Past Pupils
We have had many students at Chatham House who have entered the music profession, as performers, composers, teachers and more. Below are some of the most well known, locally, nationally and internationally!
I have listed them in chronological order, with the most recent at the top, and am in the process of adding many more...
John Woodham (2010)
A extraordinarily gifted trumpet player with a passion for jazz, John won the sole trumpet place at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire in Glasgow. Alongside performances in and around Glasgow he has also recently made recordings for the BBC.
George English (2009)
George won a place to study percussion at the Guildhall School of Music in 2009. He is already working as a freelance percussionist with orchestras and can often be found in a pit (playing for a show) in London. He is currently playing for the new Stephen Sondheim musical One Man, Two Guvnors at The Haymarket Theatre, Regent St, and next year will accompany it on its world tour.
Graham Smith (2009)
Currently studying music and education at Bishop Grosseteste, Graham is already making a name for himself as a composer having already become the resident composer for a local film company. Hear many of his compositions on his Facebook group page:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=107550055939958
Olly Joyce (2006)
Olly was in several bands whilst at Chatham House and left to study music at Goldsmiths University. However, in his gap year he was signed as the drummer for the band Peggy Sue and has been touring nationally and internationally with them ever since. They have many videos on youtube.com.
View their website here: http://peggywho.com/
They can also be found on Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Sue_%28band%29
Read a review of their debut album on the BBC Music website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/wvzb
Seb Forrest (2004)
Whilst in Year 13 at Chatham House Seb won the biggest song-writing competition for school students in the country - Make it Break it (judged by Chris Martin from Coldplay amongst others) and won a record deal after performing at LIPA in Liverpool. He has since taken studied popular music (specifically a degree in performance and songwriting) at Leeds College of Music, where he is now based. His band The Moody Gowns can be found here:
http://www.moodygowns.com/Music.html
Theo Jackson (2004, as Joe Jackson)
Theo went from Chatham House to study music at Durham University where he began building a career as a jazz pianist, singer and songwriter. His band are based in Oxford but perform regularly in London in venues such as the 606 Club and Pizza Express, Dean St. A recent review in Time Out Magazine comments:
Soulful, earthy vocal-led jazz from this impressive young singer. With a powerful yet subtle voice, Jackson also has a knack for penning Stevie Wonder-esque originals that avoid the usual clichés.
View his website at www.theojackson.com
Rob Copeland (2004)
Rob had leading roles in many productions at Chatham and Clarendon, such as Bugsy Malone, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls and Cabaret and went on to a degree at the Mountview Academy of Performing Arts in London. He has since appeared in many productions in London and internationally, such as We Will Rock You and Jekyll and Hyde.
View his website here: http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/013289442649
James Gunn (2004)
James studied at the school as a clarinettist, before winning a place with the Band of the Royal Marines in Portsmouth. Soon after joining he transferred to bassoon! He has been with them as a full time musician ever since, touring both the UK and internationally and making many recordings.
http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/pages/index1.htm
Stuart Duncan (2002)
Stuart left Clarendon to study music at Christchurch University in Canterbury, for which he achieved a first class degree. He then went on to gain a distinction in his masters (in composition) at Goldsmiths College, London, before travelling across the Atlantic to study for a doctorate in composition at Cornell University in New York. He is currently studying for a PhD in music theory at Yale University in America.
View his website here:
http://yale.academia.edu/StuartDuncan
Matt Wharton-Lee (2001, as Matt Wharton)
A proficient pianist whilst at Chatham House, Matt has gone on to a West End career as a pianist and keyboard player, playing for the shows We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia and Footloose. He has also toured nationally and internationally with the above shows, and also plays with a London function band.
Carl Man (2000)
At the age of 16 Carl travelled to Los Angeles where he represented the United Kingdom at the World Championships of Performing Arts. He won a gold medal in the under 18 Broadway vocal category and a silver medal in the under 18 Pop vocal category.
At the age of 18 he placed 3rd in the 2001 British National Search For A Star final and soon after started his first professional engagement as lead production singer for Celebrity Cruises. He went on to become a featured singer for Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, the largest and newest cruise ship in the world.
Carl has numerous television commercial and print ad credits which have been seen in the UK and Asia including a major campaign for Motorola.
View his website here:
http://www.carlmanonline.com/index.html
Ed Mayo (2000)
Ed is a Trumpet and Flugel Horn Player who has worked all over the world with musicians and singers such as Amy Winehouse, Michael Buble, Bobby Shew, NYJO, Ellington Experience Orchestra, Bob Mintzer, Tom Jone, Shirley Bassey, Omar Puente, Roger Homefield (Stan Kenton), Bill Gibson (Tommy Dorsey/Artie Shaw), Michel Chartier, Alice Boynes, and Paul Booth's Harbour Jazz Orchestra.
He has also recorded many sessions for TV and Radio including BBC Radio 2's "Friday night is Music night"
He is also an experienced writer and arranger.
James Edge (1998)
James plays with successful London band James Edge and the Mindstep - visit their myspace page here:
http://www.myspace.com/jamesedge
Avvon Chambers (1998)
Avvon is a freelance drummer who has played with many bands across the country since leaving Chatham House. He now plays with the Adam Wilson Hunter band
http://adamwilsonhunter.com/the-band/
and Spencer McGarry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_McGarry_Season
Chris Deacon (1996)
Christopher Deacon began his cornet studies with his father Andrew, before joining the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Guildhall School of Music Junior Department, London, where he was taught by John Miller. He went on to become Principal Trumpet of the National Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Chamber Orchestra and won a scholarship to study with John Wallace, James Watson, Ian Balmain and Robert Farley at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
Christopher graduated from Royal Academy of Music with a first class honours degree in Performance and a LRAM Teachers Diploma in 2000 and was appointed Co-Principal of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia in 2001. He also works as a freelance musician, and has played as guest principal trumpet with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonica Orchestra, City of Birmingham Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (Norway) and Santa Cecilia Orchestra (Rome). As a chamber musician he has worked with London Symphony Brass, London Brass, Wallace Collection, Royal Philharmonic Brass, Symphonic Brass of London and the Black Dyke Band.
Christopher has given master classes for the Royal College of Music and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and is a Salvationist and Bandsman at the Regent Hall Corps of the Salvation Army, London.
Please visit his website at: http://www.beckerensemble.com/Musicians%20Pages/Chris%20Deacon%20page.html