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A little bit about me........

I am a British Soprano, whose musical career began as a 'cellist and then as a choral singer. I started by working regularly with the BBC Singers and touring extensively with The English Concert and the OAE before my voice, with training, developed into one that was perhaps better suited to opera. I discovered at this time that I rather enjoyed becoming different characters and loved the physical freedom being on stage gave me. This has led to a career both as an Opera Singer and Concert Soloist singing major rôles, opera galas and in concert both internationally and throughout the UK. My Opera and Concert repertoire pages and Biography detail some of these.

From diverse beginnings I have developed what you might call a broad 'skill set' and thrive on the variety that my working life offers. It has allowed me to sing a wonderful range of rôles and more recently, a number of new commissions. I find working with living composers thoroughly rewarding and an even greater privilege. It offers the opportunity to be a part of the creative process, making something entirely new and unique to you and the composer's music in a very different way to traditional rôles. There is an immense freedom in creating a brand new rôle without the pressure of countless iconic performances having gone before you!

I had an incredible time working on Juliana (pictured) with the composer Joseph Phibbs and conductor George Vass. It is a new opera based on the Strindberg play Miss Julie. She is a wonderfully complex and troubled character and I relished the opportunity to find out who she was through this wonderful score. The world premiere was at the Cheltenham Festival and was met with great critical acclaim with subsequent performances at the Presteigne Festival and St John's Smith Square, London. Another really enjoyable commission was the Royal Opera House community opera, Ludd and Isis, where I created the lead rôle of Joanna and I loved performing the live film score by Irene Buckley for the 1928 Art Film, The Passion of Joan of Arc with organist, Jamie McVinnie. It made for gruelling viewing but was incredibly atmospheric in the 12th Century Gothic architecture of Glasgow Cathedral. I also had the opportunity recently to work with the Psappha Ensemble on a new song cycle, Songs of the World by Alissa Virsova and performed A Song of a Young Lady to her Ancient Lover and Beechey Island, songs by Nicholas O'Neill. Other new commissions include She Said The 'F' Word, a comic opera by Daniel Gillingwater, premiered at Tête À Tête Festival.

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