Biography
Helen’s family is from Cork in Southern Ireland. She grew up in London and at seventeen won a scholarship to study piano and singing at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, her piano studies were with Brigitte Wilde, a protégée of Claudio Arrau. She first began composing for plays and her skills were developed writing in different musical genres. Early work includes the musical ‘Getting Through’ which won the British Drama Award for best show for young people. She was composer and musical director for this show which toured the UK and internationally. Her jazz piano suite ‘Birds of Paradise and Prey’ was choreographed for Dance Advance at the Royal Ballet, performed at The Place and Adeline Genet Theatre.
From 1988 -1990 Helen was composer/MD for 5 productions at RADA ‘Oedipus Rex’, ‘Electra’, Cloud Nine’, ‘Family Album’, ‘Hopeful Monsters’. Concert music includes instrumental pieces for solo piano , piano and cello and the choral elegy ‘Gethsemene’ for the Elgin Singers.
Helen was commissioned to compose the music for the critically acclaimed opera adaptation of the classic novel The Secret Garden - funded by the Arts Council. ( see opera page)
Further theatre productions as composer/MD include ‘Gaslight’ – Derby Playhouse, ‘Canto Libre’ – national tour, ‘From the Mississippi Delta’, The Young Vic and Contact Theatre Manchester, ‘Carrington’- Chichester Festival Theatre. She has written music for various productions at Quicksilver, Theatre Centre and the Unicorn Theatre for Children. She has performed as a singer/pianist soloist at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, and formed the jazz/world music band ‘Luminus’. TV work includes composing the music for the BBC series ’Edge of Life’. Helen has recorded 3 CDs ranging from multitracked soundscapes and voice CD - To the Flame and Into the Light, to intimate and evocative solo piano - CD Leo Rising.
In 2014 Helen received the first music commission from Lewes Town Council to write the words and compose the music for a work to commemorate the Battle of Lewes 1264, her work The Sword Of Freedom was premiered at Lewes Town Hall ( see The Sword of Freedom page).
She is honoured to also devise the towns official 100 year anniversary concert commemorating World War 1.
The Winter of the World includes music, poetry and archive photographs projected onto the cinema screen.
Performances 2014 and November 2018.
Helen has fulfilled a dream to create a large scale choral work. The Phoenix Cantata is a 2 hour musical odyssey for which she has written words and music.(see Cantata page). She has been invited to have the world premiere of the work at Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site in Shropshire. She is delighted to have received funding from Arts Council England to complete this ambitious work for 100 voices .
From 1988 -1990 Helen was composer/MD for 5 productions at RADA ‘Oedipus Rex’, ‘Electra’, Cloud Nine’, ‘Family Album’, ‘Hopeful Monsters’. Concert music includes instrumental pieces for solo piano , piano and cello and the choral elegy ‘Gethsemene’ for the Elgin Singers.
Helen was commissioned to compose the music for the critically acclaimed opera adaptation of the classic novel The Secret Garden - funded by the Arts Council. ( see opera page)
Further theatre productions as composer/MD include ‘Gaslight’ – Derby Playhouse, ‘Canto Libre’ – national tour, ‘From the Mississippi Delta’, The Young Vic and Contact Theatre Manchester, ‘Carrington’- Chichester Festival Theatre. She has written music for various productions at Quicksilver, Theatre Centre and the Unicorn Theatre for Children. She has performed as a singer/pianist soloist at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, and formed the jazz/world music band ‘Luminus’. TV work includes composing the music for the BBC series ’Edge of Life’. Helen has recorded 3 CDs ranging from multitracked soundscapes and voice CD - To the Flame and Into the Light, to intimate and evocative solo piano - CD Leo Rising.
In 2014 Helen received the first music commission from Lewes Town Council to write the words and compose the music for a work to commemorate the Battle of Lewes 1264, her work The Sword Of Freedom was premiered at Lewes Town Hall ( see The Sword of Freedom page).
She is honoured to also devise the towns official 100 year anniversary concert commemorating World War 1.
The Winter of the World includes music, poetry and archive photographs projected onto the cinema screen.
Performances 2014 and November 2018.
Helen has fulfilled a dream to create a large scale choral work. The Phoenix Cantata is a 2 hour musical odyssey for which she has written words and music.(see Cantata page). She has been invited to have the world premiere of the work at Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site in Shropshire. She is delighted to have received funding from Arts Council England to complete this ambitious work for 100 voices .