Meet Our Staff

Meet Our Staff

Artistic Staff

Conductors

Portrait of Carol Beynon.

Carol Beynon

Primus

Dr. Carol Beynon is professor emerita from the University of Western Ontario where she served as professor of choral music education and in several senior administrative roles, including Associate Vice Provost of the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Education, and Associate Dean (Education). She is the founding co-artistic director of the Amabile Boys & Men’s Choirs (ABMC) of London, Canada, and under her direction, the Choirs have toured internationally and have been consistent winners in Canada’s national competition for choirs. The choirs have been invited to perform for national meetings of the International Society for Choral Music (IFCM), the American Choral Directors’ Association (ACDA), and Choral Canada. Carol’s research focuses on vocal development, specifically with expanding male-identifying male voices as well as investigating the significant impact of singing on persons with dementia. She is the lead editor/author of The Routledge Companion to Interdisciplinary Studies in Singing, Vol II: Education; Learning to Teach (Pearson), and co-editor/author of Critical Perspectives in Canadian Music Education. Carol’s accomplishments have been recognized with several awards for outstanding university teaching; the Woman of Excellence in Arts, Culture and Heritage in London & Middlesex and as an inductee to the “Alumni Wall of Fame” at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western

Portrait of Jackie Norman.

Jacquelyn Norman

Prima

Jackie is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Music and Faculty of Education. She received her Kodály Certification from the university. In 1991, she joined the Junior Amabile Singers as a vocal coach and assumed the position of conductor the following year; she is the founding conductor of the Amabile Da Capo Choir. This season, Jackie is in her inaugural season as co-conductor of Prima, Amabile’s Women’s Choir. At the most recent Western Alumni Awards of Distinction, Ms. Norman was instated to The Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame. Jackie is recently retired from the Thames Valley District School Board where she taught for 32 years as an Elementary Teacher and Junior-Intermediate Music Specialist. Her school choirs received numerous awards including first place in the Ontario Provincial Music Festival and the Florine Després Plaque and Scholarship for the top under 12 choir in the National Music Festival.

Portrait of Jeff Beynon.

Jeff Beynon

Amabile Youth Singers - Tenor/Bass

Jeffrey Beynon is a founding member of the Amabile Boys & Men’s Choirs and serves as conductor of the Amabile Youth Singers (Tenor-Bass) and co-conductor of the Amabile Treble Concert Choir. Under his leadership, the Amabile Youth Singers (TB) have toured internationally and won several competitions, including the Choral Canada National Competition for Equal-Voice Choirs and most recently a Gold Medal in the Male Choir Category of the Musica Orbis International Festival in Prague. Jeff holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Western Ontario and currently serves the Thames Valley District School Board as Superintendent of Student Achievement. Prior to this position, he served as an administrator in TVDSB, and taught at several secondary school, including Medway High School, where he continued the traditions of choral excellence established there by his own high school choral mentor, Ken Fleet.

Portrait of Mark Payne.

Mark Payne

Amabile Youth Singers - Tenor/Bass, Primus

Currently living in London, Ontario, Mark is a native Newfoundlander, equally at home on the stage or in the studio, singing, playing, conducting, composing and arranging. In addition to multiple degrees in classical piano performance, he has performed as a soloist and collaborator throughout Canada and the US. Mark was the resident opera coach at Western University for 10 years, and has worked as vocal coach and repetiteur for Pacific Opera Victoria, Calgary Opera and the Merola Opera Program. He has been the resident Musical Director at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia since 2011, where he arranges the music for the entire 6-show season, rehearses the casts, and performs in most of the shows. His broad vocal and pianistic skills span every conceivable genre – classical, jazz, pop, opera, folk and country, to name but a few. He co-conducts and writes many choral arrangements for Primus Amabile Men’s Choir in London. As an arranger, Mark has orchestrated and performed “The Crooner” with Michael Vanhevel, as well as his own “I Love A Piano” with several Canadian orchestras, and, most recently, with “Encore” the concert band, here in London. Mark is thrilled to have recently had the first two of his own choral arrangements “Fish In The Sea” and “Demain des l’aube” (written for Amabile) published by Cypress Press!

Portrait of John Vermue.

John Vermue

Amabile Treble Training Choir

John is proud to serve as co-conductor of the Treble Training Choir. He is a graduate of Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music, and Griffith University’s Education program. He has taught music in multiple secondary schools, as well as private voice studios, and currently teaches vocal and instrumental music at Saint André Bessette Secondary School in London. John has been singing with the choir since its beginnings in 1990.

Portrait of Tammy Rees.

Tammy Rees

Amabile Da Capo Choir, Junior Amabile Singers

Tammy Rees is a founding member of the Amabile Youth Singers. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, and Griffith University’s Master of Teaching Program. Tammy also holds a performance certificate from Trinity College, England in Voice. Tammy has collaborated with all of the Amabile choirs over the years in various capacities: singer, manager, executive, and board member. Tammy is currently a Music Educator with TVDSB. She has performed and managed many different choirs, sung with various orchestras, and worked with many wonderful conductors and composers throughout her career. Tammy is also working at the Faculty of Education, U.W.O., as part of the “Master Teacher Mentor” program for new teachers. She is incredibly humbled to continue her musical journey as part of the Amabile artistic staff with the beloved organization that helped shape the person and musician she is today.

Portrait of Katrina Zadorsky.

Katrina Zadorsky

Amabile Youth Singers - Soprano/Alto

Katrina is a graduate of the Don Wright Faculty of Music, Western University. She is a music teacher for the Thames Valley District School Board where she is currently teaching vocal and piano keyboarding at Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts. In addition, Katrina has taught private vocal lessons both at the Victoria Academy of Music and her home studio. She was a member of the Amabile Youth Singers, Prima and the Amabile Chamber Choir for many years. Katrina has competed and performed with many choirs both nationally and internationally. One such highlight was being invited to sing for the New World Consort Choir in Italy. Katrina has performed with orchestras and numerous world renowned conductors and composers. She is proud and honoured to serve as the co-conductor of the Amabile Youth Singers.

Portrait of Dr. Danielle Sirek.

Danielle Sirek

Amabile Treble Training Choir

An engaging and dynamic music educator, Danielle Sirek (BMus, MMus, PhD) has been working in choral music education for over 20 years. Her diverse international experience as a teacher, singer, and researcher has taken her across Canada and beyond, with extended music education work in the UK and in Grenada, West Indies. Dr. Sirek is Assistant Professor of Arts Education at Western University, where she teaches music and arts education courses. She believes in the capacity of the arts to build and strengthen community, and is actively engaged in arts in/as activism and community-engaged arts education as a singer, teacher, and scholar. In addition to her teaching and scholarly work, Dr. Sirek also sings professionally with the Juno-nominated Canadian Chamber Choir and locally with Chor Amica.

Rachel Wohlgemut

Amabile Da Capo Choir, Junior Amabile Singers

Rachel is delighted to be the conductor for the Amabile Da Capo Choir and the accompanist for the Junior Amabile Singers. Rachel sang with Amabile for 10 years before heading off to Western University to pursue Music Education. She has an ARCT in Piano Performance and studied piano under the direction of Dr. Stéphan Sylvestre. Rachel completed her Bachelor of Education with specialties in Music and French and is currently working at West Oaks French Immersion where she teaches Grade 2/3 Classroom.

Portrait of Rebecca Lubos.

Rebecca Lubos

Junior Amabile Singers, Amabile Da Capo Choir

Rebecca welcomes the opportunity to be co-conductor for the Junior Amabile Singers and the accompanist for the Da Capo choir. She is a graduate of Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music. She has been involved with the Amabile Choirs organization for over 30 years as a singer, accompanist, and choral assistant. She has been a collaborative pianist in the London area in a wide range of roles, and is currently an accompanist for the choirs at St. Mary Choir & Orchestra school with the London Separate School Board. She is one of Amabile’s many enthusiastic builders and supporters of music education in the school system.

Thomas Corken

Amabile Youth Singers - Tenor/Bass, Treble Concert Choir

Thomas Corken (he/him) is a choral leader, educator and singer based in London, Ontario. He is frequently recognized for his ability to bring positive energy to rehearsals, and creating a productive and supportive learning environment. Tom is completing his Bachelor of Education at Western University and in the community he works with Amabile Choirs of London, conducting the Treble Concert Choir and the Tenor-Bass Amabile Youth Singers. Past conducting positions include the Mississauga Children’s Choir, the Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir and as Associate Conductor of the 120-voiced Grand Philharmonic Choir in Kitchener. Tom completed his Master’s in Choral Conducting at Western University while taking on the role of Associate Conductor of Aeolian Pride Choruses. He completed his undergraduate studies at McMaster University while working with the Hamilton Children’s Choir as Assistant Conductor and Rehearsal Assistant with various ensembles.

Tom’s choral work takes him around the world, most recently in 2024 to Kenya and South Africa where he collaborated with such notable choirs as the Nairobi Chamber Chorus, the Tygerberg Children’s Choir and the Cape Town Camerata. In 2023 Tom participated in Europa Cantat Junior in Ghent, Belgium where he worked with atelier leaders and singers from across Europe. In 2024 Tom presented a session at PODIUM 2024 titledBeyond Heteronormativity: Choral Music Texts That Support Queer Communities. Tom has contributed toDynamicmagazine, is Kodály Level Two certified, was named a Canada Graduate Scholar and has been awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and the Ken Fleet Choral Conducting Scholarship. Tom also provides choral music workshops to elementary and secondary schools across southwest Ontario.

Joanne Richardson

Treble Training Choir

Joanne is a graduate of the Don Wright Faculty of Music, Western University with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. She has been a music educator with the Thames Valley District School Board for over 20 years and has taught a variety of ages (kindergarten through grade 8) and award-winning school ensembles including string orchestras, choirs and bands. Joanne has been involved with the Amabile family as a manager for the past twelve years and is honoured to be in the role of co-conductor of the Training Choir for the current season.

Accompanists

Portrait of Rosemary Bannerman.

Rosemary Bannerman

Amabile Treble Concert Choir

Rosemary Bannerman is a retired vocal and instrumental music teacher and a two time recipient of the Thames Valley District School Board Award of Distinction. Currently, she is the music director at Caradoc Presbyterian Church and teaches private piano and vocal lessons. She has enjoyed being part of the Amabile team for more than 20 years.

Portrait of Debbie Grigg.

Debbie Grigg

Amabile Youth Singers - TB, Primus

Debbie Grigg is a graduate of Western University with BMus and Masters in Music Performance. Past music teaching placements include Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India, Crofton House School in Vancouver, various schools in the Thames Valley District School Board as well as choral conducting in church and community settings, Debbie is presently working solely as a collaborative pianist in the London area, primarily at Western University.

Portrait of Tristin Hill.

Tristin Hill

Amabile Treble Training Choir, Amabile Treble Concert Choir

Tristin holds a degree in business from Western University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. He was a member of the Amabile Choirs for 14 years and accompanist of the Treble Training Choir for the past nine. He recognizes the importance of a chorister’s first few years within the organization and is grateful for the opportunity to work with Amabile’s youngest and most energetic musicians.

Administrative Staff

The Amabile A.

Wade Baillie

Bookkeeper

Wade has been singing with Amabile since he was 15 years old. He has tried his hand at many roles in the organization, from Choir Manager to Board Chair. At present, he is the bookkeeper for the choirs. He would like to thank the Choir Treasurers for their time and efforts and all the volunteers that keep Amabile moving forward. He also spends way too much time sorting and cataloging the boys and men’s music.

Aaron Lee

Executive Coordinator

Aaron has been a member of Amabile Primus for over a decade and holds a PhD in music composition from the University of Western Ontario. In addition to his work as a music educator and freelance composer, Aaron assists with and coordinates various administrative tasks for the Amabile Choirs of London, Canada and manages the choirs’ digital presence and social media.