Featuring The Bean Family

Clarry Bean, Arts Centre Programming Manager, has other strings to his bow!

Music has always played a big part in the life of the Bean family. Clarry’s father was a professional trombonist in a big band in Bombay back in the ‘40s, and Christine’s father was a saxophonist and clarinettist in Scotland and in Swindon, playing with the Harry Smith Orchestra among others.

On leaving school, Clarry sang with a number of local rock bands, while Christine got involved with the Folk Choir at her local church. When they met in the late seventies, Clarry was quickly commissioned to appear in and direct the Folk Group in a religious musical, and Christine’s voice soon captivated him.

Soon after, they got involved in musical theatre through the Wyvern’s Community Drama projects, and appeared in My Fair Lady and Oliver among others. It was while appearing in the musical The Fantasticks that Clarry first encountered Sheila Harrod, Musical Director of the Kentwood Choir, who was working as voice coach on the production. Impressed with the level of knowledge Sheila had on vocal technique, Clarry signed up for a few singing lessons. Christine soon followed, and before long both had joined Sheila’s choir, and are still happily appearing with them 22 years later.

The children were used to the sound of singing in the house from early on, as both parents practised the choir repertoire. Danny quickly displayed a precocious talent from the age of three, when he joined in singing a counter-melody to his Dad in the bathroom one day! Abby was less fortunate, being unable to sing in key at all during the family singalongs in the car.

Both children eventually expressed an interest in joining the junior section of the Choir, and went on to develop their voices and confidence over the years.

Danny is now an experienced professional singer, and is about to move nearer to London and pursue further opportunities in the industry. Abby has been offered a place at Cumbria Institute Of The Arts to train in Drama and Musical Theatre.

Singing with the Kentwood Show Choir (as it’s now called) has been a great experience, and has enabled the family to sing in Salisbury Cathedral, the Royal Albert Hall, The Grosvenor Hotel in London, Wells Cathedral, Guildford Cathedral and the Theatre Royal, Windsor, as well as many other venues both local and nationally. They have shared the stage with Dame Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth, Bruce Forsyth, Paul Daniels, Julian Lloyd Webber and Paul Carrack, and have recorded a number of Choir CDs.

The family CD (see below) is the latest achievement, and they are all extremely proud of the record, which they hope will raise a lot of money for the Prospect Foundation. Rehearsing for and recording the CD and preparing for the launch concert has led to many laughs, some disagreements and a few magical moments which they will never forget.

And Clarry’s advice to would-be performers? “Have faith in your ability, but be prepared to work hard at your craft. Find someone to inspire you, whose standard you can aim for. And always remember that any achievement is a team achievement”

New CD

For more details about the Bean family's new CD, please see: How Do You Keep Playing The Music?.