Oliver Heath was an active member of LUUMS during his degree, as conductor of Chamber Choir (2023-25), Concerts Manager (2023/24) and Freshers Representative (2022/23)
Since leaving University, Oliver has been able to immediately work full time as a Freelance Conductor and Singer. He currently serves as Choral Director for Salford Cathedral and Associate Choral Leader at St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Diocese of Manchester, directing a wide range of ensembles from children’s and parish choirs to university chamber choirs, choral scholars, and my own vocal ensemble, Oriana, specialising in exploring the 20th and 21st Century British Music he grew to love throughout my time with LUUMS Chamber Choir!
Some highlights since leaving LUUMS has been being able to work regularly with the BBC leading community music projects and singing and conducting on a wide range of broadcasts, being a guest conductor in the Association of British Choral Directors Conference, presenting sessions in the National Schools Singing Programme Annual Conference, and even having one of his gigs featured in an episode of Gogglebox!
You had such a diverse experience across the society, including conducting, composing and performing. What was your proudest achievement?
That’s a tricky one – I had so much fun in LUUMS, and every concert or event felt like a real triumph. One highlight from my final year was when Chamber Choir performed alongside a professional ensemble from the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. As well as raising a lot of money for tour, we took on some very challenging choral–orchestral repertoire, including new compositions by Ben Crick alongside a range of Christmas music. The concert sold out and was very positively reviewed in The Times, which made all the hard work feel especially worthwhile.
What was your favourite LUUMS memory?
Chamber Choir tour in my final year was one of the best trips of my life. We travelled to Dublin, where I had been doing quite a bit of singing and conducting work that year, so I was able to help organise some fantastic venues and a residency at the cathedral right in the city centre. It also meant I could show my English friends some of the best Irish pubs, which certainly added to the experience. The whole trip was brilliant – great singing, very little drama, and an all-round fantastic atmosphere.
Can you share one key experience in your time with LUUMS that has really helped you with your career as a conductor and singer?
To be honest, it was the day-to-day opportunities within LUUMS that helped me step into a career in music. Having the chance to rehearse ensembles regularly and develop my craft as a conductor while still studying was invaluable. By the time I left university, I had already spent years building those practical skills, which meant I could walk into auditions with confidence and begin professional work feeling properly prepared.
Summer 2025 – Chamber Choir tours Ireland
Was there anything you learned in your work with LUUMS that was unexpected or surprising?
I think I took two really important things away from LUUMS. The first was rehearsal technique and the tactful way of communicating that you develop when rehearsing with your friends. Learning how to tell your university mates they’re singing out of tune without offending them means that when you enter the professional world you’re already very good at expressing musical ideas clearly but diplomatically.
The second – and probably most important – came from being Concert Manager. In a music career things go wrong all the time: venues, employers, clients, and musicians can all be unpredictable, and at any moment something can threaten to derail a project. With every event there always seem to be two or three moments where it feels like the whole thing might collapse. Being responsible for the LUUMS concert series was the perfect training for this. It taught me to stay calm, keep a positive attitude, and focus on solving the problem in front of you – because in the end, worrying or complaining never fixes anything.
Do you have a favourite LUUMS concert that you were a part of?
I think my favourite concert was the Spring Concert in my first year, when Chamber Choir performed Brahms’ Geistliches Lied with String Orchestra. It’s an absolute banger and still one of my favourite pieces, but at the time I’d never sung it before and had never performed with an orchestra. Experiencing that so early on in my time at university made it a really special first-year moment.
If there’s one piece of advice you could share with current members, what would it be?
My main piece of advice to any student would be to do as much as you can while you’re still studying. Sign up for every scheme, audition for everything, and take every concert or performance opportunity that comes your way. The variety of experiences I had at university – and the people I met through them – were a huge part of why I was able to find work after graduating. Now I divide my time between singing and conducting, alongside some teaching, composing, and arranging, and all of those are things I first had the chance to try out while I was still a student. You never know who you’re going to meet at a gig!
Leeds University Union Music Society 