Maidstone Voices
Founder - Music Director
Ciara is the founder and Music Director of the Maidstone Voices, a welcoming, non-auditioned choir for the community, formed in 2019. This friendly choir comprises people aged 18 and over. Their concerts prove popular and the choir is thriving with over 70 members. They recently won the ‘Kent Sings’ competition and so performed at the Leeds Castle Classical Concert 2025 to thousands, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Community Gospel Choir
Kent Youth Choir
Kent Music
In 2021, Ciara was pleased to accept the prestigious role of Conductor of the Kent Youth Choir, an auditioned choir of Kent’s most talented singers, aged 14 to 21. The choir performs advanced choral repertoire spanning a variety of genres and periods and meets for singing days and residential choir courses in the school holidays. Ciara was previously a Conductor of the Kent Youth Singers and the County Junior Choirs; those roles were especially close to her heart, as she herself is a product of the Kent Youth Choirs.
Maidstone Choral Union
Conductor - Music Director
This long-respected choir, the Maidstone Choral Union, was formed 121 years ago when a group of gentlemen in Maidstone, Kent, UK, wanted to join the ladies Glee Club in 1902. Ciara was very happy to accept the post of Conductor and Music Director in 2023.
MYMS Voices
Maidstone Youth Music Society
Ciara is the Conductor and founder of the MYMS Voices, a non-auditioned children's choir which she started in 2014, growing from a cohort of just 5 to 90 singers in 2020. As a former member of MYMS herself, Ciara is able to combine her passion for conducting with giving back to an organisation that means a lot to her.
Kent Community Orchestra
FOUNDER - MUSIC DIRECTOR
A relaxed, friendly orchestra for amateur instrumentalists. Life gets in the way of music-making sometimes! Many people learn an instrument at school before careers and families then take over. Ciara founded this orchestra in 2023, for those dusty instruments in the attic to be dusted off and loved again.
East Malling Singers
Music Director
Ciara has been the Music Director of the East Malling Singers, a long established, mixed-voice choir of 90 singers, since 2013. The choir performs a wide variety of sacred and secular music, regularly working with London’s operatic soloists and an orchestra comprising talented freelance professionals. In recent years they’ve enjoyed workshops with renowned composers Bob Chilcott and Howard Goodall.
Guest Conductor
Community Groups / School choirs
Workshops:
“Giving guest workshops is so enjoyable, you never know what to expect but everyone leaves revived and you go home on a high”. Recent workshops have been with Tunbridge Wells ‘Wells Angels’ Women’s Institute, the Bearsted Active Retirement Association and Kettle Bridge Concertinas.
Adjudicating:
“Adjudicating is very fulfilling as you uncover great new talent”. Recent adjudications have been at St Edmund’s School, Canterbury and the Maidstone Young Musician Competition.
Collaborations:
Ciara brings groups together for collaborative performances. These have recently included the London International Gospel Choir, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Maidstone Wind Symphony, Kings Hill Strings, the Medway and Maidstone Sinfonia, Hilton Hall Dance Academy, the Kent Sinfonia, Energize community choir, Innominata chamber choir, the Boughton Monchelsea Community Choir, the Kent Police Male Voice Choir, Witten Symphony Orchestra, the Tunbridge Wells Orpheus Male Voice Choir, the German Witten Symphony Orchestra and with Irish choirs including the Ardfert Singers and the Connemara Choir.
You can contact Ciara here if you are interested in booking her to give a workshop or to adjudicate.