Our History:
Susan Acty Founder and Musical Director 1991 - 2021
Sue was born and bred in Liverpool, and was taught to play the piano from a very early age. Sue’s passion for music grew, and she went on to study and master the pipe organ under the direction of Dyleth Jones.
Sue graduated from Liverpool College of Occupation Therapy in 1973, and pursued a successful career lecturing in anatomy and physiotherapy, and later specialised in paediatrics in Newcastle. Whilst working at the Percy Hedley School, she developed a music programme for children with Cerebral Palsy where percussion instruments were designed and adapted for children with poor motor control. It was during this time that she was awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in Music from Newcastle University for her thesis on design of alternative notation for children with learning difficulties.
Susan Acty
Alongside her career, Sue has directed choral groups and orchestral ensembles over the last 30 years. Having attended a conducting masterclass with Jeremy Jackman of the King's Singers, she has developed her individual style and been able to nuture talent within her choirs, Some of the most recent choirs she has been involved with were the Movers and Shakers and Sounds Familiar.
In 1991 she founded the Capriccio Singers and held the Musical Director role until her retirement in 2021, and is missed by all those who sang under her directorship.