The Musical Team
Emily Gait-Scaglioni - Musical Director
Appointed Musical Director in September 2024.
Emily Gait-Scaglioni is a music teacher, conductor and accompanist living in Barry. Athrawes gerdd, arweinydd a chyfeilydd yw Emily Gait-Saglioni ac mae hi’n byw yn y Barri.
She became Musical Director for Spectrum Singers in 2022, having sung with the choir since 2016. This year she was also 6 month interim Musical Director for Tonyrefail Ladies Choir. Emily has been Accompanist and deputy Musical Director for Penarth Community Choir since 2018 and in 2024 accompanied 2nd place New to the National Eisteddfod Choir ‘Côr Bryn Owain.’
Since 2017 Emily has been teaching piano and singing at Forte School of Music to students of all ages. She studied singing with Kate Woolveridge and loves to sing Jazz and Welsh folk music. Emily regularly covers other choir rehearsals as an accompanist and conductor and has most recently worked with Caerphilly & Llantrisant Male Voice Choirs, Cardiff Chamber Choir and Canton Chorus.
While studying Music at The University of York Emily organised regular lunchtime concerts for students, creating a popular ukulele society and leading primary school music workshops. She has since built up a wide range of experience by teaching for Adult Education Services, studying The Piano Teachers Course UK and undertaking secondary PGCE training.
Emily is an active new Welsh speaker and is currently studying foundation level with Learn Welsh Cardiff. She enjoys using music as key part of her learning and promotion of the Welsh language. This year she has also enjoyed organising collaborative choral events for the RNLI 200th Anniversary in Penarth and Rhythm of Life choir celebration in Barry.
Updated 2024
Christopher Fossey - Accompanist
Christopher Fossey is a musician and teacher currently based in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, working variously as a freelance composer and arranger, accompanist and musical director. He trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and was the recipient of the 2010 RWCMD Composition Prize.
As composer & arranger, Christopher recently worked with Welsh musician Anthony Reynolds on 'A Small Spit Of Land', a large-scale biographical song cycle which was then performed in April 2013 with string players of Sinfonia Cymru and recorded later that year.
As an accompanist, Christopher is in much demand and regularly plays for rehearsals and classes on the MA Musical Theatre course at RWCMD and was also a rehearsal accompanist for their 2012 production of 'The Mystery Of Edwin Drood'. For the Young Actors Studio at RWCMD he is an Acting Through Song tutor and accompanist. Elsewhere, he is the resident accompanist and co-assistant musical director for the South Wales Gay Men’s Chorus who have performed in numerous venues across South Wales and beyond, including recent participation in the Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival and a guest appearance at London’s Cadogan Hall.
As a musical director and rehearsal accompanist Christopher has also worked with Youth Music Theatre UK, Orbit Theatre Co. and The Unknown Theatre Co. Future projects include musical director for 'When You Say Goodbye', a new musical based on the songs of Harry Parr Davies and Marguerite Monnot.
