Musical Director / Conductor

Guillaume Lemay-Yates

Guillaume Lemay-Yates commenced with Serenata Singers at the start of 2023.

Guillaume is an emerging choral conductor. He is currently the Music Director of the Queensland University Musical Society (QUMS), the Brisbane Apollo Male Choir and the Serenata Singers. He was Associate Music Director for the Scomodo Voce Singers and Noosa Chorale’s 2023 Guest Conductor. He also sings with Canticum Chamber Choir under Emily Cox, AM.

Originally from Montreal, Canada Guillaume grew up playing violin and saxophone. His first conductorship came at age 14, under the tutelage of Marc Deschamps, with l’Orchestre à Vent du Collège Notre-Dame. After high school, he privately studied jazz piano and harmony with Ralph Télémaque and singing with Sophie Charbonneau.

Upon relocating to Australia in 2018, Guillaume joined QUMS and rapidly immersed himself in the Brisbane choral world and is a regular member of several ensembles including the Scomodo Voce Singers, Fusion Vocal Ensemble, Brisbane Chorale and Canticum Chamber Choir. Guillaume also has regularly sung at Christ Church St Lucia under Christopher Wrench and at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Kangaroo Point under Dr. Phillip Gearing.  

Guillaume completed a Masters in choral conducting with Dr. Robert Stewart in 2024 and is now undertaking a PhD researching the effects of Accent Breathing Method on avocational singers in the choral rehearsal with Prof. Peter Morris and Dr. Ron Morris, all at the Queensland Conservatorium.

In 2022, Guillaume co-directed the Queensland Premiere of Craig Hella Johnson’s contemporary oratorio Considering Matthew Shepard, alongside Music Director Joshua Blake and Staging Director Lucinda Shaw. The oratorio was performed by the Scomodo Voce Singers in June 2022.

Outside of singing and conducting, Guillaume is an arranger, transcriber, and producer of sheet music. He regularly arranges music for QUMS, the Scomodo Voce Singers, the Brisbane Apollo Male Choir and the Pro Musica Singers. In 2021, Guillaume scored the musical titled “Baby Boomer” written by Denny Lawrence and Clarry Evans and produced the sheet music on their behalf.

See further details on his own website: https://guillaume.lemay-yates.com/

Accompanist

Shaun Purcell

Shaun Purcell commenced with Serenata Singers in late 2025.

Shaun has studied classical piano, electronic organ, pipe organ, trumpet and singing. In addition to solo performances, he has performed with various stage bands, the University of Newcastle Choir, military marching bands and concert ensembles, and community bands. Mainly playing nowadays for personal interest, he currently also accompanies primary and secondary school strings orchestras for music festival performances and concert nights.

Shaun is a registered Architect with over fifteen years of experience, most recently as a Senior Associate with Wilson Architects, Australia’s oldest Architecture firm. He has particular expertise in large education projects, residential buildings, civic architecture and progressive aged care models. He is currently owner and director of Summerhill Studio Architects. Personal design interests include sustainable architecture, off-grid solutions, parametric design, 3D printing and modular buildings.

Shaun has a Bachelor of Arts (English Literature & Japanese, ADFA/UNSW), Bachelor of Design (Architecture, University of Newcastle) and a Masters of Architecture (QUT).

Prior to retraining as an Architect, Shaun was an Intelligence Officer with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), working primarily at a tactical level with 81 Wing FA/18 hornets. He was awarded the Australian Active Service Medal with International Campaign Against Terrorism (ICAT) clasp. After a long struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from service and a domino effect of other related health conditions, recovery is an ongoing project. With help from his amazing wife and two teenage boys, Shaun is now a strong mental health advocate and supporter of holistic trauma recovery techniques and preventative education. Music, and the sense of community it fosters, forms a critical component of this journey.

Office Holders

President:	Paul Beckmann
Secretary:	Ken McKeon
Treasurer:	Ray Wiseman
Librarian:	Marilynn Reville
PR Officer:	Elaine Newrick
Concert Booking Officer:	Desleigh Byrne
Choir Representatives:	Pauline Thomas & Nick Weavis