Page 7 - LUDLOW TOWER JAN 22 (WEBSITE)
P. 7
INTRODUCING ...
Last month we introduced five members
of the team of talented individuals
responsible for the Arts@StLaurence
programme of concerts, recitals and arts
events in St Laurence’s. Here we meet
the other three members. You will find
an outline of the Arts programme for
the first half of 2022 on page 36.
Jane Allsopp, a founder member of
Arts@StLaurence, has recently re-
joined the team to take sole
responsibility for the organ recital Back LtoR : Peter Nield, Alistair Barton, Ewart Carson
programme, while helping out in other Front LtoR: Mike Coulson , Lyn Jones, Val Hardwick
areas. She was brought up in a rural Inset: Jane Allsopp, Michael Oakley
corner of Corvedale and has known countryside, the Housman Society and
Ludlow all her life. She studied music at music and she is curiously
university, playing the clarinet and piano, knowledgeable about Alfred the Great.
but was always more interested in
organising concerts, and listening to the Michael Oakley came to the
music, than in playing. As a student Arts@StLaurence team as the new
volunteer at St Chad’s RC Cathedral she Director of Music in autumn 2019, not
was invited to help out at the Edington long before Arts events at St Laurence’s
Music Festival in Wiltshire and ended up ground to a halt so he has been very
working there full-time for 7 years, pleased to see their return in 2021,
before going back to Birmingham first as launching a new musical venture in the
the city’s Arts Liaison Officer and later form of informal Chancel concerts, with
as the first administrator at the new plans to establish a small string
Symphony Hall, where her future ensemble in 2022. Michael has three
husband, Tom, was the CEO. Together degrees from London (music and
they moved back to Corvedale and later history, historical musicology and
into Ludlow where they were very theology) and taught at Berkhamsted
active with the Ludlow Festival. When School before moving to Worth Abbey
that closed Jane was instrumental, with in West Sussex where he was Director
Ewart, Lyn, Val and organist/director of of Music for 26 years. He was lured out
music Shaun Ward, in developing the use of retirement by the ‘ancient,
of St Laurence’s for non-religious extensive, unique musical history’ of
purposes, refurbishing the Snetzler St Laurence’s, the splendid Snetzler
organ, introducing the organ recitals and organ and the prospect of working with
launching Arts@StLaurence. Jane’s a strong musical team not only in the
leisure interests are gardens, the (Continued on p9)
7
