Singing is something that I've been involved with since I was a toddler. I've sung in many choirs over the years, and made recordings with Guildford Choral Society in the last 15 years or so for radio, TV and commercial record companies as part of their semi-chorus.
My main passionate involvement since childhood, however, has been with traditional English song, and for the last 15 years or so I've had the great privilege of sharing the songs I love with others by singing out in public.
In 2000, after many years of singing at home for my own pleasure, and more than a few years of attending the English National Folk Music Festival in Sutton Bonington, I entered for the National's singing competition and won the title of "Singer of the National" for best rendition of an unaccompanied traditional song. That was followed up by attending Folk South West's "In the Tradition" Easter School in 2001 & 2002, where I received tuition from Shirley Collins and Eddie Upton. Thanks to their encouragement and assistance , and support from Lawrence Heath, I put on two shows in 2004 at the Electric Theatre, Guildford about the Victorian folksong collectors Lucy Broadwood and Sabine Baring-Gould with my friend and fellow FSW student, Mike Bosworth from Cornwall.
I am now one of the two resident singers at the Music Institute Folk Club in Guildford,and have performed by invitation in concerts in Sussex and Surrey,hosted a session at a Farnham Folk Day alongside Ed Rennie,have sung and performed at various festivals around the country .
I am carrying out research into the diaries and correspondence of Lucy Broadwood in my spare time (what little there is of it!) with a view to producing a book about her in due course . Stemming from that research I have been giving public talks on her life and work since 2006, most recently at the Sidmouth and Whitby Folk Weeks in 2008.
The talk has also been used as the basis of a show on Lucy's life, entitled "Listen and You Shall Hear". This has been the result of work by Ralph Jordan and myself, and incorporates accompanied and unaccompanied songs. There is a separate Myspace page for the show, which you can find at http://www.myspace.com/listenandyoushallhear.
The show was initially prepared in order to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lucy's birth in August 2008, and has now been successfully performed in folk club and other more formal settings . Bookings can be accepted either for the show, or for the talk (which is illustrated with a few unaccompanied songs).
COMMENTS ON PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES
" What is absolutely evident in your singing is your love and respect for the material…your singing is honest and full of integrity.. Add to this a naturally lovely voice that is eminently suitable for the songs you sing…..â€
Shirley Collins, singer, collector and writer.
"Irene...combines a life-long love of traditional music with a beautiful voice to deliver spellbinding performances of the finest jewels from the folk song repertoire."
Lawrence Heath - Electric Voices promoter. April 2006
"Very many thanks for a superb finale last night; it really was very impressive....Comments have come from discerning people from different backgrounds, all saying how stunningly good you were...... they were dead right - you were brilliant."
George Cockman - organiser, West Sussex Festival of Christmas, December 2004
"Your talk went down extremely well and your knowledge and enthusiasm were very impressive"
Jan Todd, Guildford Institute of the University of Surrey (re "Listen and You Shall Hear) December 2006
