Charlotte Jackson began her singing career as a member of the world renowned girls’ choir, Cantamus, under the tutelage of Pamela Cook. Subsequently she studied voice at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, England with Caroline Crawshaw and at the Guildhall School of Music, London with Arthur Reckless.
Over the years Charlotte has had the pleasure of teaching many young people for local, national and international institutions such as Lancaster University, St Martin’s College, Lancaster, the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and the Musical Society of Nigeria. In Nigeria Charlotte taught, gave a singing masterclass and song recital. She currently teaches at a private school, Sedbergh School, and maintains a private practice.
Four vocal students are presently studying at English conservatoires of music, (Royal Northern College of Music and Birmingham Conservatoire).
As a soprano Charlotte’s first love is oratorio and song and over the years she has sung for many Choral and Music Societies. She has been able to pursue her love of new music premiering works such as ‘To Honour Our Lady’ by Adrian Self (Cartmel Priory), to pursue her love of song, especially English Song, by giving recitals as far afield as Nigeria for the Musical Society of Nigeria, and oratorio with such groups as the London Festival Orchestra with Ross Pople. Recent and future engagements include Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light – A Requiem, and Handel’s Messiah.
Charlotte is a CREAR Scholar, being one of only seven participants in a week’s Masterclass with international accompanist and teacher Malcolm Martineau in January 2010. She will give a recital with him in Wales later in 2011, as well as a recital with fellow soprano Dawn Frederick in Washington DC.
Continuing voice lessons are with Caroline Crawshaw and French Song coaching with Christopher Underwood of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. As well as recently observing opera scenes in rehearsal, Charlotte observed classes in performance, auditioning, French Song and Lieder at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Charlotte enjoys concert going and has lately been able to see Renée Fleming in concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; The Turn of the Screw, Britten, English National Opera; Joan Rogers recital and masterclass and Mahler Rückert Lieder sung by Jane Irwin with the Northern Sinfonia.
Her desire to share her passion for singing inspired her to establish Amabile Girls’ Choir in 1996. One choir of Charlotte’s own singing students developed into four choirs, for girls aged four years to women. Charlotte was also the Artistic Director of Amabile Choirs. Members from the age of eight have group voice lessons and from the age of thirteen have individual lessons with Amabile staff.
Charlotte directed the girls aged 13 to 18 in Amabile Girls’ Choir, which enjoyed national and international success. The pinnacle of this success occurred in November 2006, when it won the BBC Radio 3 Youth Choir of the Year, with 134 out of 135 marks. At the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod 2002, Amabile won the Senior Children’s Choir class, with a total of 194 marks out of 200, and in April 2006 the choir took part in a European Musical Festival for Youngsters in Neerpelt, Belgium, where it was awarded a first prize. In March 2005, Amabile’s outstanding contribution to the civic life of Kendal, its home town in the English Lake District, was formally recognised when it received the Alfred Wainwright Memorial Award.
Charlotte has now relinquished her position with Amabile.
Through Amabile Charlotte had the privilege of working with some of Britain’s finest vocal and choral experts including Paul Farrington, Pamela Cook, Bob Chilcott, Christopher Bell, Mike Brewer, and David Lawrence. Her work with the choir has also given her the opportunity to conduct on the stages of some of the country’s finest concert venues; Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Sage Gateshead, Bridgewater Hall Manchester and Cardiff Millennium Centre. International conducting includes the stage of the National Theatre of Northern Greece and in the National Cathedral, Washington DC. Charlotte has been the musical director for a Songs of Praise programme for the BBC.
In spring 2010 Charlotte was invited by Christopher Bell to direct the inaugural NYCoS National Girls Choir Training Group and in September 2010 became Musical Director of the NYCoS Dumfries Choir. In February 2011 she spent a weekend working with the NYCoS Training Choir. Other choral work is free-lance with choral consultancy in the USA as well as at home.
Adjudication includes twice judging the final of the Keldwyth Award; the premier award for advanced young musicians in the county of Cumbria, England.
Charlotte’s graduate study was in Music Therapy. She was awarded an additional internship at Norristown State Hospital, Pennsylvania.
Membership of professional organisations: Association of British Choral Directors, American Choral Directors Association and the Incorporated Society of Musicians.