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Sam Hayes joined Buxton Musical Society in May 2023 as Chorus Director, taking over the baton from the remarkable Michael Williams as Musical Director in November 2025.

He grew up in the Home Counties, studied Music at Cambridge University, as Organ Scholar at Queens’ College, and undertook further studies in Choral Directing in Uppsala (Sweden), and Paris.

He achieved the Associateship, Fellowship and Choral Directing Diplomas of the Royal College of Organists in the space of one year, in the latter, winning both of the major prizes.

Much of his early career was centred around Cambridge, where, between 2005 and 2022 was Director of Music at Great St Mary’s, The University Church, Cambridge, latterly also holding the historic and prestigious office of University Organist. Here, his responsibilities included directing the 70-strong choral foundation in services, concerts and recordings.

Alongside his career as a church musician, he has worked with concert choirs for twenty-five years, leading singing days across the South and East of the country, and serving as founding Musical Director of Phoenix Choir of Crawley, West Sussex, Musical Director of Godalming Choral Society and Godalming Children’s Choir, in Surrey, and, since January 2025, Musical Director of Stafford Choral Society.

As an educator, he taught and examined for the Music Degree course in Cambridge for a decade, and later served as a Musician in Residence, A-level specialist teacher and school choral director for a number of years. Following his relocation to the Midlands with his young family in 2022, he is now part of Ex Cathedra’s award-winning Education and Participation team in Birmingham, and directs the Senior Academy of Vocal Music.

He maintains a portfolio of keyboard-playing and singing across the region, and when not occupied with music or the school run, he loves walking, cooking, DIY and classic cars.

Safia Mckinney-Askeur is a British soprano currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music, following undergraduate studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Recent engagements include appearing in the chorus of The Cunning Little Vixen at RNCM and performing in opera scenes and concert projects throughout her training. She has also performed at prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and Westminster Abbey with the London Youth Choir, and has collaborated with internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Brad Mehldau on his album Jacob’s Ladder. Safia has a strong interest in performance and enjoys bringing character and text to life through music.

Kate is a graduate from the University of Cambridge where she studied music at Trinity College. While studying, Kate enjoyed being a member of the Cambridge University Gilbert and Sullivan Society and the Cambridge University Opera Society. Notable roles include Ruth in Pirates of Penzance, Vittoriain The Gondoliers, and Elle in Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine. Alongside opera, Kate has performed a range of recital repertoire, including Britten’s Cabaret Songs. Kate currently studies at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Antonia Sotgiu. This year Kate has performed in the Chorus of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, performed in and assistant directed the RNCM Children’s Opera, and will feature as a principal role in the RNCM Community Opera The Watermark this July. Kate will perform in the chorus of Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore and The Mikado with the National G&S Opera Company at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton this August.

Grant Haddow is a Scottish tenor currently studying a Master of Music degree at the Royal Northern College of Music under the training of Quentin Hayes. He completed his Bachelor of Music (Hons) degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama under the training of Tim Richards and James Gilchrist.
His operatic engagements include chorus in Hӓnsel und Gretel, Tosca, Die Zauberflӧte (Scottish Opera); Misper, Anamchara, Dr Ferret’s Bad Medicine Roadshow, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Dido and Aeneas (Scottish Opera Young Company); The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Venus and Adonis, Le Nozze di Figaro (RWCMD); L’Amour des Trois Oranges (RNCM). For the 2026 summer season, Grant is joining the choruses of Opera Holland Park and the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival.
His principal roles include Mr Pásek/Mosquito in The Cunning Little Vixen (RNCM), Gastone/Giuseppe in La Traviata (Preston Opera), the Narrator in Owen Wingrave (RNCM), and Dr Blind in Die Fledermaus (Edinburgh Studio Opera). He has also had role experience as Don Pelagio in La Canterina, Podestà in La finta giardiniera, and Gérald in Lakmé (RNCM opera scenes).
As a chorister, Grant has performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chorus, was tenor scholar with the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, and was lucky enough to sing with the SienAgosto summer academy in Siena, Italy. Grant has sung as the tenor soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Bob Chilcott’s Requiem, Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass, and Haydn’s Harmoniemesse.

Hailing from Cheshire, Benjamin Finnie is a third-year Undergraduate Baritone currently studying under Quentin Hayes. Ben has been a performing vocalist since he was 13, débuting in a production of The Snowman in Stoke-On-Trent’s Victoria Hall. Prior to his undergraduate studies, Ben was a member of the Hallé Youth Choir where he was involved in various different projects with Sir Mark Elder, including Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony in 2022 and Elgar’s The Dream Of Gerontius in 2023.

Recently during his studies, Ben was chosen to represent the RNCM at the Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary for Young Singers Competition in London and has also been enjoying appearing in college’s opera projects, recently as part of the “Les Ridicules” chorus in Prokofiev’s L’amour des Trois Oranges (RNCM) and Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen as the Badger. He was also a part of the RNCM Chamber Choir for 2 years.