Cathy Bell

Voice Type :
Soprano

CATHY BELL was a choral exhibitioner at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she read English and took an MPhil in Medieval Literature.

While at Cambridge she gave several recitals, and oratorio work included Bach’s Advent Cantata, Handel’s Ode on the Birthday of Queen Anne, Mozart’s Mass in C minor and Fauré’s Requiem. She also sang the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Magic Flute and First Niece in Britten’s Peter Grimes, both for Cambridge University Opera Society.

Since moving to Oxford in September 2004 Cathy has been singing as much as possible alongside her job as a PA/fundraiser for a local charity. In November 2004 she contributed to a concert of Lullabies at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, in aid of the Bishop Simeon Trust. In Oxford Cathy has sung with the church choirs of St Mary Magdalen and St Mary’s, as well as The Arcadian Singers and Commotio; she has also worked with The Sixteen.

For New Chamber Opera she has sung Chorus and First Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and Chorus and Shepherdess in Blow’s Venus and Adonis – both performances including a masterclass with Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

In October 2005 she gave a recital of 20th century English song in New College Chapel for the New Chamber Opera recital series, and she has recently participated in masterclasses with Robin Bowman and Sarah Walker as part of the 2005 Oxford Lieder Festival.

Cathy learns singing with Fiona Dobie, and hopes to continue her studies at music college next year.