a varied freelance career as both pianist and teacher. During her time with the Royal Air Force Salon Orchestra, she was privileged to play in the presence of several members of the Royal Family, including the late Queen, Queen Mother, and Princess Diana.

Judith’s other musical activities include leading the singing group at her church, occasionally singing with Barnet Choral Society, and playing duets with her husband James. They have performed together at several Rowantree Choir concerts over the years. To relax, Judith loves to walk with her husband, visit local coffee shops with friends, and read. Her latest hobby is learning Spanish.