Chairman Laurence Slater; Secretary Simon Pike;Treasurer Chris Hobson; Membership Secretary Tom Beaton; Press and publicity Philip
Johnson; Newsletter Sylvia Bissett
Musical Director: Helena Brown
Assistant Musical Director: Janet
Oates
Director: Annee Blott
Patron: Catherine Bott
Helena
Brown won a scholarship to study music at Dartington
College of Arts, and subsequently studied at the Royal
College of Music, with Hubert Dawkes. After leaving college,
she worked for a few years for the Royal Ballet and, although
now mainly concerned with continuo playing, she continues
to be interested in the dance world, working from time
to time with English National Ballet and the European
Ballet, and playing for classes for both R.A,D, and Cechetti
syllabi.
Her other, very varied work, is with
the London Chamber Orchestra and with the other London-based
chamber orchestras, too, where she plays harpsichord,
piano and celesta. She played at Kew Palace, on the beautiful
Shudi harpsichord, for the Queen, on her eightieth birthday,
and continues to travel the world for both playing and
examining, in between the work in this country.
Helena has been Musical Director for
all the Isleworth Baroque productions so far, and is now
working in partnership with Janet Oates in the preparation
of the productions.
Janet
Oates (Assistant Musical Director). Having gained
a BA in English (Oxford) and a BSc in psychology (Hull),
then taught English and various other things for 5 years,
Janet realised that music is what she really wants to
do. D’oh! Having achieved a distinction in her MMus
(2003) at Royal Holloway, University of London under the
supervision of Simon Holt, Janet is now undertaking a
part-time PhD in composition there, with Phil Cashian.
She studies singing with Charmaine Ahmed, and has given
solo and duet recitals at RHUL, local venues, and in London.
After many leads in G&S, she was glad to sing ‘proper’
music when invited into Isleworth Baroque at its very
birth. She sang the lead in Bach’s Coffee Cantata,
then in Purcell’s Fairy Queen. She directed for
2 years (Venus and Adonis and King Arthur) then gladly
went back to singing, playing the eponymous shepherdess
in Mozart’s Bastien and Bastienne in 2007. Janet
dusts off the old flute occasionally and bashes the harpsichord
whenever given the chance.
Annee Blott is the Director of our 2010 production A Beggar's Opera. She has extensive theatrical experience. She read drama at Manchester
University, went into repertory and into the West-End before completing her
training at RADA. She has toured the UK and Europe, most notably with The
School for Scandal with Donald Sinden. She has worked in Radio comedy, on TV
including several episodes of The Bill, Minder, Lovejoy and The Wimbledon
Poisoner and was a running character in Brookside, Someday Man, Eurocops and
Maybe Tomorrow.
She is an award winning comedy sketch writer and did stand-up for many
years. She has made dozens of TV commercials and voice overs. She has
directed shows for the Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Festival, Arts Council
touring and various venues in London.
She is currently working for the Theatre Royal Margate and directing a show
for the cabaret group Flamin' Dames called "Luck be a Lady" In the last four years she has ventured into opera. She directed an
Offenbach opera for the professional ensemble scenestealers and Janet Oates'
Are There Llamas at Richmond college. The Beggars Opera will be her fourth
outing for Isleworth Baroque.
Janet
Oates (Assistant Musical Director). Having gained
a BA in English (Oxford) and a BSc in psychology (Hull),
then taught English and various other things for 5 years,
Janet realised that music is what she really wants to
do. D’oh! Having achieved a distinction in her MMus
(2003) at Royal Holloway, University of London under the
supervision of Simon Holt, Janet is now undertaking a
part-time PhD in composition there, with Phil Cashian.
She studies singing with Charmaine Ahmed, and has given
solo and duet recitals at RHUL, local venues, and in London.
After many leads in G&S, she was glad to sing ‘proper’
music when invited into Isleworth Baroque at its very
birth. She sang the lead in Bach’s Coffee Cantata,
then in Purcell’s Fairy Queen. She directed for
2 years (Venus and Adonis and King Arthur) then gladly
went back to singing, playing the eponymous shepherdess
in Mozart’s Bastien and Bastienne in 2007. Janet
dusts off the old flute occasionally and bashes the harpsichord
whenever given the chance.
Annee Blott is the Director of our 2010 production A Beggar's Opera. She has extensive theatrical experience. She read drama at Manchester
University, went into repertory and into the West-End before completing her
training at RADA. She has toured the UK and Europe, most notably with The
School for Scandal with Donald Sinden. She has worked in Radio comedy, on TV
including several episodes of The Bill, Minder, Lovejoy and The Wimbledon
Poisoner and was a running character in Brookside, Someday Man, Eurocops and
Maybe Tomorrow.
She is an award winning comedy sketch writer and did stand-up for many
years. She has made dozens of TV commercials and voice overs. She has
directed shows for the Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Festival, Arts Council
touring and various venues in London.
She is currently working for the Theatre Royal Margate and directing a show
for the cabaret group Flamin' Dames called "Luck be a Lady" In the last four years she has ventured into opera. She directed an
Offenbach opera for the professional ensemble scenestealers and Janet Oates'
Are There Llamas at Richmond college. The Beggars Opera will be her fourth
outing for Isleworth Baroque.