Philip Thornley has been the honorary
conductor of the Dovedale Singers since 1995.
His musical background is
almost entirely in voice, having been a boy soloist at the age of seven
with the Eccles Boys’ Choir. Although he pursued a career in teaching,
qualifying in 1966, he continued to foster his involvement in all kinds of
music through his college studies, his ensuing teaching career and as
founder and conductor of the Salford Hospitals’ Choir. During the 1970’s he was awarded the
degree of Master of Education at Manchester University, with schools’ music
an integral part of that degree, and later became an Associate of the
London College of Music.
Having retired from
teaching in 1997, he has been able to devote more of his time to the
pursuit which he identifies as the most all-consuming and pleasurable in
his life, that of voices in harmony.
He recalls many highlights during his
conducting career such as conducting the combined choirs, the band of the
Royal Marines and the Russian Army Band at both the Free Trade Hall and the
Bridgewater Hall, performing before HRH Princess Anne at a children’s concert
in Rochdale, conducting Haydn’s Creation at the Royal Northern College in
the Voices For Hospices event of 1991.
Despite all the pleasure
and experience that he has gained since earliest childhood through his
involvement in many forms of music, he has but one regret – he would love
to have been a member of the Vienna Boys Choir.