Whilst the members of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus are all amateur singers, we are blessed to have the services of some of the most talented musical professionals on the south coast. Their musical arrangements are unique to BrightonGMC and form a vast repertoire that covers pop, musical, classic and classical scores
Joe Paxton
Artistic Director
Joe is Artistic Director of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus. Performances with us have taken him to Munich, the Cardiff Millennium Centre, Royal Northern College of Music and the London Palladium, as well as prestigious venues across Brighton including the Dome and Theatre Royal.
Joe Paxton is a dynamic conductor based in Brighton and is in demand across Sussex with a wide variety of ensembles. Having studied for a Ph.D. in Music at the University of Sussex, where his research focused on communication and interpretation in ensemble performance. Joe holds an MMus. in Musicology from the University of Southampton and B.A.(Hons.) in Music Performance from Coventry University. Joe studied conducting under Guy Woolfenden OBE, formerly of the Royal Shakespeare Company and piano under the tutelage of Dr Julian Hellaby. Joe currently teaches as an Associate Lecturer in Voice and Ensembles at the University of Chichester.
Joe has been Musical Director of Arun Choral Society since September 2017. Recent concerts have included: Mozart Mass in C Minor, Handel Messiah, Zelenka Miserere, Pergolesi Stabat Mater, Faure Requiem and a poignant performance of Elgar’s Spirit of England and Vaughan-Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. Joe is particularly looking forward to conducting Verdi’s Requiem on April 9th in Arundel Cathedral.
Joe is Co-Musical Director of the Brighton Early Music Festival Community Choir and where he has directed a community performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the illustrious baroque quartet, Red Priest. This choir has also been collaborating with the Spanish early music specialists Resonet, performing music from the Codex Calixtinus in Santiago de Compostella and Lewes Breviary in Brighton.
Tim Nail
Music Director
Tim is the Music Director and resident accompanist for Brighton Gay Mens’ Chorus, for whom he also does a lot of arranging. He has travelled with the Chorus to Dublin and Munich for the international Various Voices festival, and to various venues in the UK for Hand in Hand. With them he has performed in the Royal Pavilion’s music room with the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus from San Francisco.
Tim was born in Wiltshire and grew up in Scotland where he studied music at Glasgow University. He went on to study music therapy at the Guildhall School in London before moving to Sussex where he now lives with his partner.
Tim works extensively in the south east as a teacher at Lingfield College, as an accompanist and as a repetiteur. He composes and has written a Mass, a Requiem, a Stabat Mater as well as a short opera, several choral pieces and solo songs.
Tim is the regular accompanist with Heber Opera where he has conducted performances of Acis and Galatea, Savitri and Suor Angelica. Their productions include Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, Gounod’s Faust, Verdi’s Rigoletto and Bellini’s Norma. All were well received at venues all over Sussex. He is a regular pianist at Jackdaws Educational Trust in Great Elm where he works with Penny Jenkins. He has given recitals both as soloist and accompanist in Brighton and Hove.
Tim also works as the accompanist for Shoreham Oratorio Choir with their MD Marc Yarrow. He also has performed with Lucy Bundy whose Fake Bush show has won critical acclaim.
Tim is proud to be the official Chorus Bear Wrangler, being the guardian to our Mascot, Dibbles.
Josh Mills
Assistant Chorus Director
Josh is Assistant Chorus Director. At just 5 years old, Josh’s journey into the world of music began when he found refuge behind a piano while nursing a broken leg at home. This serendipitous moment ignited a lifelong passion for music.
Josh embarked on his formal musical education, studying in Glasgow and later at Lancaster University heading straight to London to become the Musical Director with the Accidental Theatre Company, with groundbreaking productions like The Boys in the Bar and Time and Again.
In 1996, Josh made Brighton his home, where he has become an integral part of the local music scene. He has graced piano bars with his virtuosity and collaborated with numerous talented vocalists, including the enchanting world of drag artists.
Josh’s musical journey also saw him traverse international boundaries. For the past 8 years, he resided in Amsterdam, where he assumed the role of Musical Director for the Amsterdam Gay Men’s Chorus. Also being Musical Director (in Dutch) of Urinetown and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.
Josh continues to nurture young talent through his involvement with Apollo Productions in Brighton, mentoring aspiring performers aged 5-21 in memorable shows such as Rock of Ages, The Pajama Game, Bugsy Malone, High School Musical, Loserville, Cats, and most recently, Spongebob Squarepants: the Musical. Josh has returned to Brighton and, after serendipitously meeting the chorus at Various Voices Festival in Bologna, Josh has joined the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus Music Team.