About Stephen Foulkes

Stephen Foulkes (bass-baritone) sang for 10 years as a lay-clerk in Bristol Cathedral Choir, and is currently bass vicar-choral with Wells Cathedral Choir. He is a regular soloist for choral societies in the UK, and has been soloist on CD recordings featuring the music of Elgar, Dvorak, Stanford and Tucapsky. His latest CD entitled Songs of Dorset (Finzi, Holst, Vaughan-Williams and Somervell) has drawn critical acclaim from The British Music Society. He made his debut for the Bath Festival in 1998 when he sang John Tavener's Ode of St Andrew of Crete, and during the 2000 Festival sang the role of Pater Ecstaticus in Mahler's monumental Eighth Symphony.

In the USA Stephen has sung in St Thomas's New York and in Washington Cathedral, performing the music of Finzi and Tavener. On the Continent he has sung the Cantata Ich habe genug in a Bach Festival in Cologne; the music of Antonin Tucapsky at Nymberg in the Czech Republic; Dvorak and Faure in Alkmaar and Amsterdam; and in Hanover for an International Weihnachts-Konzert.

Among his engagements he has sung many first performances of work by contemporary composers including work by John Tavener; Bach's St John Passion in Wells Cathedral; Verdi's Requiem for Bolton Choral Society and in Malmesbury Abbey; Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for Taunton Choral Society; Vaughan-Williams' Sea Symphony for Bristol University; Bach's Wachet Auf! in York Minster and Bath Abbey; and Handel's Messiah for Bath Choral Society. Recent concerts include Haydn's The Creation with the celebrated soprano Emma Kirkby in Bristol Cathedral; the Nelson Mass directed by Sir David Willcocks; Faure's Requiem for the Ottawa Choral Society; Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 in Exeter Cathedral; Five Mystical Songs (Vaughan-Williams) for the Chiswick Choir; The Dream of Gerontius (Elgar) for Romsey Choral Society in Romsey Abbey; and A Child of Our Time (Tippett) for Thornbury Choral Society.

On three occasions in recent years he has been appointed judge and recitalist in international competitions for song composers under the auspices of the English Poetry and Song Society. In addition to his work on the concert platform he has played principal roles in opera ranging from Monteverdi and Mozart to Benjamin Britten. He also gives vocal tuition to members of choirs in the West Country.