Founder and Director of the CWYM and WYO 1971 to July 2007

Don Riddell MBE BA, BMus, LRAM, LTCL

Don Riddell was appointed Director of Music at Poole College in 1970. In 1971 he founded the Poole College Youth Orchestra (now the WYO) and shortly afterwards – the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians. He dedicated his life to inspiring and encouraging young musicians to make music.  Don was awarded the MBE in the 2000 New Years Honours List for his services to youth music.

Sadly, Don passed away in September 2007.  He leaves behind him a legacy for all young musicians in the area and all of us here at CWYM are determined to see that his wonderful work will continue, well into the future.

Wessex Youth Orchestra

Susanna Riddell AGSM, LTCL
Conductor WYO and Director of the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians

Susanna was a member of the Wessex Youth Orchestra for 9 years before taking up a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study cello with Raphael Wallfisch. On leaving music conservatoire, she began work as a freelance cellist before accepting a permanent position with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1997. During this time she continued to work at the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians, directing the Wessex Starter and Middle Strings for 12 years.

She has worked with many of the country’s main orchestras including the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and of course the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Susanna has coached for the Kent County Youth Orchestra and Eltham College in London and continues to teach cello privately in her spare time!

Wessex Starter and Middle Strings

Jane Lee BMus Hons, LRAM
Conductor WSS & WMS

Jane loves being associated with the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians having benefited from playing with the Cheshire Youth Orchestra and the North West Youth Chamber Orchestra when growing up.

She read music at London University and studied violin as a post graduate at the Royal Academy of Music.  Jane taught music first in Surrey and then later at Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth, for 9 years.

She has written and produced several musicals for young people and now teaches from home. She enjoys playing the violin, viola and double-bass in various local ensembles.

Wessex Junior Fanfare and Youth Fanfare

Peter Turnbull
Conductor WJF and WYF

We are delighted to announce that Pete Turnbull, Principal Trumpet of the BSO, is taking over as Conductor of the Wessex Junior Fanfare and Wessex Youth Fanfare from September 2011, taking over from Kerry Hunter who has decided to pursue other interests after conducting the Fanfare for many years.  We are very grateful for Kerry's very significant contribution to CWYM over the years and very sad to lose her (she promises that we will still see her from time to time, thankfully), but at the same time there is a very significant degree of excitement at Pete's appointment! 

Peter Turnbull was born in Darlington and at the age of 11 entered the world of brass playing in the traditional way by joining his local band, the Cockerton Prize Silver Band.  As a student, he was lucky enough to study with Maurice Murphy, Alan Stringer and Philip Jones, at the Royal Northern College of Music where he also played light music and jazz.

Peter held positions with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, at Opera North and the Halle orchestra before starting a 20 year period as principal trumpet with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared as guest principal with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, the National Orchestra of Wales and the Hague Philharmonic in Holland. He has also appeared as soloist with various ensembles including the BSO and on several recordings.

Always enthusiastic about brass chamber music, Peter has played in groups wherever he has worked around the country, making several radio and T.V recordings. He currently plays with Bournemouth Symphonic Brass and also appears with Kokoro, the contemporary music ensemble of the B.S.O.

Peter enjoys passing on whatever knowledge he has to youngsters of all ages. He has taught at the Royal Northern College of Music and at Huddersfield Technical College. He has coached at the Royal Marines College of Music, and for the Dorset, Hampshire and the Wessex Youth Orchestras.

Peter is currently developing his interest in music education and coaching and is promoting a scheme called” Brass Connection” which aims to form links between players of all genres and  abilities, and to generally encourage brass playing in our region.

Music Theory Classes

Rosemary (Rosie) Moorsom.

Rosie took over from Beverley Williams in 2011, after Beverley's move to take on the demanding role of CWYM Coordinator.

Rosie Moorsom has a long assocation with the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians, starting violin lessons as a child in a group organised by Don Riddell, spending six happy years in the Wessex Youth Orchestra and two as a student on the A-level music course at the College, before continuing her violin studies with Nicholas Roth at Trinity College of Music, London.  Since then she has taught the violin (including at the College...) with many of her students joining CWYM, and her own children now attend the Centre. When not teaching she leads the Keysworth String Quartet and does freelance orchestral playing.   

CWYM Coordinator 

Beverley Williams GMus, Cert.Ed, AmusLCM.

(Picture to come).

Beverley Williams has been teaching music in local schools and at The College since 1978, but she says she’s not as old as she looks! She currently teaches part-time at The College, gives private lessons and, after teaching music theory at the CWYM for 22 years, has given up marking to be the CWYM Co-ordinator.

As a student, Beverley’s first instrumental study was percussion and the Wessex Youth Orchestra was the first orchestra she played in. She has many happy memories of this time and one not so happy, when someone dropped a cymbal on her toe which she says, scarred her for life!
She likes chocolate, fundraising and taking music sessions at a local pre-school but hates spiders so no surprises please!
You can contact Beverley by email at (address disguised to prevent junk mail): bwcwym at aol DOT com.