ELAM's Music Director
Mark Payne is a conductor, music director, vocal coach, pianist and tenor based in London, Ontario. He is the music director at ELAM where he plays the organ and piano and conducts the choir at the 10 a.m. Sunday worship service, and leads the house band at Thank God It's Saturday, a service of contemporary music held on the first Saturday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Currently, Mark is the head opera coach at the University of Western Ontario, in London. He plays piano with Orchestra London and is a member of the chamber ensemble Triofus (along with colleagues Robert Riseling, clarinet, and David Haward, bassoon). Mark also performs many recitals as a collaborative pianist with singers in just about every genre. He has been featured on several CDs -- two with Theodore Baerg (La mystique de l’amour and Enchanted), one with TriofuS (Coolsteps), and two solo works of voice and piano music (A City Called Heaven and When It's All Been Said and Done). He also appeared as piano soloist with Orchestra London, has served as musical director for the MTP production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, prepared two Puccini operas at the University of Western Ontario, and an opera gala to celebrate the London Opera Guild’s 25th anniversary. He co-arranged, conducted and directed A Grand Night at the Stratford Festival. In addition, he performed the solo piano in Beethoven’s 1st piano concerto with the Oakville Chamber Orchestra and conducted the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in a broadway tribute show starring Cynthia Dale. In addition, he was the repetitur and chorus master for Orchestra London’s production of Don Giovanni. For more information, see Mark's website.
Choir
ELAM’s Choir provides choral accompaniment to all 10:00 am Sunday worship services. They are directed by Mark Payne, and practise weekly on Thursdays at 7:30 pm.
