Meet The Team

Laurence Panter

Musical Director

Laurence is our highly accomplished Musical Director for the Choir. Laurence is a British tenor, pianist, musical director and composer. He studied at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, where he was awarded both an academic scholarship and a choral exhibition. He later graduated with distinction from Trinity Laban Conservatoire, where he was recipient of the Kathleen Roberts Vocal Scholarship. As a pianist, he gained his ABRSM performance diploma in 2009 and has accompanied singers for exams, recordings, recitals and competitions. In 2019, he premiered his first operatic composition, 'The Cruel Sister', for the Tête-à-tête festival and is working on two new commissions as a result. He has also written choral arrangements, a song cycle, various stand-alone songs and a set of Prokofiev themes arranged for jazz-reggae ensemble.

Gary Lewis

Accompanist

Gary is our superb accompanist with The Harmoneers Choir. Gary has spent most of his career as a Musical Director in a number of outstanding schools throughout the country. At an early age he played jazz trombone in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and then piano in a number of bands, leading the Harrogate Youth Jazz Orchestra. This was followed by his involvement in a number of youth ensembles, orchestras and choirs in national and international festivals. He has written several full length musicals including 'Dunstan': Light of Albion' which toured New York and Connecticut and he has many years experience as a musical theatre MD. Nowadays, Gary leads a 7 piece jazz group, 'Swingshift' and spends much of his time writing and recording music with other colleagues.

Ann Jones

Choir Manager / Secretary

Ann is our joint Choir Manager who looks after the day to day running of the choir with Jules. She is also our choir Secretary and manages all matters relating to Committee meetings. Ann has been with the Choir since its start. Her love of music started as a child with a classical theme singing in the Royal Albert Hall, Coventry Cathedral and even with the BBC. She then turned to folk music and became one half of a group called 'Two's Company' singing on streets and stages around the country. She taught at the Leamington Music centre and ran choirs in all of the schools she taught in.

Jules Harper

Vice Chair / Choir Manager

Jules is our joint Choir Manager who looks after the day to day running of the choir in conjunction with Ann. In addition, Jules is responsible for managing our choir database, IT systems, the Website, including its design and updates, and designs our publicity and marketing materials. She also acts as Vice Chair in David's absence. Jules started singing again 14 years ago. She was lead singer in a vocal & acoustic duo called 'Duality' and was involved in a recording of Songs of Praise in Northampton for the Princess Diana Memorial and as a child and a choral spectacular for school choirs of Joseph's Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Jules has been with the Harmoneers since 2019.

David Doggett

Chairman

David is the Choirs Chairman, who keeps us all in order at meetings, oversees our meetings and takes any items for AOB, together with managing actions and taking votes on choir business.

David has been with the Harmoneers for the last six years since 2017.

Ruth Bates
Treasurer

Ruth is the Choirs Treasurer and looks after all matters relating to finance within the choir, including managing our bank account, taking members 'subs' and keeping track of expenditure. Ruth has also been with the Harmoneers since 2017.

Tim Harper
Marketing, Audio & Photography

Tim manages all of our audio and video recordings for the purpose of marketing and publicity of the choir, together with updating photographic images on our website. He also supports any external activities for the choir in conjunction with other Committee members.

Tims background is in sales, marketing and publicity in a specialist field of construction and technical engineering management.

Tim has been with the Harmoneers since 2019.

Ann Ballinger

Publicity & Promotion

Ann is our Publicity and Events Manager and is responsible for raising the profile of the Choir through Social Media, together with attracting new members to the choir. She oversees events management for the choir performances and manages our Facebook pages. Ann also liaises with Charities for our Events and connects with local press for advertising purposes.

Jennifer Babb
Member Support

Jennifer supports our New Members and contributes as a Choir Member with new ideas to promote and keep the choir activity fresh.

She started singing in choirs at school and University, but the Harmoneers is her first experience of singing in harmonies. Jennifer is an enthusiastic singer, enjoying all kinds of music, especially when its live. She joined the Harmoneers in 2022 and says "it is one of the best things I did that year".