OUR MUSICIANS

RYE BAY CREW was formed in 2014 when two old school friends (one who went off to train in classical music, the other to study performing arts) got together to sing again. Joined by a professional sailor, who is a trained singer, plus a versatile guitarist, & award-winning pianist, these five have performed a wide variety of music from Bach to Bacharach.


Rebekah Gilbert graduated with Honours from the Royal Academy of Music in 1993, having gained a first in her voice teaching diploma (LRAM) the previous year. She studied with Kenneth Bowen; prior to this she worked with the late Soo Bee Lee, & music theatre expert Mary Hammond at the London College of Music, gaining her LLCM in 1991. Rebekah took private tuition from the world renowned pedagogue, Janice Chapman, & studied the Estill Method with Ann Marie Speed.

A former section leader of the National Youth Choir, she represented the UK in both America & Europe and recorded for EMI & Radio 3. As a student, Rebekah was a member of British Youth Opera at Sadler’s Wells, appearing in Don Giovanni & La Boheme. She was selected as one of just six people from the UK (the only alto) for the World Youth Choir. She has sung with the BBC Symphony Chorus at the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, & recorded with them.

Rebekah made her professional solo debut at St Martin-in-the-Fields in 1992 & later that year was recorded live at the same venue for Classic FM’s first Christmas evening broadcast. Over the years that followed, Rebekah has appeared as a soloist with full chamber orchestra at St John’s Smith Square, The Purcell Room, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’s Piccadilly, & also appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, The Barbican, & St Paul’s Cathedral. She has also been a soloist in the Covent Garden Festival.

Overseas, Rebekah was a soloist with the Latvian Chamber Orchestra, singing in the Wagner Hall, Riga, to the British Ambassador, which was recorded for Latvian state radio. She was both bass and soprano soloist in a recreation of Vivaldi’s music in Venice in 2019. She was also invited to sing that year with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra in Australia, performing a selection of Handel arias.

She has recorded music for the Palm D’Or winning film, Peter, in 2010, working with the composer, Michel Duvosin, at the Cadogan Hall, & at Abbey Road Studios in 2013 for a feature length documentary.

Rebekah’s repertoire is extensive, including the contralto solos in Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah & Dixit Dominus, Bach’s St John & St Matthew Passions & B Minor Mass, Rossini’s Messe Solennelle, Purcell’s Come Ye Sons of Art, Haydn’s Paukenmesse & Nelson Mass, Vivaldi’s Gloria, & Tippett’s A Child of Our Time. She has performed selections of opera arias by Mozart, Handel & others in concert (many to her own chamber orchestra arrangements), & concert works by Mozart & Vivaldi. Rebekah also enjoys performing the works of Kurt Weill, Gershwin, Porter & others from this era of popular swing music.

With Music in Cinque Rebekah works with international pianist Anne Marshall

South African born pianist Anne Marshall has established herself as a leading pianist based in south east England.

Anne has performed in many top concert halls all over the world and accompanied a number of distinguished artists including Sir James Galway. She has performed recitals in many prestigious venues including Adrian Boult Hall (Birmingham), St John Smith Square (London), Sherbourne Abbey and the Koerner Hall (Toronto).

Anne has also appeared in concert with guest artists at various flute festivals, including The Galway Flute Festivals in Weggis Switzerland, Cape Town and Athens USA (where she was also the principal accompanist); the Canadian Flute Convention in Toronto; as well as music festivals in Slovenia and the Adams Festival in the Netherlands.

Anne has also accompanied Trevor Wye’s Flute Course and the Whole Musician courses in both London and Toronto. Anne has appeared numerous times live on the BBC Radio 3 program “In Tune” accompanying Sir James Galway. Anne has a Postgraduate Diploma from the Royal College of Music in Advanced Performance, with accompaniment as principal study going on to become an Accompanist Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music.

She also holds a Masters Degree (achieved cum laude) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She is currently an accompanist and performance coach for the scholar music students at Benenden School, where she also teaches piano.

Tenor, Andi Rivett originally from Wakefield, Yorkshire, trained as a boat builder in Faversham in the early 1980s. He is a skilled engineer, professional shipwright & highly experienced sailor.

Trained in both folk & classical singing styles, his versatile repertoire also includes narrations & tales of the sea. He has run Rock Channel Marine since 2006, & remains a keen runner.

Chris Fisher sings, teaches & plays a range of stringed instruments including octave mandolin, bass, tenor & acoustic and guitars. He has a wide experience of supporting music in Sussex through education and roots events. His experience includes solo concerts, accompanist and band member from pub rock to ceilidh, plus supporting younger and emerging talent onto the local music scene.

Baritone, Jonathan Breeds, studied Performing Arts at Middlesex University. He has appeared on BBC TV & is a highly sought-after local soloist. Jonathan has been a baker, a teaching assistant, mortgage advisor, & much more! He runs the Queen’s Head Inn in Rye, has served on Rye Council for a number of years and was until recently Mayor of Rye.

Piano, Richard Eldridge studied the organ at the Royal Academy of Music and, based in London, began touring with various choirs around Britain and Europe. He continues to perform locally in a wide range of genres including musicals, orchestral concerts and choral music.