About

About me

I have a BMus(Hons) from Royal Holloway, University of London and an MA (Voice Pedagogy) in Professional Practice. I am also a Licentiate of the Royal School of Music, in Music Direction (Choral) and have a PGCert (Vocal Pedagogy) in Applied Professional Practice. 



A large part of my MA focussed on developing a curriculum for teaching sight singing effectively, based on how we acquire musical skills, how we learn to read music and educational theory. I was chosen to present the first part of my research at the Voice Geek Conference held in Colchester in April 2019. 

In January 2020 I presented my final research project at the SMEI Conference in Dublin and was selected to present at the inaugural Spheres on Singing Conference in May 2020.

I have an enhanced DBS certificate and I have undertaken safeguarding training through a variety of organisations.

Sarah has a Level 1 Award in Awareness of First Aid for Mental Health, a Level 3 Award in Supervising First Aid for Mental Health, and has just completed her Vocal Health First Aid Champion Training through Vocal Health Education, a not-for-profit company founded by Jenevora Williams and Stephen King.

Experience and expertise

I currently direct four choirs in the Royal College of Music Junior Department. Three are upper voice choirs: Treble Choir (girls and boys, ages 10-13), Concert Girls’ Choir (ages 13-16), Girls’ Choir (ages 16-18), and one is a mixed voice choir: Senior Choir (ages 16-19). As a singing teacher, I have experience of working with children aged 7 to 18, as well as with adults. I have taught in a range of schools in both the state and independent sectors and I also have a private practice.  

I have deputised on occasion in the Junior department of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. I currently work with the choristers at Peterborough Cathedral, individually and in small groups, mainly with the Probationers and in 2019 I set up and ran the pre-Probationer training. I also teach at Edgeborough, a mixed Prep school where I teach individual lessons and conduct the junior choir.

As a choral director, I have worked regularly with choirs in primary schools, as well as running class and year group singing sessions, and with children’s and youth choirs. I was previously the Director of the Farnham Youth Choir Training Choir, and Vocal Coach to the main choir. I also accompanied the Spelthorne Young Voices Training Choir and directed them for a term when their director was covering a sabbatical.

I currently direct in the Royal College of Music Junior Department, including a choir for treble voices for children aged 10-13, two girls’ choirs – the Girls’ Choir and the Concert Girls’ Choir – and a mixed voice Senior Choir comprised mainly of 16-19 year olds. This year I have also taught Intermediate Musicianship and run a class called Musicianship for Singers.  

I am Assistant Music Director of Wimbledon Choral Society which I work with regularly both as a whole choir and taking sectionals, and I am also Assistant Music Director of Leatherhead Choral Society who I work with a few times a year. Choirs I have worked with as Deputy/stand-in Music Director include Holmbury Choral, St Alban’s Choral Society, London Welsh Chorale, Reading Festival Chorus and Henley Youth Choir.

I also have experience of working with church choirs with junior and adult choristers, and a number of choral societies ranging in size from around 30 members to more than 200.

Aside from taking weekly choir rehearsals, I have led a number of singing days and workshops with both children and adults. The repertoire covered in these has ranged from Haydn’s The Creation to Horowitz’s Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo. I have worked with office choirs and have used repertoire with these choirs that would work well in community singing outreach projects.

For several years, I ran a residential singing week on Lindisfarne on behalf of the Marygate Singers. The week was open to singers from across the UK, and we worked on music for church services, before singing at services at the end of the week.

I am used to working with large groups of children in choirs and I have experience of teaching classroom music with children in Years 5 and 6 in state primary schools and in Years 3 to 11 in state schools for children with a variety of additional needs.  

Qualifications, development and memberships

MA in Professional Practice (Voice Pedagogy)



PGCert in Applied Professional Practice (Vocal Pedagogy) from Cardiff Met University (Awarded a Distinction)



BMus(Hons) from Royal Holloway, University of London



LRSM in Music Direction (Choral)



Member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians



Member of the Association of Teachers of Singing



Level 1 Award in Awareness of First Aid for Mental Health



Level 3 Award in Supervising First Aid for Mental Health 



Vocal Health First Aid Champion Training through Vocal Health Education (a not-for-profit company founded by Jenevora Williams and Stephen King).



I have also undertaken a number of other courses include Estill Levels 1 and 2, and Classical Voice Training. All of these have included studies in vocal anatomy and physiology which have enabled me to help singers develop an efficient and healthy vocal technique. I have participated in a number of advanced choral conducting courses with the Association of British Choral Directors and Sing for Pleasure. 

Sarah's easy and fun manner made the singing week a real pleasure to attend. Her choice of music and informative teaching style brought out the best in the group and left us " concert ready" for our performance in the church. 



Juliet Marsh. Marygate Singers, Lindisfarne.

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