Committee
Gill Phillips
Chair
Gill absolutely loves to sing! A retired primary school teacher and Valley Girl from the Land of Song (Wales), Gill has been barbershopping since 1981. Although she started out as a baritone, she moved to bass when she joined us in 2007.
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Not only is Gill an experienced singer, she also brings a wealth of administrative knowledge to the GraceNotes Committee. Over the years, she has held the roles of Chair, Vice Chair, Membership Secretary, Wardrobe Manager, Public Relations Officer and Choreographer. You name it, Gill’s done it!
Vice Chair
Kate first became interested in barbershop singing during the late ‘80s while living in Milton Keynes.
Following a move to Saltash, she joined GraceNotes as a tenor in 1994 and is the longest serving member of our chorus.
Kate Ansell
Kate has been active in several Committee roles over the years, including Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Fundraising, and Wardrobe Manager. She is also our Health, Safety and Compliance Officer, looking after the risk assessments.
As an Assistant MD, Kate works closely with Heidi and the Music Team to help the chorus achieve its musical goals, and assists in the chorus development programme. You can read more about Kate and our Music Team here.
Musical Director
Heidi joined us in 1995. Originally a tenor, she became our Assistant Musical Director in 1998, and our Musical Director in 2016.
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Heidi has a lot of strings to her bow! As well as being a busy mum of six, she's a teacher and leads school acapella and belleplate choirs. She has recently taken the helm as the Musical Director for Ocean City Sound, a male barbershop chorus.
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Heidi Walsh
Prior to joining us, Heidi sang in various choirs and vocal groups, and brings a wealth of music experience to GraceNotes.
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As our MD, Heidi's role is to decide on what songs make up our repertoire, help us to develop our performance skills and vocal technique, and turn the notes on the page into beautiful pieces of music that we love to sing and audiences love to listen to.
As a member of our committee, her role is to provide a musical perspective during our decision making process.
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You can read more about Heidi, and our Music Team, here.
Secretary
Clare is a retired secondary school teacher who has always enjoyed singing and the positive effect it has. She was part of the school staff choir, appearing in some of the schools’ musical productions and on retirement actively sought out a choir with which to continue this hobby.
Clare Gill
Treasurer
Catherine joined us in 2017 as she hadn’t had a hobby in ages! Our MD, Heidi, talked her into it whilst she was photocopying as they both work in the same school. Heidi has recruited a few of our members in a similar way!
Catherine Lewin
Catherine had played classical guitar up until the age of 18 but hadn't done anything musical since, and has really enjoyed relearning music notation. She loves the sound we make when we all sing together but does sometimes grumble about how the baritone part sounds on it’s own!
Catherine took on the role of treasurer in 2020, and loves a spreadsheet to keep track of everything!
Membership Secretary
A retired Primary School teacher, Jenn was introduced to Barbershop in 1996 by our current Chair, Gill, when she heard her singing to her class in the classroom next door. She was intrigued and being musical herself, wanted to have a go. It also helped that she was Welsh!
Jenn Southern
Jenn has been singing with GraceNotes since 2007. Despite being always have sung lead (and still being one at heart!) she has recently become a Bass convert and is enjoying discovering her lower range.
During her chorus years Jenn has been part of the Music Team as Lead Section Leader and previously took on the committee roles of Treasurer and Secretary. She joins us as Membership Secretary in 2024.
Megan Walsh
Wardrobe Manager
Megan joined us as a Tenor in 2016. Having grown up around Barbershop watching her mum compete and sing in the chorus and various quartets, music has played a massive role in Megan’s life. She has been a part of musical theatre groups, schools choirs, orchestra, plays instruments, and eventually joined Barbershop officially at the age of 18.
GraceNotes held some open rehearsals in January 2020 and with some gentle persuasion from Gill Phillips, Clare attended. She was instantly welcomed and has never looked back!
After successfully auditioning into the Lead section we promptly went into lockdown and she got to know many of the members and the repertoire via zoom. Clare always looks forward to Monday night rehearsals and live singing.
Clare joined our Committee as secretary in 2023
Social Media and
Marketing Manager
Shellie joined us in 2016 after the staff choir was disbanded at her workplace. She missed singing with others and discovered GraceNotes Acapella through Heidi, our MD, and was the first new member under Heidi's new direction.
Shellie Joynes
Being a musical theatre performer throughout her teens, barbershop was very different but Shellie was hooked immediately. Being put in the bass section was a surprise but she now wouldn't have it any other way!
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Outside of GraceNotes Shellie is a busy Head of Year Seven and Chemistry teacher at a local secondary school and sings with some of the children in the school acapella chorus. Shellie has competed in two regional quartets and would love to sing in a quartet again soon.
Shellie was GraceNotes' first Social Media and Marketing Manager and returned to the role in 2023.
Events Manager
Bio is on its way!
Jaq Kevern
Outside of GraceNotes, Megan is an Art teacher who also sings with some of the students in the school Acapella chorus, as well as supports the musical Belle Plate groups. Megan is a massive advocate for the creative subjects and can always be found either making art or making music.
Megan has already contributed to the wider chorus by producing teach tracks and supporting the Tenor section, but she felt it was time to join the committee as of 2024.