The Conductors

All four conductors have a special interest in recorder orchestras, regularly conducting orchestras of all sizes and standards.

Ruth Burbidge

Studied at the Royal Academy and at Trinity. She is a popular tutor at many recorder courses including the Cheltenham Recorder Festival and the Northern Recorder Course. As well as teaching flute and recorder, Ruth conducts the Manchester Chamber Recorder Orchestra. Ruth also runs Recorder MusicMail, who will have a large music shop at the Hothorpe weekend.

Helen Hooker

Helen studied the recorder at Trinity College of Music under Philip Thorby and is now a professional recorder player and tutor.

As a Visiting Conductor and Musical Advisor to the Society of Recorder Players, Helen is regularly booked for playing days and pastoral visits to SRP branches across the country. Helen is Assistant Musical Director of the Hampshire Sinfonia, a recorder orchestra based in Havant. She is the Musical Director of the Thames Valley Recorder Orchestra and has tutored the National Youth Recorder Orchestra of Great Britain since its inception in 2002.

Steve Marshall

Steve is not only one of the foremost contemporary composers for recorder but is also one of the most innovative tutors in the recorder world. This may be in part to Steve's rather unusual background in jazz, blues and rock (well, unusual for a recorder player, anyway!). From Minimalist Technique Classes to his majestic 41 part Spam in Atrium, Steve's tuition is always approachable whilst remaining thoroughly out of the ordinary.

Steve is Musical Director of the North Cotswold branch of the SRP and co-founded the Phoenix Recorder Orchestra in 2003 with Pam Smith. Steve is passionate about extending the recorder orchestra repertoire and now conducts the first permanent recorder orchestra which exclusively plays "Easier" recorder orchestra music: The Orchestra on the Hill.

Pam Smith

Pam studied piano, viola and clarinet at Chetham's School of Music and went on to teach music in secondary schools. Pam is Musical Director of the Cheltenham & Gloucester branch of the SRP, the Phoenix Recorder Orchestra, the Exeter Recorder Orchestra and a permanent Chamber Recorder Orchestra based in the West Country..

It is no surprise that Pam is greatly in demand as a visiting conductor of the SRP as she is a gifted tutor with that rare ability to inspire even the most modest of recorder players.