The Blog

A Happy New Year to All our Singers, Friends and Hon Associates and we look forward to seeing our young singers at classes on January 5th. 

Below is a look back at our successes of 2015, an inspiration for the start of the New Year.

January  We were delighted to welcome back ALL the singers who joined us in September 2014 and to congratulate our more experienced students on their exam successes.

February Our AGM and Cabaret ran smoothly at Lydiard Park Academy, our new venue. Jessie Thompson continues to be our outreach worker at LPA and Haydonleigh School. We caught up with Trust alumni ‘Into the Woods’ singers of 2011, all still singing and their professions range from Doctors to Salvation Army Outreach Officers.

March Singers excel in the Swindon Music Festival, including, Tamara and Brodie Lee, Poppy and Freddy Fox-Thompson, Meghan Williams. We witnessed some fantastic performances at our JTPTrust preliminary rounds at St Barnabas Church. Alumna Polly Leech presents a lunchtime recital with the Swindon Recital Series, accompanied by Paul Turner.

April Our Barbershop Quartet, soloists Shaun Holley and Yvette Cummings, with Dancers Poppy and Maddy, perform ‘Nursery Rhymes with a Twist’ by Geoff Westley at the Swindon Fringe 2015. Alumna Sarah Covey was in backing group for Belgian Eurovision 2015  entry, came 4th! At the JTPTrust Finals, Tilly Wale won the overall Championship, with Grace Barlett winning the Recital Class and Harry Apps winning the Senior Prize.

May Alumni David Phillips and Shaun Holley sing baritone roles in ‘The Dream of Gerontious’ in London.

June Foundation Singers succeed in Grades 1-3 ABRSM Singing exams with Meghan Williams achieving the highest Distinction at 133 marks. Tilly Wale, Abigail Daniels and Isobel and Emelia Cassidy win classes at Wantage Music Festival with high Distinctions. William Pearson guests as soloist at the Thamesdown Ladies Choir summer concert.

July Our summer Gala production of ‘Dick Whittington’ takes place with composer Betty Roe, MBE in the audience. Emma Whitworth and William Pearson gain Distinctions in their DipLCM exams. William learns he has a place at the Royal Welsh College of Music, Emma already accepted to study Drama at York University. Alumna Polly Leech excels as Florence in the Royal College of Music’s production of Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten.

August Joseph Annetts, Harry Apps, Poppy and Freddy Fox-Thompson take part in MJ-UK’s excellent summer production of ‘The Clockmaker’s Daughter’.

September  Our Barbershop Singers and cast revive Geoff Westley’s Nursery Rhymes to raise money for Ashton Keynes Playgroup.

October Adult Friends and Associates enjoy an Alexander Technique session with practitioner Lynn Boreham from Abingtdon.

November Emelia Cassidy is accepted into the National Youth Girls Choir after a testing audition. Tilly Wale wins 2nd place in the AESS Catherine Lambert Prize. The ‘Nursery Rhyme’ Singers read thro’ a script ‘Candles at Christmas’ with composer Geoff Westley. Lucy Bosely agrees to adjudicate the JTPTrust Preliminary Rounds.

December: Our Garland of Carols was attended by over 200 audience members and we were delighted that our LPA and Haydonleigh Classes could join us. 42 Singers pass LCM Musical Theatre exams with Distinctions and Merits at all Grades. George Pells breaks the JTPT High Marks record with 98/100 marks for his Step 1 exam. Meanwhile Matilda Wale breaks the JTPT High Marks record with 142/150 marks for her ABRSM Grade 7 Singing exam. We finished the year with the Swindon Male Voice Choir at Christchurch.