Hi! This section is all about me! But it’s also about you. Singing is perhaps the most exposed form of self-expression we mere mortals will ever attempt. No instruments, no theatricals to camouflage. It all comes down to you: your voice, your personality, your truths.

Wearing your heart on your sleeve, is what singing is all about. And it takes self-belief and courage to do it. But do it we must!

I began wearing my heart on my sleeve at the age of 15, singing in traditional folk music groups in Ireland. I also trained in classical singing and music theory, going on to study music, singing and voice techniques with Veronica Dunne, Ireland’s foremost singing professor at University College Dublin.

Then I became more interested in contemporary singing, ranging from folk singing to pop singing. I entered and won many national singing competitions in Ireland, which, I suppose, were the X Factor of their day. I became a session singer, singing on countless albums and jingles, in recording studios such as Windmill Lane (Ireland’s answer to ‘Abbey Road’- courtesy of U2!) and backing many chart-topping artists of the day, from all around the world. I wrote my own songs and sang them in my own right as a solo artist. This led me to record a song, Viva il Papa, which reached number one in the Irish charts and stayed in that number one slot for over three months – a record which I believe is unbroken to this day.

In 1979 I joined the internationally renowned British Hit Pop group ‘The New Seekers’ (‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’!). I travelled as a member of the group throughout the world, singing on recordings and performing live on stage in large Theatre and Cabaret Venues, on Television Shows and Radio Broadcasts including Eurovision, plus appearing at many private functions before the rich and famous – even Royalty! 

During this time, I was asked to play the lead in the Dublin production of the award-winning Broadway Musical, The Pirates of Penzance, taking on from Linda Ronstadt and Pamela Stevenson, who played the lead on Broadway and in London’s West End. The Dublin production became the longest running musical theatre production in Irish theatre history and remained so – until ‘Riverdance’ came along!

Being trumped by Riverdance was not the disappointment you might think, because Bill Whelan, the composer of Riverdance, asked me to sing the title track, ‘Hearts Cry’, together with the other two solo soprano singing tracks, on the first ever released soundtrack album of the show.

It was a lot to have done. And it was time to take a break from singing, having covered most genres, from Irish Folk Music, to Pop, Rock and Classical, singing on Albums, TV and Radio, as well as live touring throughout the world.

It was ‘Time for Children’!

My husband and I adopted two wonderful children, one from Beirut in Lebanon and the other from Hu-Nan in China. What set us on this course was an interest in the affairs and wellbeing of children in disadvantaged countries. It was inspired by our own (temporary) childlessness, of course, but also by the inspirational ‘Live Aid’, which revolutionised awareness at that time, and showed the power of Music to sway people’s hearts. I went on to become a founder- director of ‘International Orphan Aid’, an Irish NGO charity working with children in orphanages. We staged many events, raising monies and awareness, shamelessly calling on the contributions of some of the many great Artistes with whom I had worked, most notably The Corrs, Julian Lennon, Bill Whelan, Katie Melua, Van Morrison, and even the actor Patrick Bergin and magicians Debbie McGee and Paul Daniels, all of whom contributed freely of their time and possessions for auction!

Music, the power of music, had beckoned once more and, I suppose, because of all the experience and connections I had made, I was asked to organise and provide music supervision services for Film Production and Record Companies, with artists working in CD, TV and Film. Amongst the most memorable are Bill Whelan, Bono, Wet Wet Wet, Katie Melua, Andrea Bocelli, The Corrs, Julian Lennon, Enya, Sinead O’Conner, Michael Flatley, Riverdance and Lord of The Dance and Feet of Flames show recordings, Michael Crawford, Barry Manilow, Puff Daddy, Whitney Houston, Radio City Christmas Spectacular Show (year on year), Marti Pellow, Lisa Stansfield, Laura Turner, Johnny Mathis, Jamiroquai, Shania Twain, The American Tenors, Jaci Velasquez, Celtic Women, Dan Ar Braz, Daniel O Donnell, MTV Live TV Awards, Ronnie Woods… the list goes on.

I also became involved in the Classical music scene! With the move to popularise the genre, I was asked to become general manager of The London Chamber Orchestra, before moving on to run orchestral and music services for The Wexford International Opera Festival season in Ireland and the Irish Film Orchestra.

In many ways I feel I may have seen it all in the music business – but nobody can lay claim to knowing it all! Having been as privileged (and lucky!) as I have during my professional career, both as a singer and music supervisor, I woke up recently one morning, here in Cranleigh, and decided:

TIME TO PASS SOME OF THIS ON!

So! I have decided to teach singing. Not just how to develop vocal skills, but the whole thing:

SINGING – in all its glory.

And it’s not just about having a beautiful voice.

I was ‘discovered’ at a very early age. I went straight in at the deep end, at 15. But in all my travels, the most important thing I ‘discovered’ for myself, was this: how important it is to find the voice that is within you. Your own unique voice. A Voice that belongs to no-one else.

My calling, in teaching here in Cranleigh, is to help you, the singer, the person, to find and build on your own unique musical individuality and personality. In other words, to help you find your voice, your emotional truth and build on it; to delve deep within and help you find your unique God given talent and give it VOICE!