Sarah Blake – Director
Sarah Blake is the founder and Director of Lexden Choral Society. She has an amazing talent, not only for music, but for bringing out the best in others, and bringing people together. Sarah is a forward thinking and innovative director who loves to hear and try new ideas.
Sarah graduated from Colchester Institute in 1980 and went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and then at Trinity College, London, as a post-graduate student with the late Professor Morag Noble. Sarah has conducted choirs for many years and founded Lexden Choral Society in January 1992.
Works performed include Verdi: Requiem, Elgar: Dream of Gerontius, Tchaikovsky: Ode to Joy (sung in Russian), Blake: The Passion of Mary, Holst:Hymn of Jesus, Prokofiev: Zdravitsa, Berlioz: Messe Solenelle, Jenkins: The Armed Man, Brahms: Requiem, Jenkins: Requiem, and “In These Stones Horizons Sing” (in Welsh), Elgar: Coronation Ode and Spirit of England, and Britten: Ballad of Heroes.
In this role she has pioneered partnerships with the Band of the Parachute Regiment, The Minden Band of the Queen’s Division, the Academy East Choir, where she teaches singing, Colchester County High School Girls Choir and the Royal Academy of Dancing. The Society was invited to provide the choral element with the Massed Military Bands of East Anglia in their Jubilee Charity Concert at the Charter Hall.
In November 2008 Sarah conducted the first amateur performance of Karl Jenkins’ latest work, Stabat Mater, with international singer Belinda Sykes and in April 2009 she conducted Howard Blake’s “Benedictus” with over two hundred singers (one hundred children from Felsted Schools and one hundred adults), with the composer present.
In November 2009 Sarah conducted Lexden Choral Society and the Choir of Colchester Royal Grammar School at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Coggeshall, for a performance of Jenkins’ The Armed Man.
Sarah is a freelance musician and runs a large private practice for voice and piano. In last summer’s exam session one of Sarah’s piano pupils was awarded the highest mark in the UK by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music for grade 7 piano.
Sarah also founded Lexden Youth Choir which is a group of 11-25 year olds who perform a variety of classical repertoire. Their most recent performances have included Bob Chilcott’s “Peace Mass” and Karl Jenkins’ “Adiemus”. Sarah is also Director of Music for St Leonard’s Parish Church, Lexden.