General Adjudicator –
Elizabeth Childs GRSM (Hons) LRAM
Elizabeth is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied flute with Gareth Morris and piano with Graeme Humphrey. Whilst at the RAM she performed regularly with all the orchestras, and was also engaged in many internal and external teaching projects, a subject that has always interested Elizabeth. International engagements have taken her to both the USA and to many parts of Europe, and she has performed extensively throughout the UK as soloist, recitalist and orchestral player. From 1987 to 1994, Elizabeth was principal flute with the Sinfonia of Scotland, Dundee Opera and Dundee and Perth Light Operatic Company which complimented her work for both ‘Travel Scotland’ and a busy teaching schedule. Elizabeth has recorded programmes for the Open University and other children’s programmes and gives Organ duo recitals with her husband.
Elizabeth has a broad and extensive teaching and performing career. She has successfully prepared pupils for scholarships to leading public schools, Junior Conservatoires and Specialist Music Schools and now has many ex-students working in the profession. She regularly directs summer schools and other courses for young wind players.
Currently, she is engaged in a busy teaching schedule that includes UEA in Norwich, is Flautist in Quintessimo, plays with the Aurelian Ensemble, is part of the management team for Harpenden Musicale, Flute Tutor for The National Children’s Wind Orchestra of Great Britain and directs several successful flute choirs. Family life is incredibly important to Elizabeth and along with her husband Alan they are the proud Parents of 3 wonderful children who have or who are currently pursuing musical careers. Alan is an ABRSM Examiner, Organist & Choral Director and they have given numerous Duo Recitals together. One of Elizabeth’s main aims is to provide as many performing opportunities for all her pupils as possible and firmly believes that encouraging children to perform enhances and benefits all areas of their education. Elizabeth regards it an enormous privilege to sit on the Board of BIFF(British & International Federation of Festivals) Elizabeth herself is in much demand as an Adjudicator both at home and abroad.
In 2009 Elizabeth adjudicated in Sri Lanka and in 2010 she spent a month at the 62nd Hong Kong Schools Festival where she will be returning in 2013. In September 2010 she presented a presentation for an ISM Seminar about Musicale and its role in the community and in October 2010 she was invited to undertake some teaching and performing work at the Conservatoire in Nairobi. Elizabeth is also a full member of the ISM, a committee member of the Hitchin Festival of the Arts and in any spare time that exists enjoys cookery and literature. One of her latest projects is helping to support both pupils and teachers at the Conservatoire in Nairobi where she herself performed and directed some schools’ workshops in October 2010 and where she hopes to return in 2012. Elizabeth is very much looking forward to adjudicating in Northern Ireland for the first time and wishes everyone well in their preparations.
Traditional Music Adjudicator –
Barry Burgess MA BMus DipEd DASE PGCUT FHEA
Barry Burgess has recently retired from the University of Ulster where he was Associate Head of School of Education, Senior Lecturer in Music Education and co-ordinator of Initial Teacher Education.
A teacher in secondary and grammar schools for 22 years, he has been in univer-sity education since 1990, firstly in the music department at Jordanstown, where he devel-oped a module on Irish traditional music for the B.Mus degree course, and latterly in the School of Education at Coleraine. He was a member of the ministerial working group set up by the Department of Education to write the Proposals for Music in the Northern Ireland Curriculum and has held university external examinerships in Belfast, Limerick, Cork, Plymouth, Scotland and Dublin.
He has had a long term commitment to Irish music in the educational curriculum in Northern Ireland since his time as a research fellow at Magee College, in 1975 pro-ducing materials for Irish Traditional music in primary school called ‘Bua an Cheoil’. He contributed to the 1996 and 2003 Crossroads Conferences (Crosbhealach an Cheoil) with papers on ‘Irish Music in Education – a Northern Ireland Perspective’ and ‘Back to the Future – Traditional Music in a 21st Century Curriculum’.
Barry has broad musical tastes and interests. He is a performer, composer, musical director of many choral societies and plays the clarinet, whistle, recorders, piano and electric bass.
Signed Choirs Adjudicator –
Paul Whittaker
In the early 1980s Paul applied to Durham University to read music. Unfortunately, because of his deafness, he was turned down. Over two years Paul was turned down by twelve universities purely because of his deafness. In October 1983 he was accepted by Wadham College, Oxford to read music. After Oxford Paul studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and then set up Music and the Deaf in 1988 from his Mum and Dad’s attic. Today Paul provides signed performances, workshops, talks and key-note speeches across the UK and in Europe.
