THE MOVEMENT COLLECTIVE

The Movement Collective is a cultural organisation directed by Zoe Bishop and Nikki Bishop. The Collective produces dance theatre performances, as well as various workshops, classes, event and projects that promote creativity, expression and mindfulness.

The Movement Collective added dance to InCantus' performance of Dan Forrest's 'Breath of Life' at the Alameda Gardens Open Air Theatre in June 2024

 Born in Milan in 1983, he began his musical studies at a very young age, obtaining the Superior Clarinet Degree in 2002 under the guidance of Nicola Bulfone and Paolo Beltramini.

In 2010 he obtained the Superior Degree in Choir Conducting at the Conservatorio Superior “Giuseppe Verdi” of Milan, with honours, under the guidance of Maestro Domenico Zingaro.

Throughout his career he has been improving his skills with great masters of the international choral panorama, such as Marco Berrini. Floryan Heireich. Gary Graden and Cesar Alejandro Carrillo.

Michele studied conducting with Fabrizio Darsi conducting the New Camerata Orchestra of Milan and with Jan Caber and Felix Hauswirth at the ISEB of Trento (Italy).

He was the stable conductor of the provincial band “G. Verdi” of Varese from 2006 to 2011, winning awards in prestigious competitions both in Italy and abroad.

His passion for choral music led him to specialize in choral composition, participating in numerous courses and workshops given by great composers such as Bruno Zanolini. Vic Nees. Jonathan Rathbone. Carlo Pavese. premiering many of his compositions all over the world (Europe, United States and Japan).

Michele is often invited to give choral music workshops and to conduct his own works. He combines his activity as a performer with teaching. He is currently professor of Musical Language at the Conservatory “Paco de Lucia” in Algeciras and musical director of the Coral and Coro Joven Carmina Nova in Malaga.

Michele Conducted the Zyriab and InCantus Choirs in our production of 'Magnificat' at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in October 2024

Chamber Choir “Zyriab” (Vocal group of the Professional Conservatory of Music “Paco de Lucia de Algeciras (Spain)

The Zyriab Choir was formed at the Conservatorio Superior “Paco de Lucia” of Algeciras, and is named after the famous Andalusian poet, Zyriab. Zyriab is also the name of a famous album by the guitarist Paco de Lucia, 'Zyryab'.

The choir was formed with the collaboration of the parents' association of the Conservatory (Ampa Emilio Burgos), as an extracurricular activity, in which students, teachers, parents and alumni participate to build musical projects inside and outside the conservatory.

Several teachers of the Conservatory have managed to direct the choir: José Antonio Vázquez, Serfio Asián Almanza and currently the choir is directed by Prof. Michele Paccagnella.

Thier repertoire ranges from early and baroque music to contemporary music, without forgetting the folk music of different countries.

In addition to regular participation in concerts organized by the conservatory “Paco de Lucia”, has participated in various meetings and festivals within and outside the national territory.

They toured the territory of the Axarquia with Fauré's Requiem during the Festival de Música Sacra e Antica (Free March) and, together with the Insubriae Choir, theyperformed Ariel Ramirez's Misa Criolla in Algeciras, Malaga, Varese and Milan.

Recently they performed the work of Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man in Varese (Italy) with the Canova Orchestra of Milan under the direction of Prof. Michele Paccagnella and in June of this year they performed Rutter's Requiem in Algeciras.

Zyriab joined forces with InCantus and performed the Bach and Pergolesi Durante Magnificats in October 2024.

Hannah’s Music education began at a very early age, when she was lucky enough to have a music specialist as her primary school teacher for three consecutive years. In that time, Hannah developed a love for singing and began Cornet lessons through the Trowbridge and District Youth Band, with whom she continued to play until she was 16, when she won a 75% music scholarship to Millfield to study for her A Levels. Unfortunately, her time at Millfield was short-lived, as the call of the stage beckoned, and this was not a skill that was necessarily nurtured at the school at that time. So, she transferred to Trowbridge College where she completed a BTEC in Performing Arts, whilst also teaching herself to play the Piano, and entering herself for ABRSM singing exams, up to and including Grade 8.

Hannah graduated from Bath Spa University in 2006, achieving a First Class Honors Degree in Music, studying singing under opera specialist, Judy Davis.  There, she took lead roles in many productions, including Pamina - Mozart's Magic Flute, Fiona - Oliver's Blondel and the title role in Handel's Semele.  Hannah has been a principal soprano with Bath Opera since her debut role as Oscar - Verdi's A Masked Ball in 2006.  Since then, many of the roles she has sung, have been performed with her now husband, Rupert, whom she met on the stage. Roles have included Papagena - The Magic Flute, Adina - Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, Cunegonde - Bernstein’s Candide, Nanetta - Verdi’s Falstaff, Musetta – Puccini’s La Boheme, Noemie – Massenet’s Cinderella, Susanna – Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Fiordiligi – Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, Micaela – Bizet’s Carmen, Fenena – Verdi’s Nabucco, Violetta – Verdi’s La Traviata, Gilda - Verdi’s Rigoletto, the title role in Verdi’s Luisa Miller, Margarita in Gounod’s Faust and a reprisal of Pamina in Magic Flute. Hannah’s most recent role was that of Semele in Handel’s opera of the same name. Hannah has performed as a soloist in many works including Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Coronation Mass, Rutter’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Nulla in Mundo pax Sincere and Schutz’s Christmas Story in venues including Bath’s Assembly Rooms, The Abbey and The Guildhall. She can often be found singing recitals in as many as 5 languages.

Hannah pairs family life with her husband and three children, with a busy performance schedule and an even busier teaching timetable. She was the resident soloist for the Mendip Male Voice Choir for over 15 years, performing as many as 30 concerts per year. In the summer of 2011, she performed with the choir as the warm-up act for Katherine Jenkins at Glastonbury Abbey’s Classical Festival, for an audience of approximately 10,000. She reached the semi-final of the prestigious Thelma King Award for Singers in Bath in 2008 at the Guildhall, and the regional final of the Kiri Prize hosted by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa on Radio 2 in 2009. She has achieved a Singing Diploma from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, has completed a PGCE with Greenwich University, a QTLS and a Licentiate Diploma from the London College of Music, for which she achieved 90% and then studied to qualify as a Vocal Health First Aider, and in a complete change, a Birth Doula.

Hannah has been teaching one-to-one singing for 20 years to pupils of all ages, both in schools and from home. Schools at which she has taught, include: The Mill School in Potterne, Hayesfield Girls’ School in Bath, Springmead Preparatory School in Beckington and several of the local Stagecoach Theatre Arts Centres. She has a near flawless track record of pupils’ examination results from ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall and LCM, from preparatory tests to diplomas. Hannah teaches classroom music to children aged 2-11 in her role as Music Subject Lead at Springmead School, where she designs and delivers a full music curriculum. She can also be found adjudicating competitions and running workshops at schools and groups across the South of England.