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Tish Nicoll LGSM, Dip CE, MSTSD, FESB
Tish Nicoll is a Fellow of The English Speaking Board; a member of The Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama; a member of The British Voice Association, and a Member of the Panel of Speech and Drama Adjudicators of the British and International Federation of Festivals.
Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Tish is a Licentiate of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has a wide range of experience in teaching all age groups in schools, colleges and the business world. Tish now lives in Oxfordshire and works freelance. She is visiting lecturer in Vocal Communications in colleges in the UK and in Italy. She also examines for The English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. and was their Chief Examiner for seven years. She has travelled widely both in the UK and overseas lecturing, running workshops, examining and adjudicating and in 2007 was honoured to become Patron of “Oracy Australia Assoc.”
As well as “Voice Over” work for advertising, Tish has television experience as a performer and stage experience as a performer and a director. She is also a trained singer, specialising in recitals of poetry and song.
From an early age Tish took part in Festivals and well remembers how it feels to be a participant! Now, herself a Festival organiser and adjudicator, she knows the importance of these events and welcomes the opportunities offered to performers of all ages, giving them a platform for their work and a chance to celebrate music, poetry and drama.
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Deborah Brittain ARCMCP For as long as she can remember, music has been a very important part of her life. She started playing the piano at the age of five and became a Junior Exhibitioner at the R.C.M. at the age of 11, before becoming a full time student in 1961, studying piano with David Parkhouse and clarinet with Thea King, having being awarded a Major County Award.
On leaving, she joined the BBC, but on marrying and starting a family, embarked on a very rewarding teaching career. During this time, she also became assistant to the Orchestral Manager of the London Mozart Players, founded by Harry Blech, who was still the driving force behind the orchestra. Leading on from this, she helped in the running of the Serenata of London.
She became an Associated Board Examiner in 1982, examining extensively in UK and overseas. She is also a mentor for the C.T.A.B.R.S.M. Professional Development Course.
In the past few years, she has resumed performing in and around Oxford as well as being asked to adjudicate at Music Festivals, becoming a member of the British Federation of Music Festivals.
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Robert Latham BA CertED Robert Latham is an honours graduate of the University of Wales. After taking a Certificate in Education at Bristol University he stayed in the South-West and quickly gained a fine reputation for his music teaching both in and out of the classroom.
On his return from a year as Choral Director in an American High School, where incidentally he gained experience of working with jazz bands, he further developed his skills as a composer and arranger for choral groups.
After a distinguished school-teaching career, he became an examiner in all instruments and voice for Trinity College, London in the early 90s, examining in New Zealand, Malaysia and France as well as all over the UK.
Based at his home in Clevedon, Somerset, he is now best known perhaps for his work in the training of young singers, both privately, and in choral situations, and has become nationally recognised as an authority in ‘upper- voice’ choral technique.
A member of the Association of Teachers of Singing and the Association of British Choral Directors, (for which organisation he has acted as Artistic Adviser), he retired in 2008 from the ‘Bristol Schools’ Chamber Choir’, a group which he directed since 1993. Over the years this choir won national awards for the outstanding quality and versatility of its singing skills.
Publications include three sets of arrangements for upper voices in ‘Faber Music Choral Programme Series’, and by ‘Lindsay Music,’ three folk song arrangements, and original compositions also for upper voice.
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David Straughan BA ARCM CertEDCP David Straughan has been involved with education and music making throughout his career. Having trained as a teacher, his initial teaching years were spent in the West Midlands as a classroom teacher of secondary music, and as an instrument teacher to pupils and adults of all ages.
After a period as head of music in secondary schools and a senior position as a head of arts faculty, he took on the responsibilities of a local authority schools’ inspector for music in Wirral. This post, which he held for twenty two years, included responsibility for the visual arts. As an educationalist, he has worked with all ages of children and his work as an OFSTED inspector took him into all sectors of education.
As a musician, he has performed at a professional level across a wide spectrum of musical styles but now is more active as a conductor of youth and community groups, particularly wind bands and orchestras. He has travelled and worked extensively throughout Europe with youth and adult ensembles. He works as an adjudicator across the United Kingdom, and is a member of The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech.
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