So many people helped me to create this new website, with the brand new Songs and Arrangements shop, and I want to thank each and every one of you.
Literally hundreds of you helped by supporting the Crowdfunder appeal, and others donated money to the project after the appeal had finished, either directly or by allowing me to keep money you’d paid for workshops that had to be cancelled. Others of you gave your time and expertise, helping me to put together the appeal or to make the project itself happen. As I’ve been gathering the names together, I have been overwhelmed, all over again, at the incredible generosity of so many people at an already difficult time! I’ve also been terrified of missing out any names… and that’s part of the reason that it’s taken me months to put this list together! Finally I need to get the job done so please, if you find that your name is missing, or if you’d prefer your name to be removed, let me know and I’ll sort it out straight away. So, roughly in the order that help was received, THANK YOU to:
SUPPORTERS:
Judith & Stephen Bennett, Róisín Rafferty, Feroza Bartlett, C Gayle Carlton, Janice Burns, Ann Readman, Nicky Duirs, Marlyn Richmond, Lindy Fretwell, Sheila Seal, Gill Plant, Janna Welsby, Diana Horrocks, Justin & Frances McDonnell, Denise Newton, Maggie Hyde, Helen Milner, Clare Elleray Mee, Bob & Kate Shaw, Kate Goodrich, Jenny Osborne, Sue Hughes, Jacqueline Porter, Clare Scott, Ged Cooper, Vicky Lucas, Liz Howard, Linda Baldwin, Frank & Julia Holland, Julia Dickmann, Kathy Brown, Nat West Bank’s: Back Her Business Fund, Pauline Whitehead, Rose Hodgson, Jeff Edwards, Dana Chambers, Joyce Wallis, Anthea Lawrence, Anne Bancroft, Vanessa Mitchell, Mary Fuller, Violet Cairns, Michelle Walmsley, Gloria Williams, Margaret Jull Costa, Iain & Ann Williamson, Janet Mitchell, Judy Blagden, Caz Brader, Felicity Joanna O’Brien, Barbara Woodyatt, Lia Menasce, Joan Slattery, Mike Slattery, Marian & Charles Mackay, Virginia Bazley, Anita Ward, Avril Clarke, Barbara Forshaw, Abi Berger, Diane Adderley, Sue Westwood, Carrie Morrow, Val Worcester, Vicky Liddal, Gwen Crawford, Ann Wishart, Hannah Berry, Gwyn Jones, Susan Friend, Lucy Rowntree, Willow & Rowan Songsmith, Sue Harris, Jean Jones, Susan Jackson, Sheila Vellacott, Val Halward, Jan Austin, Jane, Mig Kerr, Liz Rider, Catherine Scott, Mary Hudson, Sue Nicholson, Jane Gatrell, Carol Harrison, Carol Hughes-Hallett, Mike Huxham, Steve Murnaghan, Eleanor Hill, Sally Hinde, Pat Pollard, Lesley Mitchell, Beth Allen, Franki Gifts, Colette McCormack, Irene Codd, Margaret Seaby, Miranda Janie, Robin Cooney & Sue Fletcher, Julie Gorrie, Sue Devine, Elaine Hayton, Kate Bird, Cheryl Davies, Sheila McIntyre, Angela & Paul Dewey, Moira Hill, Maria Pak, Kim O’Hare, Anne Whittock, Alison & Lorna Heap, Deborah Blowers, Carmel Cahill, Sara Brown, June Ford-Crush, Ann Graham, Anne Verdon, Grace Bennett, Hanna Lawrence, Anna Charles-Jones, Su Lewis, Helen Davies, Lynn Stokes, Alan McDonald, Teresa Verney, Alasdair Wylie, Kathy Watson, Alex Bennett, Bethany Marsh, Margaret Biddle and John Hughes, Yvonne Crabtree, Barbara Gardner, Pete Massheder, Linda Keane, Shona Ward, Anne Guy, Alexandra Haverman, Anna Szuminska, Sheila Morris, Tom Harris, Tina Winterbottom, Peter & Nicolette Scourse, John & Carrie Aldam, Mari Saeki, Jo & Paul Richler, Carol Harrison, Hazel Noon, Sharon Howe, Joan Lindeman, Barbara Williams, Julia Wickett, Nick Dearden & Andrew Moorhouse, Mary White, Bron & Rob Hunter, Emma Carray, Janine Dawn Parrack, Jessica Pearson, Jemima Lawrence, Susanna Lawrence, Di Hennell, Julia Dickmann, Karen Tredwell, Claire Knight, Liz Callum, Karen Kime, Patricia Scott, Bernadette Brittain, Ali Crowther, Jo Haughton, Debbie Riviere, Jane Garner, Jayne Birkett, Jo Stanley, Gaynor Rhodes, Becca Louden, Helen Ramsay, Sarah Waterhouse, Jane Barwise, Lucy Axton, Donna Sidonio, Barbara Hamilton, Gill Ruffles, Helen Watts, Janet Tye, Mary Bass, Laurence & Rachel Milne, Louis Gibb, Lisa Clare, Annie Cubbin, Chris Samuel, Poddy Peerman, Thomas Heath, Lyn Frew, Elaine Bishop, Jennifer Avis, Yvonne Knight-Gregson, Mary Gifford, Sue Dixon, Denise & John Monks, Stella Hurley & Ron Brown, Eddie Malloy, Jai, Lynda Brough, Fliss Anderson, Janet Reynolds, Jill Pimblett, Lilian Pons & Liz Saxby, Monica Allfrey, Sue Sandifer, Jan Pernetta, Judy Knowles, Joan Francis, Karin Hofermann, Leighton McMurtrie, Carol Vaughan Smith, Brian Davies, Keely Hodgson, Christine Burgess, Patricia Melluish, Jill Turner, Frances Bernstein, Theres Fickl, Nicky Johnson, Jane Edwardson, Suan Marston, Jan Turner, Maggie O’Donnell, Margaret Jill Richardson, Rachael Wadey, Christina Damerell, Vivien Claire Stableford, Mary Allcock, Claire Entwistle, Jane Lewis, Victoria Stead, Tracey Jones, Fiona Funnell, Gloria Venning, Julie Marshall, Mary Thompson, Kate Barfield, Celia Hart, Rebecca Woolfenden, Linda Holt, Simon Taylor, Anne Keating, Pauline Dooley, Elizabeth Hooper, Jenny Goodman, Margaret Hunt, Ken Curphey, Mary Mckeone, Moira Healy Jill Audibert & Ron Birrell, Trudy King, Yvonne Hosker, Christine Coen, Barbara Reid, Sue Craig, Ruth O’Kelly, Anna Avery, Anni Tracy, Helen Thorn, Christopher Ward, Heidi Baker, Pushka Dalewood, Charlie Moritz, Catherine Keeler, Alison Perkins, Jennifer Brightman, P Jane Lawrence, Sharon Courtney, Danielle Lowy, Veronica Matthew, Liz Harris, Karen Brown, Andrew Gibbs, Alison Pick, Annelie Leinhos, Ian May, Carol Gibson, Charlotte Stevens, Sue Sykes, Jocelyn Thorndike, Marion Beagan, Catherine Heaton, Tina Tamsho Thomas, Estelle Kensdale, Ali Burns, Liz O’Neil, Denise Harper, Jo Thulborn, Celia Akers, Robbie Duncan, June Elliot Bailey, Kris Neilson, Ruth Passey, Meg Spreckley, Sandra Shand, Katherine Watson, June Thomas, Chris Aspinall, Ann Verdon, Sarah Abernethie, Jan Bartholomew, Jane Bartholomew, Georgina Brown, Phillipa Brown, Lynda Callaghan, Helen Crowder, Gemma Edwards, Kate Firth, Catherine Franks, Liz Garton, Rose Griffiths, Jules Gibb, Jane Jones, Judy Leader, Cressida Miles, Ruth Wheatman, Alanna Pritchard, Bryonny Pritchard, Chloe Pritchard, Jeff Shapland, Ray Tonks, Lizzie / Noelle Wylie, Jennifer Laycock, Judith Roberts, Nancy Cass, Helen Hyde, Justin Hellings, members of Manchester Larks and Shylarks… and, of course, Audrey.
Naturally, the best way to thank you is in a song… see Blue Mood below!
There are a few key people who I want to mention for their specific roles in this project:
DESIGN BY DAY was the excellent company that designed and created this wonderful website. I couldn’t have asked for a better team, and I’d particularly like to thank: Angela Roche, Sami Mellor, Jonathan Buschenfeld and John Ossoway.
HELEN HYDE has created all the lovely logos and icons right from the beginning of Singing for Larks. I’m so glad she’s still involved, all these years later, and she continues to develop the Singing for Larks look, including the splendid illustration on the Home Page of the website.
Also…
ALAN LOWLES
I’ve been trying to create teaching materials of my songs and arrangements for years but it was only when I approached Alan at Airtight Studios that the project finally felt ‘doable’. I’d met Alan when recording CDs with The Lovenotes and, as soon as I mentioned my idea for creating these teaching resources, Alan’s clear, practical response made me feel this was something I could finally attempt!
I recorded the first few songs with Alan… then he decided to go off travelling around the world in a van! Fortunately, his van was equiped with a full sound editing suite so he was able to continue editing my songs wherever he was – lucky Alan!!
After a brief visit back to England (with me packing in as many recording days as I could), Alan emmigrated to Italy (gorgeous!) from where he continues to edit and master my recordings, create all the different audio mixes and scores and advise me on many technical and musical questions.
This photo was taken at Airtight studios, before Alan rudely took off.
JOE MEEKUMS
Joe stepped up to carry on with the recordings once Alan left. Fortunately, we’ve been able to carry on throughout much (though not all) of the pandemic, as Joe’s in one studio, editing, while I record in the room nextdoor.
Over the months, he’s learnt many of my singing foibles… the fact that I can’t sing the word ‘and’ in tune, being particularly significant in ‘Winter Wonderland‘!!! He does the initial tidying up of tuning and rhythm (oh, did you think that what you hear is exactly what I sang?? I wish!!) then it all gets sent off to Alan in Italy.
CLARE ELLERAY-MEE
It’s one thing having an idea… it’s another thing making it happen!!! Once I’d decided I wanted Alan to help me with the songs and Design by Day to create a new website, I needed funding. To cut a long story short, I applied for Arts Council funding and was rejected a couple of weeks before the first lockdown. When Clare contacted me soon afterwards to ask how I was managing in lockdown… she received a long and sad answer!!
A few days later she approached me with the idea of crowdfunding and, much more significantly, she offered to help me do a Crowdfunder appeal… and then she delivered on that offer!!! You can still look at the Crowdfunder Appeal page and you can watch the video of Clare’s and my story of doing the appeal.
Clare’s continued to support me throughout the (often challenging) process of creating the website and the song teaching materials and I’m finding it very hard to put into words just how grateful I am to her! We’re now firm friends for life and we have regular chats on Zoom (and occcasionally in person) …how did I ever manage without her?
This is Clare (on the right) with her lovely singing group: Pandora’s Handbag during a Covid-safe meet up (check out the clothes colour co-ordination!).
