Executive Committee Members 2023 - 24
As a democratic organisation, our Executive Committee is elected every year at our Annual General Meeting.
David Martin - President
David Martin was born and bred in New Zealand, but has spent most of his life in England. He composes, plays the organ and writes about music. He was once a passable singer, but old age has soured his voice. He joined the WMA in 1993, and has been active within it in various ways.
David 'Tom' Tomkins - Chair
I have been a singer since my early childhood in a range of genres, but particularly those of folk music and opera – the former for the past 60 years and the latter since the 1980s. I also enjoy traditional jazz, dance band music and modern ballads. I have been a member of the WMA for over 40 years and the Executive Committee since 2021, having previously served as Weekend Organiser for several years.
I retired from active performance around 2015, and became a Trustee of Sheffield City Opera, with responsibility for organising musical events, which h I still occasionally turn my hand to.
I am from a staunch Labour Party and trade union background, and was Branch Secretary and later President of NALGO in Barnsley during the 1970s and 80s. I continue to be involved in politics where my wife and I now live in South Derbyshire.
Ben Lunn - Secretary
Ben Lunn is an active composer and trade unionist. He is actively involved within the Musicians' Union, chairing the Scotland and Northern Ireland Regional Committee, he also represents his union in the STUC General Council, which he has served on since 2023.
As composer his work has been performed internationally, and to great acclaim, including winning awards at the Scottish Awards for New Music and the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards too. He has served as Secretary of the WMA since 2022
Phil Hargreaves - Treasurer
Phil Hargreaves is a sax player and producer specialising in experimental improvisation, but with a foot in various styles of music. Born in 1959 he began his musical journey playing guitar and vocals in a punk band in the West Midlands, taking up the sax at the age of 21 having moved to Liverpool. At the time he was playing mainly in the pop/post punk field, most notably in a band called Personal Column, John Peel favourites.
In 1989 he started a course in ‘Light Music’ at Sandown College, Liverpool, having developed an interest in Jazz. A chance encounter with guitarist Phil Morton in 1993 led to a burgeoning engagement with the field of free improvisation, which extended with the formation of the Frakture music space in 1997, including gigs with Derek Bailey and Evan Parker, and the formation of the Frakture Big Band – large-scale improvising groups have been an enduring interest ever since.
After splitting with Phil Morton he formed his own record label, whi music. He has released 18 albums on that, as well as playing on six or seven albums on other labels, and contributing tracks to several compilations. His current groups include Graculus (a duo with classical guitarist Richard Harding), Siapiau with vocalist Maggie Nicols, Malchamech (improv metal) and the free jazz/power electronics grouping Bloodcog. Both he and Maggie Nicols are Vice Presidents of the WMA. He curates the Liverpool Gathering, an open space for free improvisation, and also puts on gigs in Liverpool with reeds player Nick Branton under the title AMQH.
He is married to Isla Cameron, and has two adult children.
Keith Sparrow - Membership Secretary
My musical background: I learnt the piano from the age of 9 (a bit late starting), and the organ from my late teens. I’ve been singing in my church choir ever since my voice broke. I’m now organist at my local church. I did a BA in Linguistics and an African language at SOAS (London University) and worked in the library there for many years.
I first went to WMA Summer School at Wortley Hall in the early 1980s. Summer School often clashed with choir trips, so I didn’t go again for a few years, but have been attending Summer School on and off since the 1990s. I took the composition course under Aubrey Bowman, and he must have seen something that could be developed, as he offered me private lessons, which I had at his house in Finchley for a number of years. Having lessons with Aubrey really put my music writing on a firmer footing.
I am currently Membership Secretary on the EC of the WMA.
Isla Cameron - Summer School Organiser
Born in Liverpool 60 years ago into a communist family.Life was full of politics and Morning star activism.
I learnt violin at 7years and went to my 1st WMA summer school in 1989 with husband Phil Hargreaves, we have returned every year since.
Now I help organise it and am on the WMA EC. I was a founder member of Political street band the Peacemakers in 1986 an in 2015 the Liverpool Socialist Singers. I am in many local orchestras mainly Liverpool string orchestra and Mozart Orchestra.
I enjoy traditional folk sessions too. Music is such a force for peace and joy in the world. May the WMA keep its roots in promoting music is for everyone notaneletegroup
Maria Caravanas
Maria Caravanas has supported the WMA in a variety of ways, be it through her role as solo voice tutor at the WMA summer school, activity on the Executive Committee or in her promotion of the work of the WMA.
