I was born on a Christian Community, nestled in the beautiful Shropshire hills. It was there I first heard harmony singing. Although my family left the ‘Bruderhof Community’ before I was 5, the legacy of song and celebration stayed with us for many years – songs to celebrate the seasons, songs before meals, numerous birthday songs and always a song at bedtime. I believe this early experience of harmony singing greatly contributed to my love of and natural ability to harmonise.
In the early 80’s I was introduced to Gloucester Folk Club, and fell in love with the wonderful harmonies of traditional English and Irish songs and several happy years were spent singing around clubs in Gloucester and Newent.
In 1988 I experienced ‘Natural Voice Work’ for the first time. I attended a number of singing workshops, one run by natural voice practitioner Helen Chadwick. I was immediately smitten by the wonderful harmonies she taught; songs from around the world, entirely by ear, without a written note in sight. I formed a trio with 2 other women, singing and arranging songs from these workshops and other places. This led on to tentatively running my own singing workshops, initially for friends but as my repertoire and confidence grew, for the wider public.
The beauty of Natural Voice teaching is that it makes the wonderful joy of harmony singing accessible to virtually anyone. So often I have heard the story of the child being told by their teacher that they can’t sing, that they are a ‘groaner’, that they aren’t ‘good enough’ for the choir. Those words have scarred and silenced so many who, given the confidence and opportunity would love to sing. Natural Voice singing is taught in a traditional ‘lining out’ method, a kind of call and response. No one needs any previous musical training and it works quite naturally for the more confident singers to enable those with less confidence to sing and hold a part. Standing in a circle, so that all the parts can hear each other, there is an amazing sense of awe and achievement when a group of singers hear themselves singing the soaring harmonies of Africa, Corsica, Georgia and beyond. From 17th century rounds by Purcell and Ravenscroft, to the exuberance of Gospel and the familiarity of contemporary popular songs, all made open and accessible to anyone to sing for the sheer joy of it.
In 1991 I started working as an Arts worker with the homeless in Bristol and in 1994 became a Diversional Therapist in a Hospice Day Centre in Birmingham. At the same time I began working as a freelance Illustrator, for Birmingham greetings card company CardLine.
In the early 80’s I was introduced to Gloucester Folk Club, and fell in love with the wonderful harmonies of traditional English and Irish songs and several happy years were spent singing around clubs in Gloucester and Newent.
In 1988 I experienced ‘Natural Voice Work’ for the first time. I attended a number of singing workshops, one run by natural voice practitioner Helen Chadwick. I was immediately smitten by the wonderful harmonies she taught; songs from around the world, entirely by ear, without a written note in sight. I formed a trio with 2 other women, singing and arranging songs from these workshops and other places. This led on to tentatively running my own singing workshops, initially for friends but as my repertoire and confidence grew, for the wider public.
The beauty of Natural Voice teaching is that it makes the wonderful joy of harmony singing accessible to virtually anyone. So often I have heard the story of the child being told by their teacher that they can’t sing, that they are a ‘groaner’, that they aren’t ‘good enough’ for the choir. Those words have scarred and silenced so many who, given the confidence and opportunity would love to sing. Natural Voice singing is taught in a traditional ‘lining out’ method, a kind of call and response. No one needs any previous musical training and it works quite naturally for the more confident singers to enable those with less confidence to sing and hold a part. Standing in a circle, so that all the parts can hear each other, there is an amazing sense of awe and achievement when a group of singers hear themselves singing the soaring harmonies of Africa, Corsica, Georgia and beyond. From 17th century rounds by Purcell and Ravenscroft, to the exuberance of Gospel and the familiarity of contemporary popular songs, all made open and accessible to anyone to sing for the sheer joy of it.
In 1991 I started working as an Arts worker with the homeless in Bristol and in 1994 became a Diversional Therapist in a Hospice Day Centre in Birmingham. At the same time I began working as a freelance Illustrator, for Birmingham greetings card company CardLine.
In 2000 I embarked on a years NVQ training course in ‘Delivering Artform Development Programmes’ run by the folk arts development agency ‘Folk South West’, this launched me seriously into a career of natural voice teaching running singing workshops in schools and the community. In 2001 I was asked by Worcester Arts Workshop if I would start a community choir project for them, and so with 15 recruits in the Workshop Café Worcester Volcano Community Choir was born. In 2002 I started VocalAntics Community Choir in Cheltenham. In 2003, 4 singing workshops for the over 50’s funded by the Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury became The Full Bloom Company which in turn (now welcoming people of all ages) became the independent Heart&Soul Community Choir. All three choirs continue to flourish numbering between 50 and 70 members, meeting weekly in term time. They welcome singers of all abilities with no auditions.
In 2005, with natural voice practitioner, Alice Robin, monthly Sunday afternoon ‘Big Sing’ sessions were started.
In 2008 we launched the first Community Choirs Festival. 26 choirs with over 500 voices came together as a mass choir to learn songs, socialise and perform. It is now an annual event.
In 2008 my Illustrating work came to an end so I decided to re focus on schools work, developing ‘VocalAntics - A World of Song in Schools’.
Singing lifts the spirit, energises the body and fills the soul. We don’t need to be ‘X Factor’ material to sing from the heart. It is our birthright to sing. We in the west have all but lost that part of our culture, still common to many others, where everyone sings - for work, for celebration, for seasons, for joy, for birth, for mourning. Community Choirs, run on natural voice lines, drawing their repertoire from countries and cultures across the globe, are springing up all over the country as ordinary people discover that anyone really can sing for the sheer joy of singing.
Updated 27.03.10
In 2005, with natural voice practitioner, Alice Robin, monthly Sunday afternoon ‘Big Sing’ sessions were started.
In 2008 we launched the first Community Choirs Festival. 26 choirs with over 500 voices came together as a mass choir to learn songs, socialise and perform. It is now an annual event.
In 2008 my Illustrating work came to an end so I decided to re focus on schools work, developing ‘VocalAntics - A World of Song in Schools’.
Singing lifts the spirit, energises the body and fills the soul. We don’t need to be ‘X Factor’ material to sing from the heart. It is our birthright to sing. We in the west have all but lost that part of our culture, still common to many others, where everyone sings - for work, for celebration, for seasons, for joy, for birth, for mourning. Community Choirs, run on natural voice lines, drawing their repertoire from countries and cultures across the globe, are springing up all over the country as ordinary people discover that anyone really can sing for the sheer joy of singing.
Updated 27.03.10
About me..........
