Speech       

Dr. Anita Downey PhD. PGCE. ADVS. LGSM. LLAM. FVCM. PGCA.

I trained as a teacher and then went on to work in both Primary and Secondary schools. I combined my academic teaching with my love of the arts and happily taught both. Pioneering the integration scheme for Surrey and also working for four years, with profoundly deaf youngsters, I then set up a special Creative Arts Programme for them. Continuing my training at the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama and the Central School taking the Advanced Diploma in Voice Studies, I set up and developed a very successful drama group, which ran for fifteen years.

Winning the International Professor Van Lawrence Award, for my research into voice sounds, Led me to research further into the cultural rhythms of the world through literature. My doctorate explored such rhythms from a selected group of writers.

I am currently Head of Drama at a large secondary school. I am involved in producing plays and running the Speech and Drama within the school. Due to my strong belief in a sound education, I continue to teach Maths and English at home alongside Speech and Drama. My own relaxation is studying Japanese, which I really enjoy. I adjudicate and examine all over the World am a busy lecturer and enjoy the challenges of a varied life.

Dancing   

Lynne Chilver BA(hons), FIDTA, RAD RTS, AISTD(CDE)

Lynne Chilver is the Principal of a busy and successful school in Hillingdon, Middlesex, which offers all Theatre Branch subjects.

Former pupils have gone on to appear in shows in the West End, all over the UK and abroad.

She is an examiner for the IDTA and has extensive experience of the Festival movement.

Lynne is delighted to be at the Hastings Musical Festival and would like to wish every competitor a happy and enjoyable experience.

Junior Singing

Valerie Hoppé M.B.E G.G.S.M., L.G.S.M., A.R.C.M.

Valerie Hoppe trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, specialising in Choral Conducting, Singing and Piano. She is widely known as a Choral Director, teacher and adjudicator, and is particularly in demand for her work with young voices, both in solo and choral work.

She is dedicated to encouraging music-making, and in particular singing, at all levels, based on the premise that everyone has a voice and should use it.

She has been responsible for the organisation, training and direction of many community performances of major choral works: Handel's 'Messiah', Mendelssohn's 'Elijah' Haydn's `Creation' Mozart's 'Requiem' and Faure's 'Requiem', and on many occasions has conducted massed children's choirs in performances of full-scale cantatas, including `Yanomamo' and 'Ocean World', involving 750 children.

She has performed with many internationally-known artists, such as the opera singer Benjamin Luxon, the cellist Julian Lloyd-Webber, and the percussionist Evelyn Glennie, as well as with the major military bands in Britain, such as the Band of the Welsh Guards and the Band of the Irish Guards.

Valerie Hoppe is Musical Director of five choirs, including a Male Voice Choir, two mixed voice choirs and a girls' choir She also teaches singers of all ages, levels and abilities.

In January 2003 she was awarded an M.B.E. for her services to music.

Intermediate Singing       

Stuart Smith B. Mus. (Hons), M. Mus.

Stuart studied at the University of Southern California under Gwendolyn Koldofsky, accompanist to Lotte Lehmann and Hermann Prey, then at the Manhattan School of Music under the direction of George Schick of the Metropolitan Opera. He began his career with a nation-wide tour of the United States with the Roger Wagner Chorale, followed by a number of tours and extensive research in Spanish music with the dancer Luisa Triana. He has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe as an instrumental and vocal accompanist, and has been named a Standiger Artist by Austrian Radio for his many broadcasts. Recent performances include recitals with Gaynor Keeble and the violinist Roger Coull. He was a founder, producer and conductor of the New Opera Group and Musical Director of Wide Angle Voice Theatre.

He has played for master classes given by such eminent singer/teachers as John Carol Case, Marjorie Thomas, Vera Rosza and Benjamin Luxon and is increasingly in demand as an adjudicator in England and Ireland; last year's festivals being as widely spaced as Dublin, Truro and Cleethorpes. He was chosen to be one of the accompanists at the Festival of Festivals at Warwick University.

Stuart served as a vocal coach and held classes in Song Literature, Accompanying and Opera at Stephens College. He now works in England as a vocal coach both privately and for 22 years at the Birmingham Conservatoire, and with the distinguished singers and teachers Rae Woodland and April Cantelo on annual residential courses for adult singers. Last summer, he conducted a class on American Song for the Irish Vocal Masterclasses in Dublin.

Senior Singing       

Neil Jenkins

NEIL JENKINS has been a professional singer for over forty years. He made his debut in 1967, and sang and recorded with the Deller Consort, under the direction of Alfred Deller, for ten years, whilst establishing himself as an opera singer. In the 1970s he was appointed as an RCM singing professor by Sir David Willcocks, for whom he became a regular soloist with the Bach Choir, especially in the Bach Passions. He is equally at home as an Operatic, Oratorio and Recital singer; and combines this with an increasingly important role as a musicologist. Neil has translated and edited all of Bach's major choral works for the New Novello Choral Edition, & Haydn's 'Seasons' & 'Creation' for King's Music. He has produced several song albums for OUP & Kevin Mayhew Ltd.

Neil has sung with all of Britain's leading opera companies, and was associated with Kent Opera, Scottish Opera, WNO & Glyndebourne for many years. His performances in Tippett's King Priam & Glyndebourne Festival's Lulu and Higglety Pigglety Pop are available on video. He joined WNO once again in 2008 for a production of Verdi's Falstaff,starring Bryn Terfel which was recorded and televised. In 2004 Neil was honoured by the Worshipful Company of Musicians with the presentation of the Sir Charles Santley Memorial Award for his achievements in his career. 2007 marked the 40th anniversary of Neil's London recital debut. He celebrated this in concert with his large choir, the Sussex Chorus and the NJ Chorale, which is composed of family members, pupils and friends.

Neil teaches at several international summer schools, including AIMS which he runs with his wife Penny, gives a regular series of Masterclasses at venues such as Jackdaws in Somerset, and sits on international singing juries. He is an extremely busy Adjudicator in the Federation these days.

Accordion       

John Leslie

John Leslie studied accordion with Eddie Harris until the age of 18, and has been a full time professional accordionist since the age of 20, recording and broadcasting for the B.B.C. and many record companies. John first performed on television when he was 12 years old, he appeared in the “Picture Page” programme, with Peter Bruff, (Educating Archie) and Max Bygraves, John has since been regularly featured on radio as a soloist, and with many groups, including “Barber Shop” his own “John Leslie Sounds” on programmes such as: - ‘Breakfast Special’ –‘Charlie Chester Show’ – ‘Music Through Midnight’, and many others, also recording backing tracks for adverts, T.V. play’s and films, including ‘Moonstone’ – ‘No Bananas’ – several ‘Walt Disney’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ films, etc. etc. John Leslie has also broadcast and recorded in many countries, including Sweden – Finland – Germany – France – Italy – Switzerland – Holland – etc.

John Leslie has regularly recorded, toured and appeared, with many famous people, such as Donald Sinden – Tommy Cooper – Joan Heal - Una Stubbs – Anna Sharkey - Terence Alexander, etc. For fourteen years, John was the featured accordionist / arranger with Jules Rubin and the Latinairs, recording tapes – discs – L.Ps. radio and T.V. programmes. Whilst working with Jules Rubens, John became prolific in writing and arranging specialised Latin American rhythms and arrangements for the group, which had a line up of: - Piano – Guitar - Accordion - Double Bass - and three percussion, (a very busy and famous group indeed) John has also written many arrangements for cabaret artists such as Louise Lane, Kay Garner, etc.

Internationally, John Leslie has regularly represented Great Britain, adjudicating the C.I.A. World Accordion Championships, his first appointment being in Vichy – France, in 1973, and subsequently in many countries throughout the world, the most recent being held in France in 2004, where he celebrated his 31st year of international adjudicating, in fact John Leslie has adjudicated more C.I.A. world accordion championships, than any other adjudicator in the world, he is also the longest serving member of the international music committee of the C.I.A. (Confederation International Accordeonists)

John Leslie is commonly recognised as the most successful accordion teacher in the U.K. having taught many of today’s professional player’s and teachers, he was the first appointed teacher of accordion at the Kingston University, Surrey, where he guided Amanda Tyson and Julie North through the performance requirements for the B.A. Hons. Degree, he was also the first appointed accordion teacher for Nene College, and was honoured with an appointment as “head of musical studies” for a specialist course at the Portsmouth University. John Leslie is the only accordion teacher ever to be appointed to teach at the world famous “Purcell School of Music”.

Recorders & Woodwind       

Janet Alexandra  A.R.C.M.

Strings       

Robert Bailey

Brass       

Dominic Nunns BA (Hons), PGDip (RCM)

Piano       

Ruth Gerald

Piano Concerto       

Murray McLachlan

Richard Evans Dip RCM Performance Piano

Electronic Keyboards       

Rock Bands       

Chris Difford of  “Squeeze”

Chris Difford has been writing lyrics for over twenty five years most notably with Squeeze. After 13 albums and many top 20 hits, 29 American tours, 30 UK tours and various trips around the globe, Chris decided to stop the merry-go-round and test the waters. His debut solo album “I Didn’t Get Where I Am…” was released in 2002. Songs like Tempted, Up the Junction, Cool for Cats and Black Coffee in Bed still find steady air-play on UK and US radio.

In June of 2005, Squeeze released The Big Squeeze, a compilation of singles and B sides that went straight into the UK chart at Number 8, proving the timeless appeal of their music. During time away from Squeeze, Chris has written with Elton John, Trilok Gurtu, Marti Pellow, Lamont Dozier, Willie Mitchell and many others. In his spare time, Chris organizes writer workshops, which have been an inspiration to everyone that has attended. Last year he hosted a Songwriter Webcast from his studio in Sussex with bands like Turin Brakes and The Webb Brothers. The Broadcast also featured Jane Birkin and Nitin Sawhney. Scripting the lyrics for the film Still Crazy; this won him an Ivor Novello Award, a proud moment for the mantelpiece. The film documented the insane life of a rock band in the 70s. Something he knew a little about! Image hosting by Photobucket Back in 1984, Chris, with his songwriting partner Glenn Tilbrook, wrote a musical called Labelled with Love. It ran for three months in London and this remains one of his fondest memories of working with Glenn. Most recently, Chris has been writing with Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow for his 2nd solo album. This two-year project has given Chris the chance to bring together some of the finest writers, as he did on Marti’s Martis first album, Smile. Together, Chris and Marti have composed over 150 new songs with people like Steve Booker, Adam Levy (Norah Jones’ guitarist), Amy Wadge, Jim Watson and many more. Chris is working on various projects at the moment: a musical with Guy Barker - Jazz Trumpeter supreme and a record with his friend Matt Deighton from Mother Earth fame.

In August 2006 Chris released South East Side Story, an acoustic album and DVD that features reworked versions of classic Squeeze songs, and a live performance at the Albany Theatre. This Autumn he also embarks on a UK tour with Marti Pellow. South East Side Story is released on Luna Records, for more details visit http://www.lunarecords.co.uk.

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