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Instrumental
Bb Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Soprano &
Alto Saxophones
I have been playing the Bb clarinet since I was 9 years old.
I have my own instruments: the saxophones are both silver-plated and date
from the 1930s. In the past few years I decided to revisit my theory and
technique by having intensive lessons on Bb clarinet. As part of this
process I decided to sit Grades 5,6 and 7 and am currently on Grade 8. In
the meantime I have been playing with various orchestras and bands to
improve my skills.
Currently I am vocalist and Bb clarinetist with Gundula
Gruen’s London-based Gypsy Band, Tatcho Drom. Gigs have included
the Hackney Ocean, Serbian Embassy, Ritzy Brixton, Battersea Square and
Quecumba. I’m also playing Bb clarinet with the London Gypsy Orchestra
and with Monster Bobby’s Little Orchestra, performing contemporary
pieces at venues ranging from Jamm in Brixton to the Lexington via the
Hangover Lounge.
Recently I have started collaborating with composer–arranger
Chris Guy. Our first project was music for a punk wedding, where we
presented his arrangements of some punk numbers for an ensemble of eight
musicians from the Little Orchestra. Playing a punk rock bass-line on bass
clarinet can only be described as heaven.
Vocal
Classically
trained Mezzo Soprano
Extensive Jazz Repertoire
Contemporary Music-Theatre
Fluent sight-singer
I began training as a
singer with teacher Elizabeth Weir
at
Trinity Academy in Edinburgh,
and then studied with Ros Roberts and Brian Galloway.
My first professional singing job was as a ‘Lady of the Courte’ at the
Dalhousie Courte Jacobean Banquets in 1982.
From 1983-86 I was a mezzo with the Warwick University
Chamber Choir directed by Simon Halsey.
From 1986 to 1993,
I was part of a jazz duo called "Jazzwalk" with
residencies at restaurants and piano bars around London. We specialized in
our own arrangements of jazz standards up to 1950.
I have also sung opera and
romantic duets for a serenading service with actor-singer Robin Samson. This
included a regular appearance each Valentine’s Night at the Lanesborough
Hotel on Hyde Park.
Most of my singing
has taken place on the theatre stage and covers a wide variety of styles:
contemporary music, modern musicals, Eastern
European and Celtic folk,
as well as opera, oratorio, classical and romantic song.
Professional appearances as
Actor-Singer
and/or Instrumentalist:
Click on
the production
name for more details
Battersea Arts Centre Opera Festival
The Silver Swan
I
sang first mezzo in this seven-part unaccompanied piece for female voices
written by Paul Clarke for the festival.
A copy of the music is
available.
Royal National Theatre
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie featured music written and directed by
Stephen Warbeck, the Oscar-winning
composer of Shakespeare in Love. Stephen wrote three lovely solo
pieces in Latin
for me to sing, including the poignant solo song with cello sung whilst
Fiona Shaw’s Jean Brodie clears out her desk for the last time at the very
end of the show.
Natural Theatre Company
Hamburg and UK Tour
William
Tell -
MD Steve Edis
This was
a spoof opera based on the story of Rossini’s life and work. I played
all four instruments
(Bb & Bass Clarinet, Alto & Soprano Sax) as well as leading the female voices – one of my songs
was a parody of a Handel oratorio. We also sang choral sections from Rossini
operas (to our own unique lyrics) as well as Barbershop
close harmony.
Royal
National Theatre & the
Tate Gallery
Hallisinia
I sang the mezzo role of Lucy in
this chamber opera for the Tate Gallery conducted by John Lubbock of the Orchestra
of St John’s Smith Square.
Major Road Theatre
Company national tour
Jekyll
and Hyde - MD Felix Cross
My Bass
Clarinet featured strongly
in this chamber musical in
which I sang the female lead role of Sarah Carew to music written by Felix Cross.
The International
Theatre Company London
David
Copperfield - MD
Thomas Johnson
This was a tour to the
Far East
and across Europe
in which I also performed on
Clarinet & Alto Sax.
Han Duijvendak's
Handstands Productions
Sweet Charity
- MD Greg Palmer
This was a tour of the Neil Simon musical for
actor-musicians. I acted and sang the lead role of Nickie
Pignatelli,
as well as playing Principal Clarinet
and Alto
Sax.
Duke's Playhouse Lancaster
A Christmas
Carol - MD Thomas Frere
As well as playing the roles of Mrs Cratchit and
The Ghost of Christmas Past, I played solo
Clarinet.
TAG Theatre Company
at the
Edinburgh International Festival
The Sunset Song Trilogy - MD Dougie Maclean
This
featured Scottish folk choruses arranged by composer-musician Dougie Maclean.
I performed on
Solo Clarinet & Alto Sax.
Oxford Stage Company
The Magic Storybook - MD
Howard Goodall
I sang the narration
of The Girl and the Snake to music composed for me by
Howard Goodall.
Hot Italian Nights
I sang my own arrangements of ancient Italian folk songs accompanied by
guitarist Ian Davies.
Classics on a Shoestring at the Gate Theatre
Women
of Troy & Vassa
Zheleznova
Both of these shows
featured Eastern European vocal pieces arranged by Ben Livingstone. In
Women of
Troy the words were sung in Ancient Greek. I sang choral and solo
pieces. Directed by Katie Mitchell.
Compass Theatre
The Royal Hunt of the Sun was a National Number 1 tour for starring Denis Quilley, Jack Klaff and
Rufus Sewell. I led the
singing on stage, and had a fascinating education in the vocal techniques of
the indigenous people of South America from music coach Frankie Armstrong.
The
Original Walking Ceilidh
This was
a Fringe production with AL Kennedy.
I sang in three-part close-harmony arrangements of
Scottish folk
songs with new lyrics to tell the story of the relationship through history
of the Scots English and Irish.
My arrangements and adaptations.
Composer & Arranger
Wycombe Theatre Company
Murder In the Cathedral -
MD, Composer-Arranger,
Chorus leader.
The production consisted of
naturalistic, acted sequences followed by sung choral pieces that I had
composed and arranged. Most of the music was inspired by plainsong combined
with Eastern European folk styles (e.g. Bulgarian voice). TS Eliot’s
choral text demanded many different approaches. In some parts, actor-singer
Amy Finegan and I enjoyed devising ways of singing sections as a duet
between us with the rest of the actors supporting us, providing a ‘drone’,
for example. It was an extremely effective and dynamic way of highlighting
large bodies of difficult and beautiful text. I worked in tandem with
Daniele Sanderson’s physical choreography.
Oxford Stage Company
Hot
Italian Nights
With the help of Ian
Davies, a well-known flamenco guitarist, I combined and adapted traditional
folk melodies with ancient Italian poetry to suit the flow of the story. I
sang each song solo on stage between the episodes of the drama.
Jazzwalk was a jazz duet in which I, with Ben
Livingstone, re-arranged
jazz classics from the 1920s
'30s and
'40s to suit two voices and
piano. We tried to give an individual slant to our arrangements. We achieved
various residencies in restaurants and piano bars and managed to apply for
our full Equity cards before going part-time with Jazzwalk in order
to concentrate on acting work.
The
Original Walking Ceilidh
I adapted and harmonized the songs from original Scottish folk tunes.
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