On Friday 23 May, Loughborough High School held a special picnic in Queen’s Park to celebrate 100 years of Houses and 175 years of LHS.
Pupils and staff enjoyed music, food and games, and listened to the School Hymn played on the Carillon Tower by Caroline Sharpe (LHS 1997), as well as the unofficial School song, The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way”.
‘I hail from Loughborough, the youngest of 4 ‘Sharpe’ siblings and the daughter of well-known and formidable elocution teacher, “Mrs Sharpe” – all alumni of Loughborough Schools Foundation.
Music always featured prominently in my life (I am told my first words were sung, “row, row, row”). I started off on the piano and dabbled in both clarinet and classical guitar, before settling on singing. I spent many years singing in the Loughborough High School choirs which gave me my first taste of Fauré’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria, pieces which I love and have sung many times since. I could regularly be found loitering around the music department at lunchtimes and have great memories of Friday afternoon GCSE music lessons with Miss Weaver. One of the highlights of my school year was singing in the four Carol Services every December; once the lyrics of Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring have been drilled into the brain in Upper III, you never forget.
I didn’t aspire for a career in music but, after studying accountancy and social sciences at university, it was clear that music would be the thing that dominated my life. Therefore, in my late 20s, I took up a place at Birmingham conservatoire for three years to study vocal performance. I was coached by some of the world’s top singers and repetiteurs, singing in (and occasionally winning) competitions, and performing roles such as Pamina in the Magic Flute, Musetta in la Boheme and my personal favourite, Nero in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea in which I bore a startling resemblance to my father!
In 2000 I began training for the role of Borough Carillonneur under the guidance of Peter Shepherd. Most Loughburians have a fascination for the iconic Loughborough carillon, and I was no exception. I was lucky enough to have my first experience of playing it when I was just 8 or 9 years old when my mother took me to see it as part of a school project about the town. Peter Shepherd was Borough Carillonneur at that time and, as chance would have it, also my piano teacher who happened to be giving a recital during my visit. After we’d climbed the 90 steps to the clavier room, he allowed me to play a tune on the 47 bell instrument, not imagining that a decade on he would spend 6 years training me in the art of all things carillon before he retired. Playing a carillon is a little bit like playing an organ in that the feet as well as hands are involved, but the keys, known as batons, are rather larger than on a traditional keyboard instrument and usually a closed fist is used rather than fingers. There are only 15 carillons in the UK – most of which I have played – and probably no greater number of carillonneurs, so this something I consider to be a real privilege.
Occasionally you might catch me singing. I perform as part of an operatic quartet who have performed internationally and can regularly be found giving concerts in the Midlands, and I also sing in an ensemble with trumpet and organ called Sounds of Splendour. When I’m not performing opera I sing with Chris Hill Jazz, most likely to be seen lurking around Methodist churches in the area.
More often though, you will see me with my back to the audience as I conduct choirs. I’ve been directing choirs since 2005 and now, as the current leader of seven choirs – boasting several of my former LHS teachers as members – and a ‘singing for well-being group’, it has become my full-time job.
Home is an 87 year old historic narrowboat, Beaulieu, where I reside with my piano and my husband (in that order). And after all that, you may be interested to read that I have a phobia of bells and heights; I don’t like bridges that span water; and my preferred leisure time listening is Radio 4 because there’s no music!’
– Caroline Sharpe (LHS 1997)
