
Musical Director- Richard Braebrook
In April 2016 Newquay Male Voice Choir were delighted to appoint Richard Braebrook as their Musical Director, only the fifth MD since the choir were reformed in 1974.
Richard brings great knowledge and experience to the role of MD and he has used this, supported by a passion for choral singing and a very well-developed sense of humour, to enhance the quality of the choir’s singing and overall performance. Indeed, appropriately enough given its location, Newquay Male Voice Choir is presently ‘riding on the crest of a wave’. They are producing a refreshed, reinvigorated Newquay MVC sound which has excited and entertained very large audiences locally and further afield on recent tours to Cardiff and South Wales (2015), Yorkshire and Dorset (2016) and Swansea and the Gower (2018)
Richard’s interest and involvement in music has been something of a lifelong passion. He was born in Huddersfield and studied at the renowned Huddersfield School of Music before graduating with a vocalist’s degree from the Royal College of Music in London. He then sang with the BBC Singers and with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, followed by twelve years with the English National Opera. Just to scratch the surface of Richard’s CV reveals an accomplished and versatile musician who has performed on stage and in cabaret venues. He has taken leading roles in many operas and in musical theatre where, as a member of the company of Phantom of the Opera, he took a solo tenor lead in a West End production. Amongst many other prestigious accomplishments, he has sung for the Queen Mother and performed in the Café Royal in London and on P&O ships. In 1983 he was awarded first prize in the World International Singing Festival in Rio de Janeiro.
Richard was elected to be one of only four MDs who conducted the massed choir of the Cornish Federation of Male Voice Choirs in a grand charity concert held at Plymouth Pavilions in July 2016. This represents a considerable accolade within the Federation.

Deputy Musical Director – Spud Yeomans
In November 2018 Spud Yeomans joined the 1st tenor section of Newquay Male Voice Choir, reigniting his love of singing. Spud’s first experience of singing was with his siblings in the village church choir before moving on to Newark town church where he became head chorister. This developed into solo performances at a variety of events including weddings etc.
At the age of eleven Spud’s interest and involvement in music developed into learning to play the trombone and subsequently, over time performed with Newark Town Band and the Salvation Army.
On leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force at the age of 16, he concentrated on a long career including working as part of The Queens Flight as well as travelling to many parts of the world. During this prestigious career, Spud participated in musical events as part the RAF Western Voluntary Band.
Towards the later part of his career in the RAF, Spud moved to Cornwall in 1999. where he joined the Indian Queens Silver Band becoming the Musical Director of the Training Band as well as spending many hours teaching and encouraging new players of all ages various brass instruments.
We were delighted when Spud agreed to become our Deputy Musical Director in 2020, when Newquay Male Voice Choir saw that his knowledge and expertise could support our choristers, not only when Richard Braebrook (MD) was unavailable, but also working with Richard on pieces of Choral music under his guidance.