Gwent Police Choir
Musical Director
Rodger Appleby BA (Mus) LGSM ATCL
has been the choir's Musical Director since 1994, having previously conducted both Caerphilly and Blaenavon Male Choirs.
Rodger was educated at Jones's West Monmouth School, Pontypool and Hull University. He studied piano under John Wheatstone and George Mantle-Childe, and conducting with Laurence Lennard. For the past 40 years, he has been actively involved in professional music making in a wide variety of contexts. For a while he left the choral scene and concentrated on composing music for Radio Wales, he also made frequent appearances as guest accompanist for celebrity concerts. In this capacity, he has twice toured the United States with Blaenavon Male Choir.
Rodger retired from his post as Director of Performing at Croesyceiliog School in 2003, joining the Gwent Music Support Service as a piano and vocal tutor as well as doing advisory work for Newport LEA in the primary sector. He is much in demand as an adjudicator, regularly adjudicating the Caerphilly Young Musician competition and rounds of the Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year.
Accompanist
Nicola Coker (Mus) M B Ed was born into a musical family.
From the age of 12 she has accompanied mixed and male choirs and guest soloists such as Ryland Davies, Dennis O’Neil, Patricia O’Neil and Beverley Humphries.
Whilst in secondary school, she accompanied the school choir, orchestra, annual shows and her soloist brother Tim, who currently sings for the Berlin Opera Company.
Later Nicola studied music at Caerleon College gaining Bed (Hons) in Music.
Her children have acquired the same musical talent. Her daughter Angharad studied piano to Grade 8 with Rodger Appleby and Oboe to Grade 8 with Jackie Kershaw. She achieved distinction on both instruments.
Her son Rhys is a percussionist currently in his forth year studying music at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. He recently achieved his LRSM.
Whilst a music teacher at Caerleon Endowed Junior School, she established a choir of 100 strong voices and an orchestra of 35 ranging in ages from 8 – 11.
Currently, Nicola is Deputy Head teacher at High Cross Primary School with a choir of 90 strong and an orchestra of 11 – both of which is still growing.