Katherine Williams & Ben Marsden

Katherine Williams has sung since she was a young girl, brought up in a strong Methodist hymn singing tradition. She took singing lessons at secondary school and ventured into Anglican church music, oratorio and operetta. While studying for an MA (Hons) in History of Art at Aberdeen University she had singing lessons with Kate Hughes in Old Aberdeen and Raimond Herrincx at North East of Scotland Music School. This inspired her to do post graduate studies at Trinity College of Music in London with soprano Sally Le Sage. She returned to Aberdeen and married Dr Roger Williams raising three children in Barthol Chapel, combining family life with solo performing, teaching piano and singing and then taking a PGDE in Primary Education in 2005. She sang oratorio solos with local groups such as the Aberdeen Bach choir and gave more intimate recitals in many country houses, National Trust for Scotland properties and churches throughout Aberdeenshire accompanied by her husband. Katherine now combines her love of teaching and heritage as Education Officer at St Machar’s Cathedral. Recent recitals include St Andrew’s ‘Cathedral at Noon’ series and Cowdray Hall Lunchtime concerts. In the 2022 SOUND Festival she premiered the song cycle Animal Voices written for her by Dr Roger Williams. She recorded this alongside French art songs by Debussy, Faure and Poulenc with the pianist Ben Marsden in 2023. Forthcoming recitals include premiering two new works by Roger Williams and Robert Milne for SOUND 2025 on the 25 October in Forgue Church.

Dr Ben Marsden studied mathematics at Cambridge, piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (with Claudio Arrau’s student Brigitte Wild), and history of science at the University of Kent at Canterbury. He is currently Director of Postgraduate Studies in the School of DHPA and a member of the History Department at the University of Aberdeen. Since arriving in Aberdeen in 1999, he has played an active role in the region’s musical life, working as an accompanist, repetiteur, orchestral pianist, chamber musician, and occasional soloist. He has collaborated with groups including the Aberdeen City Orchestra, Aberdeen Bach Choir, Con Anima, and Haddo Arts, as well as accompanying concerts, music prizes, and masterclasses.