September 2024 - Matt Gardner takes the helm!

With parents working in the arts Matthew grew up surrounded by music and drama both on and off stage.

Matthew studied Music at Dartington College, specialising in composition. Since graduating he has worked continuously as a professional musician performing, writing, arranging and teaching music. Although his original plan was to become the next Morricone the reality of having to pay the bills intervened temporarily and he started to give piano lessons. His rigorous approach to mastering the basics tempered with an enthusiasm for a wide variety of musical styles meant he rapidly became a victim of his own success and whilst he continued with his writing he never quite found the time to ensure that Hollywood came calling.

Emerging from a testing period of personal highs and lows, he resolved at the start of 2012 to revert to the original plan and now spends many hours in his studio (a sort of glorified shed at the end of the garden) writing and recording new music. After a successful album preview concert in September 2012 he continued to add to his growing catalogue of unpublished music whilst grappling with the challenges of recording the piano in the above mentioned shed. His debut piano album 'Back to the Start' was eventually released in October 2014.

Matt has worked as a pianist and M.D for a number of community theatre groups, is the longstanding MD for Topsham Amateur Dramatic Society and is the recently appointed Musical Director of the Exeter Male Voice Choir. He also runs the Barolotones male choir and the Decibelles female choir.

Ellie Williams led the Choir from September 2023 - March 2024

Ellie Williams stepped into Alfie's somewhat large shoes in September 2023 and led the choir with passion and energy from the very start. She is a proud employee of Hospiscare and felt that being part of the choir would be marrying the two passions in her life: music and Hospiscare, both very close to her heart.

We learnt a whole new repertoire of songs and performed at Hospiscare's Light Up A Life service at Padbrooke Park in December as well as giving our traditional Christmas carols performance in the hospice, and joined in the Ribbons of Remembrance service in Princesshay in March.

However, due to other commitments and the relaunch of her singing career, Ellie decided, with much reluctance, that she had to give up her role leading the choir in March 2024.

We wish Ellie the very best for the future (we are sure we haven’t seen the last of her!), and thank you so much for everything you’ve done for and with the choir in the six months of being our leader, it’s been wonderful singing with you!

Christmas Carols in the Hospice

Cheque Presentation

Light up a Life at Padbrooke

Previous (and Original) Musical Director 2015 - 2023 - Alfie Pugh

Alfie Pugh graduated from Bath Spa University in 2012 with a First Class degree in Music. He then returned to his hometown of Exeter, where he has worked as a freelance musician ever since. His roles include piano teacher, composer and arranger, musical director and choir leader, and orchestral/jazz performer. He was the choirmaster for the Hospiscare Choir since its inception in 2015 and has led them in performances in Exeter Cathedral and the Rugby World Cup fan zone, to name just two. He was also the arranger for the choir, and was in charge of selecting repertoire and working it out in such a way that it could be sung by the choir. Alfie's other choirs have included the Exeter College Choral Society, the Michelmores staff choir, and he is the accompanist for Soul Of The City Gospel Choir.

In 2023, Alfie felt that he had taken the Choir as far as he could and also wished to pursue other options in his musical career, so stepped down from the role of Musical Director. The Choir ensured he had an appropriately joyous send-off with a special concert at the Hospice in Exeter, with past and present members joining us in celebrating his achievements with the Choir over the last 8 years. Alfie gave a lovely speech, explaining how he started with the Choir as a fresh-out-of-university youngster and has grown up with us. We have seen him develop his skills over the years (apparently we have been his guinea pigs in many of his musical experiments!) and seen him get married, and we all wish Alfie the very best for the future - it's been a Wonderful World with you!

We held a farewell Finale performance at the hospice to celebrate all the years with Alfie on his last day with us, with past and present members joining us on the night, July 2023