September always feels like a beginning. A change in the light, schools go back, the slight morning chill, and there is a sense of rhythm returning after the looseness of summer. For singers, this is the ideal moment to start planning and shaping the year ahead.

Let me invite you to join me for Sing Joyfully 2025: Mozart at the Helm. This takes place on 15–16 November in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, UK. But beware, applications for singers close on Friday, 19 September, in just two weeks, so the time to decide is now.

The reason the application date comes so close to the start of the Autumn term is simple. With Mozart, you need time,  not just to touch the notes, but to properly get inside them. Amongst other things, we will be working on staged excerpts, and that means singers must have long enough to feel they are in the middle of the music rather than only just getting their act together. Eight weeks of preparation will allow the music to settle, so that by November, you can sing w...

Reflections: Love Your Voice 2025 - but what comes next?

There’s something truly special about gathering together in a space where your voice is not only heard but valued. Love Your Voice 2025 was one of those rare moments where technique, expression, and community wove together into something wonderful, something lasting. As I reflect on the weekend, I find myself thinking about what made it so memorable—not just the music, but the breakthroughs, the connections, and the clarity that singers found in their voices.

One singer described their learning process as an ever-expanding spiral—returning to familiar concepts but discovering something new and exciting each time. Another found a new sense of freedom in their repertoire, realizing there was so much more possibility than they had imagined. A third spoke about the supportive and encouraging atmosphere, and how watching others work through challenges helped reinforce key ideas in a way that made them stick.

These discoveries don’t...

The event programme details for the next academic year are emerging … Voice-works Study weekends return! 

I am delighted to announce the first of three Voice-works Study Weekends for the 2024/2025 academic year, happening from 13-15 September 2024. This exciting event will be an actual/virtual workshop weekend for solo singers, making it accessible to everyone, whether you can join us at the hosting venue or prefer the virtual setup.

The Voice-works Autumn Study Weekend (maximum of 6 singers) will provide a unique opportunity to explore the works of 8 English Greats, prominent composers who shaped the landscape of British music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Charles Villiers Stanford, Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Frank Bridge, John Ireland, Roger Quilter, Armstrong Gibbs, and Ivor Gurney each brought their distinct style and sensitivity to vocal music.

This vibrant group of composers flourished during a transformative period in British music, roughly spanning...

Singing keeps me sane.

Quite literally. Singing has been and continues to be both my linchpin and my salvation. It may have been challenging to maintain the learning regime at tumultuous times, but I always have returned to music - to singing - to restore my sense of balance.

For centuries, humans have enjoyed vocalizing as a means of expression, connecting with others, and celebrating life. Singing, in particular, has been scientifically proven to have numerous health benefits. This article delves into the positive effects of singing on our well-being and emphatically emphasizes how this activity can significantly enhance our overall health and happiness.

It’s a question of balance

Singing restores my equilibrium. It lifts me up in unseen ways and gives me permission to engage with my inner self. It helps me express and communicate, share thoughts and even commemorate.

In 2001 I gave a concert to celebrate the life of my youngest daughter Alice, who had died earlier that year a...