Meet the TEAM
Our Dementia Choir would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our crew and volunteers. Find out more about them below.
Karen Bonser
Karen is our Charity Manager and has helped to move the choir from strength to strength over the past couple of years since becoming a charity!
Having extensive experience in managing charities and 35 years of experience in the Education Business Sector at an executive level, she manages a large team of crew and volunteers, alongside supporting Vicky and the Trustees to develop the choir strategy and operations.
Her determination and tenacity have led the choir to become one of the most powerful voices across the UK for those living with dementia, whilst giving the choir members and their families the support they need on a day-to-day basis.
Being married to Mick, who is one of the original choir members, she has the invaluable experience of living with dementia on a daily basis herself. She understands what the ‘Power of Music’ can really do to support those living with dementia, as well as the Choir being a lifeline for caregivers, families and the choir members themselves.
Emma Cripwell
Emma is our Operations Manager and Trustee Secretary and has been supporting Our Dementia Choir since July 2022. She has over 17 years of professional business support experience and lives with her partner Joe and their two energetic dogs. They are also expecting a baby later this year.
Working with Our Dementia Choir is the most rewarding job she has ever had as it gives her the opportunity to support people living with dementia and to help them, and their families create new happy memories through the power of music. Seeing the way music lights up the choir member's faces is magical!
Mark De-Lisser
Mark De-Lisser is one of the most sought after choral directors, vocal coaches and arrangers in the industry. Having studied at both Colchester Institute and Central School of Speech and Drama, where he earned a Masters in Voice Studies, Mark went on to teach at many established institutions including The Brit School, University of Westminster and the Academy of Contemporary Music.
Although some may know him for his work as a vocal coach on many BBC TV programmes such as "The Voice," "Let it Shine", “Pitch Battle”, “This is My Song”, “All Together Now” , “Eurovision Song Contest" and the Masked Singer to name but a few, Mark is perhaps best known for his work with choirs. He is the proud musical director of the award-winning ACM Gospel Choir whom he founded back in 2005, as well as being the founder of Singology Choirs - a vision he first began way back in 2004.
Mark's arrangements are sung the world over, and his unique published series; “SING OUT!” has become the go to for choral directors and singers in search of the best modern popular choral arrangements. There are currently nine books in the series, all containing individual audio parts for each vocal section as well as sheet music for all the carefully selected songs. In 2018 Mark was asked by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to arrange Stand By Me for their wedding in May of that year, giving him the ‘Royal’ stamp of approval,
Mark’s first co-authored book “Inspire Your Choir”, is published by Bloomsbury. The book followed Mark’s first appearance alongside Gareth Malone on the BBC’s "The Naked Choir". Mark again featured as a leading choral mentor alongside Gareth in 2016’s "The Choir."
For more on Mark visit: www.markdelisser.com Twitter: @MarkDelisser
DANIELA SMITH
Daniela is the Assistant Musical Director for Our Dementia Choir. Daniela enjoys performing and teaching in the Nottinghamshire area. She has held the Vocal Lead post for the Inspire led Nottinghamshire Music Hub for many years and helps shape the vocal provision across the county. She enjoys working with many partners including the National Choirs of Great Britain and the Hallé Orchestra. Inspire is proud to have Daniela coaching within Our Dementia Choir.
Daniela loves working with the Our Dementia Choir family and seeing the emotional, uplifting effect music has each time they are together.
Nicola auckland
Nicola is 45yrs old and lives in Grantham with her husband, two grown up sons and three demanding Shih Tzus.
In real life, she’s a brand and business photographer operating from her studio in Kelham Hall, Newark, but in her Our Dementia Choir life she works behind the scenes to support Karen and the Board of Trustees to manage the day to day operations and working towards the Choir’s longer term objectives.
Nicola comes to us with a background in Operational Management having worked in financial services for over 20yrs and is no stranger to running large scale projects. She was most recently Operations Director for Payplan Ltd, one of the UK’s largest debt advice companies before leaving to set up her own photography business in 2021.
Joe Cooper
Joe provides the choir with remote business admin support whenever they need it.
He currently works in retail while studying AAT with the ambition of becoming a qualified Accountant.
He lives with his partner Emma, and their two energetic dogs and is expecting a baby later this year.
When he isn't working or studying Joe enjoys gaming and watching boxing and football, he is an avid Nottingham Forest supporter.