Brenda Rattray

Brenda Rattray is an inspirational facilitator who can instil confidence in budding singers and remove inhibitions from those who consider themselves unable to sing. She also challenges and stimulates more confident singers with unconventional methods and ideas. Brenda has worked extensively in all areas of the community including primary, secondary and special schools, prisons (from Brixton to Bandu Bandu in Australia), mental institutions, with travellers, universities and with detainees. She has also worked for the English National Opera, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and with orchestras including the London Philharmonic, the BBC Concert and Symphony Orchestras.

She has worked internationally both as a performer and workshop leader with communities in Australia, Ireland, Israel, East Africa, Germany, Finland at the Klemetti (Oruvesi) Institute, in Italy and more recently in townships in Cape Town, South Africa where she ran expressive workshops and helped to organise a concert involving seven township schools.

Brenda has been commissioned by the BBC to compose and arrange pieces linked to their Africa celebrations; these pieces were recorded and performed by the BBC Symphony Chorus, Symphony Orchestra and children from the Hammersmith and Fulham Choir. She has also toured with the BBC Concert Orchestra as part of their ‘Making Tracks’ project, bringing a live musical experience to thousands of children around the UK. Brenda is the composer of ‘The smile behind the eyes’ from Youth Music’s Singbook and is also a poet and an artist.