Melanie (nėe Armistead) is a professional singer and teacher of singing. Her earliest memories of singing were in the car on long journeys through an open window, when 3 or 4 and she continued ever after, supported by a very caring Christian family. This upbringing played a part in Melanie’s (and Jeff’s) decision to take on the Rock Group. She was aware she was a Christian from very early age, but did not have a conversion experience.
She sang through school and church membership and as relaxation when reading Russian and French at Durham. But a music career was clearly what she wanted so she went on to study music at college and later (less enjoyably) at the Guildhall, working with such as Graeme Jenkins, Peter Pears and Galina Vishnyevskaya.
Starting in opera (sometimes as an understudy), she moved on to concerts and recitals – finding to her cost that Carmina Burana and the African Sanctus were to be avoided, the latter, something of a voice wrecker. In the middle of all this she met and married Jeff, now more than twenty years ago, and combined family life with a career. This included a memorable car trip to France with a 3-month old baby. It was fascinating to learn how the voice changes with time and circumstances, including pregnancy.
Melanie interspersed her autobiographical tour, which we loved, with extracts from her recordings. These included:
J S Bach’s “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen” [??]
Rachmaninov’s “How Fair this Spot”
Britten’s “Let the Florid Music” (from “On this Island”)
Poulenc “Domine Deus” from the “Gloria”
And Edgar Norman Hayes “Wind among the Reeds” (with the Ulster Orchestra)
With Many Thanks to Melanie for a privileged and fascinating look at her life, and for checking facts in this account.
For further reading see Roy’s introductory note from the June Parish Magazine. (see below)
Many thanks also to David Webber for leading the Reading (Psalm 150) and meditation.
David Long
from the June Parish Magazine:-
Melanie studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio after taking a degree in Russian and French at Durham University. She began her career working with Scottish Opera, then working with Kent Opera, Opera North, Opera Northern Ireland and The Chatelęt in Paris singing roles by Mozart, Handel, Tchaikovsky and Britten. Concerts and Recitals took Melanie to Japan, Spain, France, Holland and many Festivals and Music Societies within the UK.
Recently Melanie sang Knoxville Summer of 1915 by Barber with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and took part in a Music Festival at Sea with Richard Baker. She also sang Elgar’s Spirit of England, Mozart’s C Minor Mass, Bach’s Magnificat, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Messiah and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music.
Melanie enjoys teaching singing at Sherborne Girls School in Dorset ;and travels around the country adjudicating at Festivals and Competitions. In 2009 she will be adjudicating for a month in Hong Kong.
Her talk will encompass her Christian background and
initial interest in Singing; student days and opportunities;
her career path with some excerpts to give an idea of the
sort of music making in which she was involved ; and
a reflection on the way that her faith and family focus have
informed her decisions and affected her career and the path that her life has
taken to date.