News

MA Voice Pedagogy student raises over £2,000 for local hospital charity

Saturday 8th July 2023

We are very proud to report that choir leader and current MA Voice Pedagogy student Sarah Summers recently raised £2,002 for her local hospital's charity, Brighter Futures, through the ‘Sing Out for a Brighter Future' fundraiser event in Swindon, Wiltshire.

The 12-hour fundraiser featured no fewer than 24 choirs, four of which were conducted by Sarah herself. The choirs included a church choir, a male voice choir and a choir for adults with disabilities, and each performed for a 30-minute slot. Sarah’s event is the biggest for local choirs in Swindon and really helps to bring local choirs together in a supportive way. Refreshments were organised by Sarah’s NHS choir, while delicious cakes were donated by singers from all choirs attending the event.

The amount raised tops last year’s total of £1,667 for the same appeal and will go towards a CT scanner for the hospital's new Radiotherapy Centre that will prevent cancer patients having to travel to other hospitals outside of the locality. Sarah is currently looking into ways to extend the event for future years.

Congratulations, Sarah!

Sarah is featured here conducting a church choir.

Sarah Summers

Sarah Summers is a choir leader and Vocal Health First Aider based in Swindon.  As a leader of community choirs, her work is largely informed by her training in Vocal Health.


Recent Posts

After The Session

After The Session: Thinking Outside the Voice Box: Adolescent Female Voice Change

Voice Study Centre
Thursday 15th October 2026

In our recent short course, Thinking Outside the Voice Box: Adolescent Female Voice Change, Dr Bridget Sweet-Manternach explored how voice teachers can better understand and support singers experiencing the changes of adolescence. Adolescence is a period of significant physical, psychological and emotional development. However, voice change is not always straightforward, and the experiences of singers whose voices are often overlooked in traditional discussions of puberty deserve greater attention.

Read More...
Student Interviews

Before We Change: Practicing Presence in Vocal Transformation

Voice Study Centre
Wednesday 14th October 2026

Just because we can change a singer’s voice doesn’t necessarily mean we should. For Voice Study Centre MA student Chris Harbison Borgelt, meaningful voice teaching begins with a different question: who is the change really for?

Read More...
After The Session

After the Session: Musical Theatre Singing Pedagogy with Amanda Flynn

Voice Study Centre
Wednesday 14th October 2026

What makes musical theatre singing different from other forms of vocal performance? And how can teachers help singers develop the flexibility, efficiency and stylistic versatility needed for a demanding professional career?

Read More...