Tim Knight: Musical Director
Tim was appointed as Musical Director of Leeds Male Voice Choir in January 2014 and he quickly re-established the choir as a popular feature on local music scene. Under Tim’s leadership, innovative and diverse concert programming, expanding audiences and the continued growth in membership have resulted in one of the most exciting periods in the choir’s history leading the choir’s a return to national and international touring after a thirty-year hiatus.
Born in Northallerton, Tim became a chorister in York Minster Choir under Dr Francis Jackson, with the daily round of choral services exposing him to an immense and diverse repertoire.
Tim pursues a varied musical career. As a conductor, he has worked with choirs large and small and held posts with Wakefield Festival Chorus, Vocalis, The York Rose Singers, Thornton Vocal Union, The Eldon Singers and a host of other celebrated northern choirs. He runs two choirs he founded, The Heritage Singers and Masterworks Chorale.
As a composer, Tim’s music is distributed worldwide; he has been nominated twelve times in the Classic FM Hall of Fame between 2014 and 2025, and his work has been performed in concert halls, schools and cathedrals within the United Kingdom, Europe and America. He has undertaken a composer in residence visit to Clarke University Dubuque in Iowa for the premiere of his Requiem Aeternam and in 2015 and 2016 acted as a judge in the Canco Mediterrania International Choir Competition in Barcelona. His work has been recorded by a number of international musicians and orchestras including the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tim has also held positions as Principal of Yorkshire College of Music and Drama in Leeds, Music and Festivals Officer on the Executive of the National Association of Choirs and Chairman for the Royal School of Church Music in the Ripon and Leeds region. In 2019 he acted act as the Artistic Director for Voices Yorkshire, a Yorkshire wide choral festival, a twenty first century version of the Leeds Triennial Choral Festival. He is also in demand as a singing, composition and theory teacher, runs his own music studio in Leeds and provides leadership and workshops to choirs throughout the United Kingdom.
Lucas Kelly: Principal Accompanist
Lucas Kelly joined the musical team in September 2021 as Principal Accompanist. An experienced pianist, composer and teacher, Lucas supports the choir’s rehearsals and concert schedules.
Lucas holds a First Class Honours Degree from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in Jazz Piano, and has been taught by musicians such as John Turville, Liam Noble and Ross Stanley.
As a pianist, Lucas has performed frequently with numerous soloists and ensembles including with the Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra and RBC Duke Ellington Orchestra.
He has performed his own compositions at the Royal Albert Hall with the Greenhead College Big Band for the finals of the Music For Youth festival. He also accompanies Barnsley Youth Choir (Junior Choir West and Children’s Choir West).
Lucas is also a piano, keyboard and theory tutor, currently teaching for Musica Kirklees and Jam Factory Music in Holmfirth alongside his own private students.