Dursley Male Voice Choir
The Music Team
Barrie Cooper B.A. L.R.S.M.
Co-Musical Director & Accompanist
Barrie Cooper had his first piano lesson over 70 years ago at Marling School in Stroud. He is a Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) and over many years has been the accompanist and conductor of several choirs as well as the Musical Director of an amateur operatic society.
He became the accompanist of the Dursley Male Voice Choir in 2001 before taking on the Musical Director’s role in 2003. Over the years, Barrie Cooper has composed many original songs and rearranged many others for the DMVC and for other choirs and musical groups in the area.
Until quite recently he was a regular and successful competitor at The Cheltenham Music Festival, but now prefers to concentrate on his first love, namely accompanying singers. Some notably unusual events include accompanying Wyn Evans (the Go Compare man) at Cheltenham Town Hall and playing Edelweiss for a singing tour guide in a pizzeria in Pyongyang, North Korea.
In 2018, Matthew Sharp joined the music team straight from university as the accompanist and by 2022, the DMVC music team was working so well together that they agreed to share the roles, as Co-Director / Accompanist roles.
Both Barrie Cooper and Matthew Sharp are first class pianists and in recent years, this magnificent pairing have been delighting their audiences with solo and duet performances at the guest artists at a growing number of concerts.
Matthew Sharp B.Mus.
Co-Musical Director & Accompanist
Matt became the accompanist for Dursley Male Voice Choir in 2018 and a Co-Musical Director in 2022. He and Barrie now share 50% of the accompanying and conducting duties - a true team effort!
Matt received Grade 8 distinction on the piano at age 16 and went on to graduate from Cardiff University with a first-class degree in Music.
He works as a piano teacher at The Crypt School, Wycliffe College and Beaudesert, in addition to accompanying The Stuart Singers. He was formerly organist and choirmaster at Lower Cam and Coaley parish churches.
Matt arranges music for the choir and also produced the virtual recordings published during lockdown. For more information, visit his website here.
