Music Staff

I read music at Oxford where I was organ scholar at St Peter’s College. I have subsequently held positions at Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire, and Radley College as organist and music teacher. I am a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. In previous posts, I worked extensively with choristers and choirs, maintaining a busy performance programme. I run an upper voice choir in Oxford and regularly work with Chiara, an upper voice choir drawing its team from around the country.

Most Memorable Performance

The performance that springs to mind is not the most musically sophisticated, but is one of the most moving performances I have ever been involved in. In my previous school, the whole student body had compulsory chapel every evening. Although this wasn’t popular with all, the hymn singing was like nothing I have ever heard and regularly overpowered the organ! On 22 May 2017 a suicide bomber killed 22 people as they left an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena. In light of this, and after prayers were said during chapel the following day, our final hymn was changed to Abide with Me – if you don’t know it, look up the text in our hymn book. Accompanying 680 young people sing such an emotionally charged hymn, and the style in which they sang, made it one of those rare experiences that I’ll vividly remember for the rest of my life.

Greatest Musical Influence

Controversially, I’m not going to go for a person in answer to this question, but a place. Durham Cathedral has been my greatest musical influence, whether that be through my choirmaster and his meaningful tuition, or through the music I was exposed to on a daily basis at such a young age. The music of Byrd, Tallis and Vaughan Williams has had a huge impact on me both as a musician, and on my life and career decisions. If it weren’t for Durham Cathedral, I would not be a musician today.

Did you know?

I took Art A level and still paint and draw. I am a huge Mini enthusiast and dream of owning my own classic Mini. Both of my grandfathers were coal miners in County Durham, where I grew up.

I have worked at Bradfield College for 11 years. My background is modern languages, and for the majority of that time I have been Head of Modern Languages. I studied French and German at The University of Leeds and worked in schools in Bath and Bristol before arriving at Bradfield. Music has always been a passion and, over my 18 year teaching career in three different schools, I have always run bands and organised concerts. Prior to becoming a teacher, I was a professional jazz drummer in the West Country, and was lucky enough to tour abroad and share the stage with many leading figures in the jazz world. After ten years at Bradfield, I finally accepted the inevitable and became a bona fide member of the music department, instead of a linguist imposter! I am now “Head of Music Events” – a job that I love.

Most Memorable Performance

An impossible question – there have been so many. During my own time at school: the school Big Band and Jazz Bands were of very high quality and gigged extensively. As a professional in my 20’s, I played in some incredible concerts both in the UK and abroad. Since becoming a teacher, the involvement with school music has given me such a buzz – being able to pass on my love of live music to the next generation is such a privilege. In recent times, playing with the OB Band in JoaSE 2017 – sharing the stage with a selection of these great people from over the years was a massively powerful and memorable moment.

Greatest Musical Influence

My father. He is a semi-pro jazz musician, he and I would jam several times a week and he started taking me to live gigs when I was about seven. I played my first live gig when I was just 9 years old. This early exposure to live music, and the fun of it all, is why I can do what I do now. All of this helped me to develop a musicality and a love for playing that continues to this day.

Did you know?

I have a qualification in wine-tasting. Coarse fishing is a favourite pastime. I was once on live TV in Czechoslovakia.

I began working at Bradfield as an NQT in 2007 after completing my BA (Hons) in Music at Leeds University, specialising in composition, followed by my PGCE at Southampton. Whilst at Bradfield I completed my MA in Music Education at Reading University and I examined performance, composition and the written paper for AQA, OCR and IBDP. My instruments are flute and piano, but I have been known to pick up the saxophone or viola on occasion. When I am not in the classroom, I can be found in the gym: I used to compete in powerlifting. I am married to Tim and we have a son, Arthur.

Most Memorable Performance

Conducting the Bradfield Orchestra alongside the LCO. I am not sure my conducting skills were worthy, but it was certainly memorable.

Greatest Musical Influence

Dr Michael Spencer, my composition tutor at Leeds University. He introduced me to a whole new sound world and prompted me to change from performance to composition as my main area of study at university.

Did you know?

My powerlifting total is 280kg and Wilks score is 334. I scored 148/150 for my Grade 1 piano exam. I have a cat named The General Sir Harry Flashman, VC, KCB, KCIE.

I started playing the violin at age 8 – only because my friend put her hand up when the local peripatetic teacher came in to my primary school class and asked if anyone would like to start to the violin. If this hadn’t happened I think I would now be a nurse, married to a doctor owning two Labradors; but as it turns out I am a musician, married to a trumpeter living with two cats. After Music College, I joined the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra but I found the short days of winter too difficult and I went to live with my Swedish husband in Sweden. The winter days there weren’t much better so eventually we moved back to the UK where I joined the Philharmonia Orchestra of which I am still a member. I am hugely blessed to have played with some of the biggest names in conducting in my life, the best orchestras and the most talented musicians. However, I think one of the highlights of my musical life may be the feeling I got when, while playing with The Street Orchestra of London at Leicester Station, passers-by (who, quite possibly, had never heard a live orchestra play before) sat on the ground to listen.

I joined the Bradfield music department in 2006 as Head of Strings where I have seen small nervous violinists and violists grow into tall confident people, some taking their instruments with them to play in the wider sphere of their futures.

Most Memorable Performance

I have many fantastic musical performances in my memory bank and it impossible to choose any one as the most memorable; but one that stands out is playing for the Three Tenors at Wembley – how fortunate I am to have experienced accompanying the likes of Pavarotti!

Greatest Musical Influence

My father was undoubtedly the greatest musical influence on me – he played the piano with me all the time and when he taught himself the accordion, we played a lot of folk music together.

Did you know?

I worked in Peru for 6 weeks in 2014 rescuing Sea Lions. I ran a business “Monkey Music ” for infants aged 0-5 for six years. I did a job swap with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for 3 months in 2006.