Abi Gilchrist is a UK vocalist, choir leader, and voice coach, best known as the founder/director of UK Soul Choirs. She launched the first Soul Choir in Greenwich in 2010 with four singers and grew it into a multi-branch organisation across London and Kent, now welcoming hundreds of adults each week. The choirs focus on soul, Motown, gospel-inspired pop and harmony-led arrangements, with an intentionally inclusive, no-audition ethos for people who may not read music or feel “good enough” to join a choir. Abi trained as a classical soprano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later studied at the London School of Musical Theatre. She also works as a session singer and voice-over artist. During COVID, she co-created “Home Sing” to keep singers connected and support charity fundraising.

Chris Maunu is a Portland, Oregon–based conductor, educator, and composer known for helping choirs build a clear, resonant sound through practical, repeatable rehearsal techniques. They are Artistic Director of Pacific Youth Choir, Affiliate Faculty at Portland State University’s School of Music, and Artistic Director of the professional ensemble Choro in Schola. Before moving to Oregon, Chris spent 17 years as Director of Choirs at Arvada West High School in Colorado, where the programme became recognised for strong vocal training and ambitious repertoire. Chris is also an in-demand clinician and guest conductor, and writes/publishes choral works for a range of ensembles and voicings.

Craig is a contemporary vocal coach, choral leader and arranger.  He’s the Principal Lecturer in Popular Voice at Leeds Conservatoire where he founded the LC Pop Choir.  This choir won BBC One’s Pitch Battle in 2017 and will be featured on Britain’s Got Talent in 2025.  Craig was also the first President of the British Voice Association from 2019 to 2021 and was re-elected for consecutive terms.  He directs The Workplace Choir Company, delivering vocal programmes to companies across the UK.  His choirs have performed at major events and venues including the Royal Albert Hall in 2024 Wembley Arena for Children in Need in 2018 MIPCOM Cannes in France in 2017 and the Royal Festival Hall in 2016 alongside Marc Almond.  Craig has led massed vocal workshops and presentations throughout the UK and internationally, including Ireland Germany Sweden Italy Spain Austria and Switzerland.  He remains a highly sought-after choral director and educator.

Daniel Raaflaub is a stage performer, vocal coach, and choral choreographer. He studied voice, acting, and dance at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, graduating in musical theatre in 2009.

Over 15 years, he has performed across Switzerland, Germany, and Austria in musical theatre, drama, and concerts. His work with a cappella groups like BHÄMM! reflects his passion for creative expression. He began at the Knabenkantorei Basel boys’ choir, gaining experience as a chorister and soloist. In 2022, he completed a Master’s in Vocal Pedagogy at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

He now teaches, prepares singers for auditions, and coaches choirs. He is Co-Managing Director of Knabenkantorei Basel and former Office Manager of the European Youth Choir Festival Basel.

As a choreographer for youth choirs worldwide, he creates inspiring performances, including the 2025 EYCF opening show with 800 singers.

James Manwaring MBE is a UK choral leader and music educator known for helping young singers build confident, stylish sound through clear, practical rehearsal craft. Associated with work at Windsor Boys School and across professional networks including the Music Teachers’ Association (MTA), he combines classroom teaching, ensemble direction, and advocacy for strong music education. James focuses on what works when time is tight: warm-ups that transfer directly to repertoire, rehearsal language singers can act on immediately, and a culture where musical detail is normal. He is particularly recognised for fundamentals that make rapid progress—unified vowels, clear diction, rhythmic accuracy, and treating text as the driver of sound. In this episode, we explore how he starts rehearsals, earns buy-in from teenage singers, and sets goals that keep improvement measurable while protecting joy.

Jen Bonnar is a Scotland-based vocal leader and arranger who runs multiple Rock Choir groups across the west of Scotland, including Greenock, Hamilton, Paisley, Houston, and Helensburgh. She started singing in childhood and was a member of the Scottish National Junior Choir from age 10, later building a varied performing career across classical and contemporary settings. Jen has sung in vocal groups supporting artists including Plácido Domingo, Kerry Ellis, and The Kooks, and performed at large-scale events such as the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Alongside performance, she developed a career in learning and development, bringing a strong focus on motivation, empowerment, and clear teaching into the rehearsal room. Part of Rock Choir since 2012, she’s known for upbeat, welcoming rehearsals that still aim for musical clarity, confident harmonies, and a strong sense of community.

Johannes David Wolff is a chorus director, conductor, and pianist based in Berlin. He is the artistic director of the children’s and youth choir programme “Vokalhelden”, initiated by the Berlin Philharmonic. He is also the founder and leader of “Vokalsystem”, a student choir of 75 singers. His choral work has led him to collaborate with orchestras and opera houses such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatsoper Berlin, and Komische Oper Berlin. As an orchestral conductor, he has worked with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and others. He works at the Universität der Künste Berlin in the Musical Theatre Department, where he teaches choir and music theory and also directs theatre productions.

Johannes David Wolff always strives to connect music with other disciplines such as dance, video art, and light design. He has worked with several German pop artists, including Herbert Grönemeyer, Paula Hartmann, and Bodo Wartke.

Jonas Rasmussen is a Danish choral conductor, educator, composer and arranger known for practical, high-impact rehearsal craft and clear musical communication. He is conductor and artistic leader of Academic Choir Aarhus, Youth Choir Aarhus U, and Ensemble Novum, and teaches classical choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus. Jonas shares warm-ups and rehearsal insights in accessible short-form content used widely by choir leaders and singers, and his workshop work links sound, gesture, language and group psychology to help ensembles make confident musical choices quickly. His ensembles have received international recognition, with successes at events including the World Choral Championships, Let the Peoples Sing, and the European Choir Games, and he won 1st prize at the 20th Gheorghe Dima International Music Competition for Conductors.

Keara has been directing choir for over 25 years. Her passion is Gospel music and creating events for Gospel choirs in Ireland. The IGNITE Gospel Choir has been singing together for 18 years. She has worked with some of the best Gospel music industry directors and producers and facilitates a group of over 120 Gospel choir directors from all over Europe and the US. She is passionate about director supports and cultivating a space for growth, challenge and encouragement.  She also directs 2 contemporary community choirs, encouraging social inclusion and getting people in the community to give singing a go.

Simon Berg is a choral musician and choir leader known for practical rehearsal work that builds blend, tuning, and confidence quickly. Their approach centres on active listening, unified vowels, and text-led singing, treating diction and rhythm as part of musical expression rather than a last-minute add-on. In this conversation, Simon shares first priorities in rehearsal, fast ways to diagnose when tuning will not settle, and methods for helping singers self-correct without creating a tense atmosphere. Choir directors will come away with concrete strategies for clearer ensemble sound and more efficient, supportive rehearsals.