Jamie Hillman (ON)
Christopher Bowman (NS)
Bill Hamm (AB)
Ryan Billington (NS)

Jamie Hillman is a choral musician who is active as a singer, accompanist, composer, conductor, and adjudicator. He holds an Associate diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music, degrees from the University of Western Ontario and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is currently a doctoral student in Conducting at Boston University where he studies with Ann Howard Jones. Recent musical experiences include singing with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, accompanying the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus, adjudicating at festivals in Alberta and New Brunswick, examining for Conservatory Canada, and editing choral music for earthsongs and Hinshaw.

 

Christopher Bowman (M. Mus 2005 Memorial University, B. Mus 2001 Mount Allison University) enjoys making music in many forms – as a conductor, choral and solo performer, and educator.  He is music director and organist at First United Church in Truro, Nova Scotia. Chris is the assistant director of the Halifax Camerata Singers, co-conductor of the newly formed Cantabile Boys’ Choir, and director of the Truro Mel-O-Dees, a women’s barbershop chorus.  He sings with Camerata and the Canadian Chamber Choir, and is a former Coordinator of and singer with the National Youth Choir of Canada.  In 2010 and 2011 he will be resident conductor of the Nova Scotia Youth Choir.
Chris is also active as a solo recitalist in Atlantic Canada and Ontario.  His debut CD “Over Hill and Valley” with pianist David Chafe won Music NS and Music NL awards, and was nominated for an ECMA. He also maintains a busy voice and piano studio, is sought after as a choral and church music clinician, and has been a sessional instructor at both Memorial and Mount Allison Universities.  Chris and his wife Laura enjoy Maritime life in Truro, Nova Scotia.

 

Bill Hamm grew up in Southern Ontario, and was known (musically) as a
trumpeter. He studied music at University of Winnipeg (B.A.) and at a Mennonite College (B.R.S.), followed by University of Illinois (M.Mus.) where he majored in Choral Conducting. Bill currently lives in the small hamlet of Rosebud, Alberta where he has been Rosebud School of the Arts’ and Rosebud Theatre’s Music Director since 1989. He conducts choirs, teaches voice and speech classes, and has directed the music for many shows including Cotton Patch Gospel, Quilters, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Godspell and Fiddler on the Roof. Bill is the composer and music director of The Canadian Badlands Passion Play and sings with the Canadian Chamber Choir. Bill and his wife Renita have four children and one grandchild. Bill
enjoys running, mountain biking, hockey and home renovations.

Ryan Billington is an Assistant Professor at St. Francis Xavier University where he teaches voice, vocal improvisation, arranging, and directs vocal jazz ensembles and choirs. He is currently building a comprehensive performance program for vocal musicians at StFX including classes in voice pedagogy, diction for contemporary singers, vocal arranging, and art song literature.

Ryan is a versatile singer, singing solo jazz repertoire as well as art song and oratorio. He has performed with artists such as Gene Smith, Richie Cole, Darmon Meader, Phil Mattson, Don Shelton, and Bonnie Herman. He received the Downbeat Award for Best Collegiate Jazz Vocal Soloist in 2002.

Previous to his appointment at StFX, Ryan taught vocal jazz at Western Michigan University and University of Toronto. He has been a choral and vocal jazz clinician for the Ontario Vocal Festival, Atlantic Band Festival, for high schools in the Niagara Region and throughout the Greater
Toronto Area. Ryan’s jazz arrangements have been performed at jazz conferences by high school and collegiate ensembles. He continues to write contemporary choral arrangements.