The Festival Committee would like to extend a warm welcome to our 2011 Adjudicators

Dance:

Janice Blake MIDTA, AUKA 

Janice Blake began her dancing career by taking part in Festivals form an early age. At the age of 13 she won a contract to perform in the children’s ballet at Blackpool. From there she went on to appear in many pantomimes and summer seasons working with such entertainment legends as Bob Monkhouse and Harry Secombe. A summer season in Bexhill on Sea changed the course of her career when she met and married her husband David. Janice then turned her talents to acting appearing in weekly rep and moving on to TV plays. After the birth of her two sons, Janice opened a very successful dance studio in Bexhill taking part in many Festivals over the years. Pupils have gone onto work in the West End, on cruise ships and tours for the Disney Company. One student of note, Ashley Day, played Troy Bolton in High School Musical and is now in the Wizard of Oz. Another, Charlene Ford has appeared in Joseph, Love Never Dies and Crazy For You

Instrumental

Alan MacLean Dip Mus Ed, RSAMD, FTCL, PGCE

Alan MacLean graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in 1978, receiving the award for the most outstanding student. After further study with internationally renowned pianists, including Karl Schnabel, he embarked upon a career which has included solo and concerto performances throughout the UK, recordings and broadcasts on radio and television. He is much in demand as a chamber musician, having played with many of the country's leading instrumentalists, and recently has appeared at Malvern, Hailes, Three Choirs and Cheltenham International Festivals.

In the mid-nineties, Albany Records approached Alan MacLean and Peter Lawson with the idea of exploring the wealth of twentieth century music written for piano duet. Their first recording, English Music for Piano Duet, received critical acclaim and a Disc of the Year nomination, moving one critic to write, “I cannot recall ever hearing a piano duo with such perfect unanimity before. Peter Lawson and Alan MacLean appear to be in total sympathy not just with one another, but with all the music they play.” (International Record Review)
Similar accolades followed on release of their second album, British Music for Piano Duet.
His most recent venture was a recording of John Field’s Concertino for Piano and Strings, with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

After 20 years as Head of Keyboard Studies at The Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Alan left to develop further a number of musical projects. He gives master classes for young pianists and chamber music players, and regularly speaks and adjudicates at a wide range of music events.

Speech & Drama  

Marie Dixon FLCM, LLCM (Performance) LGSM (Teaching) MSTSD

Marie has been involved with the Theatre since early childhood with regular performances in Lancashire Comedy and Liturgical plays and Musical Theatre – Carousel, Sound of Music, Anything Goes and Pyjama Game – eventually becoming a member of Equity and appearing in Television and Theatre and she eventually formed her own Music Hall Company.

She formed her schools of Speech and Drama in 1972 and in 1975 was awarded a Fellowship for speech; Marie has worked extensively in schools writing, directing and advising staff on the techniques of good speech and has directed drama projects for the Greater Manchester Police at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.

She is in her eighth season as a tutor for the Betty Yager Drama School in Lincoln and she is in constant demand for her workshops on Speech Technique.

Marie was accepted by the British & International Federation as an adjudicator in 1986 and is a past Board & Council Member and in this work she has travelled the UK and visited Northern Ireland with several visits to Hong Kong.

She is also the North West Are representative for the International Society of Teachers of Speech & Drama.
“Your voice can be your passport to success”, discover and enjoy

To all competitors – “Good luck in the Festival”

Be Clear
Be Confident
Be Happy!

Vocal   

Gaynor Keeble BEd (Hons), ARCM, ALCM, ARAM

We are delighted to welcome Gaynor back to our Festival.

Gaynor Keeble gained scholarships to the University of Warwick and the Royal Academy of Music. She combines a busy performing career with teaching both privately and at the University of Warwick and extensive adjudicating. She has also worked extensively with English Touring Opera’s Education Programme.

She was a member of Welsh National Opera for three years and has worked for the Royal Opera, Opera North, D’Oyly Carte Mid- Wales and English Touring Opera.  Roles with these companies include Carmen, Marchioness (Daughter of the Regiment) Baba the Turk (Rake’s Progress) Mrs Sedley (Peter Grimes) Meg Page (Falstaff) Maddalena (Rigoletto) Marcellina (Marriage of Figaro) Orpheus (Orpheus and Euridice) and Tisbe (Cenerentola) Concerts include appearances with the London Mozart Players, London Bach Orchestra, CBSO Royal Philharmonic and The Philharmonia.

In December 2001 she was the winner of the London Lieder Prize .She maintains a busy operatic career with recent engagements including title roles of Carmen, Delilah (Samson and Delilah) and Amneris (Aida) for Kentish Opera, Katisha (Mikado) for Carl Rosa Opera in USA and Rome and performances of Berlioz Nuits d’ete , Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Verdi Requiem.  In 2006 she made her debut with English National Opera as Katisha and in 2008 made her debut at the Royal Opera House as 3rd Lady in The Magic Flute. Roles in 2008 included Gertrude (Romeo & Juliet) Hippolyta (Midsummer Nights Dream) both for Opera North and the “Voice of the Mother” Hoffmann for Royal Opera House.

Future plans include Mistress Quickly for Mid Wales Opera and further performances of 3rd Lady for ROH, Annina ( La Traviata) ROH, Mistress Quickly ( Longborough Festival)

In 2009 she was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, a discretionary award for distinguished former students.