Elin Manahan Thomas (Soprano)

Born: Swansea, Wales, UK

The Welsh soprano, Elin Manahan Thomas, has sung since an early age. A member of the Swansea Bach Choir and National Youth Choir of Wales whilst at school in Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, she won a Choral Scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge. With Clare Choir she was regularly a soloist, on the choir's many CD’s, on tours, and also on its BBC Radio 3 Evensong broadcasts.

Since leaving her postgraduate studies in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, Elin Manahan Thomas has sung with many professional groups. Since spring 1999 she has sung with the Monteverdi Choir, under the direction of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, with whom she has recorded several CD's, and toured as part of the choir's Bach Cantata Pilgrimage. She performs in other professional choirs, such as The Sixteen (Director: Harry Christophers), Gabrieli Consort (Director: Paul McCreesh), Polyphony (Director: Stephen Layton), Ex Cathedra (Director: Jeffrey Skidmore) and Cambridge Singers (Director: John Rutter). She also works in smaller, chamber ensembles, among them the Dunedin Consort (Director: John Butt), Concerto Delle Donne, and Chapelle du Roi.

Elin Manahan Thomas regularly performs as a soloist, and has sung under the direction of esteemed conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Harry Christophers and Paul McCreesh. Her repertoire includes François Couperin’s Leçons de Ténébres, J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor (BWV 232), Haydn’s Creation, George Frideric Handel’s Saul and Acis and Galatea, W.A. Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, as well as contemporary music by composers John Woolrich and Judith Weir. On the opera stage, she has played the part of Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte, Angelica in scenes from G.F. Handel’s Orlando and Lucy in scenes from The Telephone.

Recent engagements have included G.F. Handel's Messiah in Cardiff, a concert with the Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir in Swansea, a recital of Bach and Weir in Swansea, Dixit Dominus in Dorking, J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) in St John’s, Smith Square, and other projects in London and abroad,.

Elin Manahan Thomas studied singing with Hazel Wood and she is currently (2003) studying with Eiddwen Harrhy, having won a place on the postgraduate course at the Royal College of Music.

More Photos

Source: Crwth Music Series Website (2003)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (August 2005)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Harry Christophers

Soprano

Arias from BWV 244, BWV 508
G.F. Handel: Cantata Armida Abbandonata, HWV 105

John Eliot Gardiner

Soprano

BWV 1127

John Eliot Gardiner

Soprano

Member of Monteverdi Choir:
BCP Vol. 1: CD-1: BWV 167, BWV 7, BWV 30
BCP Vol. 2: CD-1: BWV 2, BWV 10, BWV 76; CD-2: BWV 21, BWV 135
BCP Vol. 5: CD-1: BWV 178, BWV 136, BWV 45; CD-2: BWV 46, BWV 101, BWV 102
BCP Vol. 7: CD-2: BWV 50, BWV 130, BWV 19, BWV 149
BCP Vol. 8: CD-1: BWV 138, BWV 99, BWV 100; CD-2: BWV 161, BWV 27, BWV 8, BWV 95
BCP Vol. 9: CD-1: BWV 148, BWV 114, BWV 47, BWV 226; CD-2: BWV 96, BWV 169, BWV 116
BCP Vol. 10: CD-1: BWV 48, BWV 5, BWV 90, BWV 56; CD-2: BWV 79, BWV 192, BWV 80
BCP Vol. 12: CD-1: BWV 55, BWV 89, BWV 115, BWV 60
BCP Vol. 14: BWV 91, BWV 121, BWV 40, BWV 110
BCP Vol. 15: BWV 64, BWV 151, BWV 57, BWV 133
BCP Vol. 16: BWV 225, BWV 122, BWV 28, BWV 190
BCP Vol. 18: CD-1: BWV 63, BWV 191
BCP Vol. 19: CD-1: BWV 155, BWV 3, BWV 13; CD-2: BWV 26, BWV 81, BWV 14, BWV 227
BCP Vol. 20: CD-2: BWV 18, BWV 181, BWV 126
BCP Vol. 21: CD-1: BWV 22, BWV 23, BWV 127, BWV 159; CD-2: BWV 182, BWV 1
BCP Vol. 24: CD-1: BWV 12, BWV 103, BWV 146; CD-2: BWV 166, BWV 108, BWV 117
BCP Vol. 25: CD-1: BWV 86, BWV 87, BWV 97
BCP Trinity I: BWV 94, BWV 105, BWV 168
BCP Trinity II: BWV 113, BWV 179

Peter Harvey

Soprano

BWV 78, BWV 147, BWV 150

Christopher Monks

Soprano

BWV 51

Julian Podger

Soprano

Member of Trinity Baroque:
[V-1] (2006): BWV 225-229

Links to other Sites

Elin Manahan Thomas (Official Website)
Elin Thomas Biography 2003 (Crwth Chamber Music Series)
Elin Manahan Thomas (BBC Wales)
Elin Thomas Biography (Crwth Music Series Website)
Elin Manahan Thomas (Wikipedia)