Continuing the series profiling this year’s Music Scholars. This week, mezzo-sopano Olivia Potter.
I have always loved singing; apparently, when I was very little, I would make up songs on long car journeys that lasted for hours (sorry mum!). Yet, when the time came for me to chose an instrument to learn at the age of ten, I chose the drum kit, having been inspired by my dad, who was a keen drummer himself.
It was only when I moved to secondary school that my passion for singing really took off. St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has a rich musical life and the number of music ensembles was extensive. At the school, I was involved in three choirs and three wind bands, performing in local venues such as the Royal Hall and Leeds Town Hall. I was also lucky enough to sing a solo in Ripon Cathedral. I started singing lessons in year 8, achieving grade 7 singing by the end of sixth-form (and somehow managing to pass grade 5 theory along the way, albeit with much help from my sister’s flute teacher who, with a great deal of patience, taught transposition, intervals and cadences to a girl who couldn’t really read music).
It was the school’s sixth-form Chamber Choir that allowed me to reach new heights in my singing abilities. It was an auditioned choir, made up of around 60 year 12 and 13 students. It had won the Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year award in 2006 and had been in the final of that competition another three times. It was a privilege being in a choir that produced such a high standard of singing. Perhaps the highlights of my time there was singing Eric Whitacre’s Sleep at the Music For Youth School’s Prom in the Royal Albert Hall and performing in Westminster Abbey, singing an arrangement of King of Kings, Majesty. Our repertoire was challenging, but it allowed me to grow in confidence, so when the time came for me to decide where I would like to go to university, I was drawn to the music opportunities here at Kent.
Getting into the Chamber Choir was an honor. I really enjoy being a part of Chorus and the Cecilian Choir as well. I love singing with such lovely and talented people. The Music Department is so supportive and passionate, and the new music building is fantastic. It’s wonderful that so much music making is encouraged at a university with no music degree course, making it accessible to anyone who just loves music. For this reason, I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of it.
Olivia Potter
See all the other features in this series here.
The week-long events programme opens in rousing style with music for brass and percussion at lunchtime on Monday 3 June, and continues throughout the week with a recital from some of the Music Scholars; a day of jazz, culminating in the annual bun-fest that is the Big Band Gala with special guests; string music is the theme on Thursday, including the String Sinfonia; Friday celebrates choral music with a lunchtime of a cappella vocal music, whilst the University Chamber and Cecilian Choirs come together in the evening concert; and the whole week, nay, the whole musical year, reaches its climax on the Sunday, in a combined afternoon concert with the University Chorus, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band and Chamber Choir.
Find out all that’s happening that week, including many free events, on the website 
Designed by Tim Ronalds Architects, our music building and its facilities have revolutionised the University’s extra-curricular musical provision, and helped the musical life of the University rise to new levels, with students, staff and members of the local community combining to make music in this exceptional space.
JB: I’m the Musical Director for Rent which means I work with the band, preparing and perfecting the vast accompanying music for the show and come performance time, conduct and play the keyboard. I rehearse the band twice a week, and also work closely with our brilliant vocal director, Steph, and awesome director, Alick, in ensuring amendments in the music and the cues are noted. Now at this later stage, we’re working on bringing the band and the cast together, so the cast can get used to the music, and the band used to the singing.
