Choir Leaders
Julz
Julie began her career with the all-girl band Dearjon - a hardworking, original, gigging band who toured with Status Quo, playing the UK's biggest venues including Birmingham’s NEC and Wembley Arena. During this time, Dearjon recorded an album and released two singles, performing on Top of the Pops and at a series of Radio One roadshows up and down the country. They also reached 2nd place with their single, One Gift of Love, in Eurovision’s Song for Europe. In 1997, Julie signed a solo deal with Sony Music in New York and recorded her album British Racing Green with legendary producer Matt Wallace and a host of successful musicians including Mike Elizondo and Lyle Workman. She has written and co-written a variety of music (used in TV, film and radio) and has a wealth of experience - in the studio and on stage - as a lead singer and backing vocalist. Julie has led choirs for the past 8 years and brings her unique sense of humour to every rehearsal. She has enormous energy, passion and enthusiasm for people coming together to sing and says about The Soup, 'In the words of Marilyn Monroe, “My spine turns to custard – I get goose-pimply all over.”' Julie and Esther have worked together for thirteen years, written two albums worth of material and played hundreds of gigs all over the UK. |
Esther
As well as leading The Soup, Esther is a Senior Lecturer in Popular Music Performance and has been teaching at Solent University since 2009. Esther trained as a classical pianist before studying music at The Brighton Institute of Modern Music (2007) and received a Masters with Distinction in songwriting at Bath Spa University (2014). She has worked as a solo artist and session musician with artists including Rumer, Sara Coleman, Bianca Obino, Danni Nicholls, John James Newman (The Voice), Chris Manning (Fame Academy) and Stevie Rae Stephens (American Idol) and supported artists including Neneh Cherry, Nerina Pallot and Ezio, playing venues throughout the UK including the Royal Albert Hall, London’s Festival Hall, The BIC, O2 Academy and Poole Lighthouse. In 2015, Esther's university a capella choir 'Restless Symphony' -made the finals of the BBC's Naked Choir with Gareth Malone. So when we didn't see her at choir, we saw her on the telly! |
Choir Secretary
Elaine
Elaine Davey - by day a mild-mannered Quality Auditor travelling the country helping business with their processes, by night, a not-so-mild-mannered member of the Chicken Soup Choir, helping Julz and Esther to make the choir the very best that it can be.
Over the years there have been concerts, competitions and charity events that the Soup has participated in. Luckily, my background is event management and music promotion so my role - apart from just taking everyone's money off them - is to make sure that we get there, know what we are doing, look great, (sounding great is down to Julz and Esther) and get home in one piece having had a wonderful time.
I'm known as 'Clipboard Woman' and I use my trusty clipboard frequently when working with the choir (and other musicians and bands, some are even well known, but I won't name drop!) and I love it. Music is my passion and it's very important to me that whatever I do, I do it well.
OK, sometimes I get a little bossy - some might say dictatorial - but that's only because I care and I want it to not just succeed, but excel!
Elaine Davey - by day a mild-mannered Quality Auditor travelling the country helping business with their processes, by night, a not-so-mild-mannered member of the Chicken Soup Choir, helping Julz and Esther to make the choir the very best that it can be.
Over the years there have been concerts, competitions and charity events that the Soup has participated in. Luckily, my background is event management and music promotion so my role - apart from just taking everyone's money off them - is to make sure that we get there, know what we are doing, look great, (sounding great is down to Julz and Esther) and get home in one piece having had a wonderful time.
I'm known as 'Clipboard Woman' and I use my trusty clipboard frequently when working with the choir (and other musicians and bands, some are even well known, but I won't name drop!) and I love it. Music is my passion and it's very important to me that whatever I do, I do it well.
OK, sometimes I get a little bossy - some might say dictatorial - but that's only because I care and I want it to not just succeed, but excel!