Meet the Team
Phillip Simpson
Musical Director
From a very young age, Phillip has been making music. What started off as a hobby has now become a lifestyle. Phillip read music at university in the beautiful and historic city of Canterbury, majoring in classical vocal performance. Whilst there, he performed numerous times in the world-famous Canterbury Cathedral, singing the tenor solo parts for popular classical works, such as Mozart's Requiem, Handel's Messiah and Haydn's Nelson
Mass.
Phillip has been with the Plym Valley Voices for a year having taken over as MD from Jenny George, who decided to step down after 28 years. This choir has a long-standing history and a large repertoire of works and pieces that have been performed over the years.
Since August of 2024, Phillip has been the musical director for Sounds Musical Theatre Company based in Plymouth. So far he has done two main shows (The Witches of Eastwick and The Great British Bake Off Musical) and two pantomimes (Dick Whittington and Cinderella), all of which have been highly successful. He has been asked to return for their next show, which will be The Clockmaker's Daughter, opening in May 2027.
Anne Kalas
Accompanist
Anne started her association with the piano when, as a pupil at Plymouth Public Secondary School, she played for her school choir. Having done a 4 year course at Philippa Fawcett College in London, where she obtained a B.Ed Hons (Music) degree, she returned to Plymouth to take up a teaching career which lasted for 37 tears, both full and part-time, starting at Ford Secondary Modern and finishing at Woodford Junior School. As a piano teacher she has had as many as 40 pupils at any one time.
Whilst she has been with the Plym Valley Voices (which was The Sir Joshua Reynolds Choir) for some 21 years, Anne has also accompanied The Reydon Singers, Crownhill Choral Society and The Plymouth Oratorio Choir. In addition she has played for the Junior Choir and now the Church Choir at Sherwell United Church, which she has attended since childhood.
In between the times spent on the piano, Anne helps to look after her grandchildren, likes to read the Classics, is obsessed with Crosswords and Sudoku, and loves to go on holiday. She says “I try to go to Pilates and I really enjoy cooking, but I have to get my husband, Paul, to do most of it as I am so busy!"