To celebrate 30 years of musical excellence, we are shining the spotlight on the people at the heart of our work with two special concerts.
Here in our home in the North East, Samling Academy Singers invite you to a glittering cabaret in Sage Two at The Glasshouse. This semi-staged concert of words and music takes the glamour of Gatsby’s parties, Venetian carnivals and moonlit nights in Paris as its inspiration. Rehearsals have just started under the direction of Samling Artists Miranda Wright and music director and pianist Sid Ramchander, and we’ll be joined by some very special guests.
Our friends in the South will be able to share our celebrations at Wigmore Hall on Friday 6 November for ‘Serenade: To Music’. For the first time, our annual showcase brings together musicians from our two core programmes. Samling Artists soprano Nardus Williams, mezzo-soprano Cláudia Ribas, baritone Felix Gygli, pianists Jonathan Ware and Alfred Fardell will be joined on stage by four recent and current singers from Samling Academy. Together they will celebrate the art of music and its power to change lives.
But before that, we are looking forward to being back at Marchmont House in high summer with our Artist Programme when we will be welcoming eight new singers and pianists. The week will be led by the Italian soprano Barbara Frittoli, pianist Roger Vignoles and the actor James Garnon. Do join us for an afternoon of musical discovery on Saturday 1 August at our ever-popular public masterclass, with tea and homemade cakes in the gardens during the interval.
The Artist Programme is of course the engine that drives everything we do, launching stars since the charity was founded in 1996. Highlights of this year’s achievements include our new patron Louise Alder winning the Singer Award at the RPS Awards; Hector Bloggs and Eyra Norman winning the First Prize and Song Prize at the recent Ferrier Awards and the news that Nicky Spence will lead the celebrations at the Last Night of the Proms.
We continue to inspire the next generation of singers through our work in state secondary schools in the North East. The impact of these programmes can be seen in our intake for Samling Academy: almost half of our 2026/27 cohort have come to us from schools we have visited over the last three years, including students from our Singing Schools in Egglescliffe, Hexham and Morpeth.
All this is possible because of people like you: individuals who share our passionate belief in giving opportunities to young people from all backgrounds to nurture their talent and inspire excellence.
Please help us to continue this work by donating to our 30th anniversary appeal.
Making a Difference
Nicky Spence OBE became a Samling Artist in 2005, after a week led by soprano Isobel Buchanan, actors Barbara Leigh-Hunt and Richard Pasco and vocal consultant Paul Farrington. Since then, his career has taken him to opera stages across the world, including Covent Garden and the New York Met and to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall for Last Night of the Proms. We asked him what being a Samling Artist means to him:
‘Samling was a turning point in my development as a singer. The intensive coaching, space to be curious in safety, a storytelling focus, and inspiring artists gave me tools I still use daily. Just as importantly, I made friends and colleagues for life – an experience that was as joyful as it was transformative.’
Please help give today’s young artists the same start as Nicky by donating to our 30th anniversary appeal. If everyone who reads this supports us, we will soon meet our target of £30,000 which will be matched by a generous donor.
Main image: Samling Artist Eyra Norman with Adrian Lester, Samling Artist Programme. Photo: Mark Pinder
