About Us

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James Inglis

CHAIR

James is a Solicitor and partner in the firm of Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP, and has specialised in providing advice in relation to charities and the private client field for nearly 30 years.

He tutored on the Private Client course for the Diploma in Legal Practice at the University of Glasgow for nearly fifteen years and has written articles for The Herald, Scottish Field, and The Scots Law Times on private client issues.

He is the Secretary and Treasurer of the RSNO Foundation, Clerk and Chamberlain of Baillie's Institution, and a past Deacon of the Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers of Glasgow and former trustee and member of the audit committee of Trades House of Glasgow.

James has sung in choirs since he was nine years old and is delighted that his children have followed his lead.

Ann Monfries

BOARD MEMBER

Ann has over 30 years’ experience of working in the arts in Scotland. She has held senior marketing and communications positions with Scottish Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Traverse Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival as well as working freelance as an arts marketing consultant. Most recently she was Senior Arts Advisor with the Scottish Government.

Ann studied at the University of St Andrews and Edinburgh College of Art, and holds qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing. She is a member of Edinburgh’s Love Music Community Choir.

Catriona McDonald

BOARD MEMBER

Catriona holds an Emeritus Senior Lectureship position within the School of Education at the University of Aberdeen. She taught on the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Early Years Education and also Teacher Education. She was Head of Department for Early Childhood Education and Care.

She is particularly interested in active learning through play which supports an integrated and holistic approach to development and learning in young children. Having trained as a primary teacher in Scotland, Catriona then worked for around 20 years in Uppsala, Sweden, as a teacher within the state education system teaching English and Music within the 7–16 age range (grundskolan).

On her return to Scotland, Catriona worked for a number of years within the Further Education sector in the delivery of programmes for Early Years Professionals, before moving into the Higher Education sector. She maintains an outward looking focus and takes part in EU (Erasmus+) funded research projects with partners in Sweden, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Catriona sings with the Edinburgh Festival Chorus.

Clare Castell

BOARD MEMBER

Clare believes that singing makes the world a better place - whether you’re taking part in a choir or are listening to it, everyone can feel the benefit of it. She’s passionate about music, the value it brings to people’s lives and of supporting others find their voice. She’s enjoyed performing in various choirs and musical theatre groups. She was a founding member of NYCOS and is proud to see how much it has developed and grown since those early days.

Her professional career has focused on brand, marketing and communications expertise. Her qualifications include an Executive MBA (Merit) specialising in business strategy from The University of Edinburgh Business School, MA (Hons) in art history and Chartered Marketer status from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Her work combines using research, strategy and planning, to develop new propositions and deliver creative marketing campaigns for brands like AEGON, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and JP Morgan Chase.

As a Board Member for NYCOS, she’s keen to support the choir to continue to thrive and particularly to champion engagement with the Alumni.

Kimberley Godley-Hendon

BOARD MEMBER

Kim started her career in front of house and box office roles in some of London’s leading arts venues and has worked in the sector ever since. Over the last decade, she has focused on finance and operations, during which time she spent five years as a Management Accountant at the Barbican Centre in London. In 2019, she joined award-winning charity Spitalfields Music as Director of Finance & Operations, later becoming Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO, overseeing a period of extraordinary change in the organisation. Since moving to Scotland in 2022, she has held Director of Finance roles at Scottish Ensemble; and her current role as Finance Director of IMPACT Scotland, the charity overseeing the development, build and operation of the Dunard Centre in Edinburgh, the city’s first new concert hall in over a century.

Kim holds a music degree from Royal Holloway University of London and membership of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Prior to joining the board of NYCOS, Kim held Treasurer positions on the boards of Lambeth Orchestra and The Irene Taylor Trust (Music in Prisons).

Marion Carson

BOARD MEMBER

Marion Carson worked as a psychiatric nurse before retraining in theology. Having gained a PhD from the University of Glasgow, she lectured in Biblical Studies and Pastoral Theology for many years at International Christian College in Glasgow where she was responsible for the pastoral care of students. She now serves part time as Chaplain to Glasgow City Mission where she works with people affected by homelessness and addiction, and with asylum seekers and refugees. She continues to be involved in theological education, as an adjunct lecturer at the Scottish Baptist College, and as a Senior Research Fellow at International Baptist Theological Study Centre in Amsterdam. She is the author of several books on theology, mental health and human trafficking.

Marion has considerable experience of charity governance, and is currently a Trustee of SOHTIS (Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland). She is a keen amateur choral singer and has been a member of Glasgow Chamber Choir and RSCM Scottish Voices for many years.

Sam Kirk

BOARD MEMBER

Sam has over 20 years of specialist experience in reward, governance, and strategic HR leadership and has run her own remuneration advisory business for the past 8 years. She has served on school governance boards, holding Chair of Governors roles in two schools concurrently for several years and more recently has taken on a voluntary HR and advisory role with Surrey Basketball Limited.

Although Sam now lives with her family in Surrey, she grew up in South West Scotland and as a founding member of NYCOS, she is proud of its unwavering support of youth music, arts, and education, and is committed to ensuring that young people from a wide range of backgrounds across Scotland can participate in high-quality musical experiences.
She is particularly interested in helping to engage with NYCOS alumni to deepen advocacy for NYCOS through those with first-hand experience. She continues to sing regularly and has been a long-time supporter of both NYCOS and Grange Park Opera in Surrey.
Sam holds an MA Psychology from the University of Aberdeen, an MA Personnel & Development from the University of Westminster and an MA Law from the University of Law.