BRENDA RATTRAY
(voice tutor) is a composer, a poet, an artist and a
professional vocalist with a voice that spans four octaves. Its versatility
is demonstrated by her wide repertoire, from gospel and soul to Jazz,
Classical and the improvised music scene. She is an inspirational Workshops
leader who has recently conducted the RAF for the BBC Music Live
performance in front of Her Majesty the Queen. She has worked
internationally with teachers, musicians, choirs and choir conductors and
has facilitated workshops in all areas in the community from nursery,
primary and secondary schools to Prisons. She has run workshops in all
phases of education including Trinity College of Music, the Guildhall School
of Music and Drama and English National Opera.
Brenda performed her own compositions of poetry and song as part of the BBC
Radio 2 Sold on Song event held in Deptford 2002. The following year,
she performed with 250 children in front of an audience of 26,000 football
supporters at the Charlton Valley football club. "Joy" was one of her
compositions performed at this event.
She was invited to arrange an African song by the BBC Concert Orchestra,
Radio 3 as part of the Making Tracks project. In November 2003, she
performed it with scores of children at the Blackheath Concert Halls and at
the Watford Coliseum.
Brenda was commissioned in 2005 by Youth Music to compose a piece for
choirs, published by Faber. She will conduct the BBC Chorus in March 2005 as
they sing one of her compositions as part of the BBC’s Celebration of
Africa.