BVA Council
August 2007
The BVA AGM took place on Sunday, 1st July 2007 at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
No ballot had been necessary for an election of directors as there were five vacancies on Council and five complete nomination packages were received in timely fashion, those of Stuart Barr, Veronica Veysey Campbell, Dane Chalfin, Ruth Epstein and Pamela Parry.
Thus the BVA's Council now consists of:
Sue Anderson; Stuart Barr; Ed Blake; Veronica Veysey Campbell; Dane Chalfin; Declan Costello; Ruth Epstein; Graham Godfrey; Sara Harris; Linda Hutchison; Moira Little; Pamela Parry and John Rubin.
President (2007/8): Linda Hutchison
Treasurer: John Rubin
President Elect: Sara Harris
Company Secretary: Kristine Carroll-Porczynski
Biographies of newly appointed Council members...
Stuart Barr, is a musical director and vocal coach in theatre and TV. He was Adjudicating Musical Director and Vocal Coach for the BBC’s Voice of Musical Theatre, and BBC Talent’s Be A Musical Theatre Performer, and coaches on several current TV programmes.
He studied for 8 years at the Purcell School, and was a choral scholar at Cambridge where he took a BA in Music and an MPhil researching into Musical Theatre. He then studied conducting and musical theatre singing at the RCM under Mary Hammond. As conductor, he’s worked in several countries and on many West End shows, just finishing a season of Sweeney Todd for Värmlands Opera, Sweden. Stuart is Vocal Coach at the Actors’ Centre, and also runs a busy private teaching studio. His special interest lies in marrying the often competing demands of good technique and acting performance across a broad range of genres.
Dane Chalfin specialises in non-classical vocal pedagogy and its application to the rehabilitation of voice-users, particularly those in the world of popular music and theatre, who have experiences vocal trauma. Dane Chalfin & Associates’ private teaching practice is based in Manchester and its clients include recording artists, stage, television and radio actors, worship ministries, comedians, singing teachers and vocal coaches, business people, presenters and many more professional voice-users.
He has consulted and/or written voice programs for numerous education establishments including Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, University of Salford and Leeds College of Music where he is a Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Vocal Technique. Dane has an extensive background as a performer in both stage and popular music. He has trained with some of the world’s most celebrated voice practitioners in both pedagogy and voice science and research. His book The 21st Century Singer is currently in development.
Dr Ruth Epstein Ph.D, is Head of Speech & Language Therapy Services and Consultant Speech and Language Therapist (ENT) at the Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital, London. She is also the Director of the M.Sc. programme in Voice Pathology at the Ear Institute, University College London. Dr. Epstein is Past President of the BVA (2004-2005). She has published extensively on various aspects of voice and voice therapy; her special interests are professional voice users and neurolaryngology.
Pamela Jane Parry G.MUS, A.R.C.M. Singer and Teacher, Pam Parry currently divides her time between performing solo and with her own cabaret band ‘Naughty Chair’, organizing and compering a monthly show at the Marlborough Theatre in Brighton and teaching at the Central School of Speech & Drama, GSA Conservatoire and her very busy private studio in Brighton. She is a member of the Voice Clinic Team at the Royal Sussex Hospital working with Meredydd Harries and is very dedicated to the multi-disciplinary approach to voice.
She is also studying for a psychotherapy diploma using the Human Givens approach with Mindfields College, the only specialist psychology college in the UK. She has a particular interest in anxiety and stage fright and would like to do more work in this area. Pam has been a member of the BVA for over 10 years. Read Pamela Parry's account of her personal journey through ‘voice’ (Communicating Voice, Issue 8.1)
Veronica Veysey Campbell teaches singing at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music and to the choristers of St. Paul’s Cathedral as well as running a busy private practice in London. She also teaches singing for the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. Her pupils take solo roles in leading venues, which this year include Glyndebourne and the South Bank Centre.
She studied at Trinity College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama winning many singing prizes and was a finalist on the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship Competition. She was also awarded the prestigious Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Medal. She has given many oratorio, concert and recital performances in Britain and Europe and has made television appearances. Teaching is now her main focus and as well as enjoying the challenges of working with both experienced and less experienced singers she has an interest in vocal rehabilitation.
BVA working parties and committees:
Education Working Party
Strategic Planning Committee
BVA Awards Advisory Committee
Communications Working Party
Singing Teachers' Continuing Professional Development Working Party
(currently a working title)
Voice Disorders Seminars Working Party
Choose & Book Working Party
A committee consists entirely of Council members for administrative reasons. A working party has a wider membership, but has at least one Council member on it.