Voices for Hospices Choir

John is a graduate of the Royal College of Music and an accomplished bass player, singer and conductor. He was the youngest ever bass player in the National Youth Orchestra and a founder member of the group that went on to become Mott the Hoople. Since leaving the RCM, John's eclectic love of music has seen him performing with musicians as diverse as Pierre Boulez and the Walker Brothers and organising and conducting musical events throughout Europe. Engaged with Voices for Hospices since its inception John is dedicated to the ideal of voices joining together to support the Hospice movement - and to the idea that doing so should be fun!

A professional singer since the age of eight, Jenny had already won prizes for her performances at Festivals such as Llangollen and Blackpool, and with Sir Charles Groves and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, before entering the Royal College of Music. Post graduation Jenny performed with artists such as Elton John and Peter Skellern, made regular appearances with the BBC Singers and had many solo engagements throughout Europe. Working closely with her husband she has played a significant part in raising large sums of money, and awareness, for Hospices since the early days of the VfH movement back in 1989. Jenny is committed to the ideal that musicians, and singers in particular, should give something back to the community that supports them.

Rae is the treasurer for the VfH Choir concerts, in this country and abroad. His experience in the Army, in the Royal Army Pay Corps has prepared him for this role! He has assisted in the the administration and auditing of many previous concerts, and societies, including those that have benefitted Hospices.

Whilst she was brought up in a musical family Lynda decided to pursue a business career in marketing. Having gained a grounding within blue chip companies she set up and ran her own Marketing and Design agency working with clients such as Lloyds TSB, RAC and British Gas. The sale of her business after more than fifteen years successful trading gave her the freedom to engage in her passion for singing and she is currently an enthusiastic member of several choirs. Used to dealing with people at all levels Lynda is also very experienced at applying a realistic and pragmatic approach to creative projects.

Rosie has been involved with charity fundraising for many years. Nationally with Oxfam and Cancer Research, then locally for Hospices, Romsey Young Carers, local schools, hospitals, Cathedrals and churches. Amongst her many ways of raising funds are choral singing, raffles and bridge days, all of which have proved to be fun and rewarding, whilst supporting worthy causes.

Helen was born in Middlesbrough and is a graduate of Royal Academy Opera and Trinity College of Music, initially graduating from Liverpool John Moores University with a First in English Literature and Cultural History. Helen performs regularly as a soloist for the Compton and Shawford, Dover, Ember, Folkestone, and Sutton Valence choral societies, Thanet Festival Choir, The Seventy Singers, Maidstone Wind Symphony, and Wrotham Music Festival. On the operatic stage, Helen has performed principal roles for OperaUpClose, Kentish Opera, Ryedale Festival Opera, The Music Troupe, Pop-Up Opera, Bath Festival Opera, Blackheath Halls Opera, and Buxton International Festival. 

Fiona studied music at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and is a graduate of Royal Academy Opera, where she was kindly supported by The Sickle Foundation. Fiona really enjoyed playing Pitti-Sing in the Mikado and Edith in the Pirates of Penzance on the National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company UK Tour. For the company she also played Phoebe in The Yeomen of the Guard Lady Sangazure in The Sorcerer. Fiona has been a principal at Opera Holland Park. Other recent highlights include roles in a concert performance of ‘Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortiléges with Stephane Denéve and the BBC symphony orchestra, in Haydn's La Vera Costanza conducted by Trevor Pinnock and in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin conducted by Jane Glover. Operatic roles include Second and Third Lady in The Magic Flute, Popova in Walton’s The Bear, Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, Maurya in Riders to the Sea - conducted by Peter Robinson, Ursule in Béatrice et Bénédict - conducted by Sir Colin Davis, and Lady Bertram in the London premiére production of Dove’s Mansfield Park. A Night at the Opera. 

Gilly was born in Bedfordshire and started having piano lessons at the age of six. She continued her piano studies with Martin Hughes at Surrey University where she studied music. She currently teaches the piano at The Pilgrims’ School and St. Swithun’s School in Winchester, and West Hill Park School in Titchfield. Gilly is the accompanist for the Compton and Shawford Festival Choir and the Winchester Festival Choir, and accompanies for local concerts, festivals and examinations. She plays the flute in the chamber group Fusion, and also plays the classical guitar and the viola.