Many of Mary's former pupils now have successful careers in music.
Click on their names to visit their websites.
Peter Cousens was a singing pupil of Mary while he visited Gordonstoun School on a two term stay in 1975. He was a charming and talented pupil, with an exceptional singing voice. It is therefore no surprise that Peter Cousens is now one of Australia's most outstanding musical theatre performers; a successful actor, on stage and on television; a cabaret artist; performing at multi-national corporate functions; as a commercial and television presenter and as a recording artist.
ISOBEL ROSE
Isobel Rose won a music scholarship in singing and cello to Gordontoun School in 1978.
In 1979 the composer, David Bedford was commissioned to write an opera, The Death of Baldur, for Gordonstoun School and the long and demanding role of Loki was created for Isobel. The Death of Baldur, (libretto, Terry Bagg), was set to the story of the God Baldur, taken from Norse Mythology .
There were performances of the Death
of Baldur in the Chapel at Gordonstoun as well the
Benedictine Abbey of
Pluscarden.
David Bedford composed two more operas, making the group into a trilogy of operas, to be performed by young musicians. Major roles were written for Isobel in all three operas.
Instrumentation: orchestra, two choruses, soloists, pebbles
Text: Terry Bagg, story from Icelandic myth
Duration: 60 mins.
Commissioned by: Gordonstoun School
Published by: Universal Edition
FRIDIOF'S SAGA (1980)
Instrumentation: orchestra, chorus, soloists, pebbles, drums, wine glasses
Text: Terry Bagg, story from Icelandic myth
Duration: 60 mins.
Commissioned by: Gordonstoun School
Published by: Universal Edition
THE RAGNAROK (1982)
Instrumentation: orchestra, two choirs, soloists, bottles, rattles
Text: Terry Bagg, story from Icelandic myth
Duration: 60 mins.
Commissioned by: Gordonstoun School
Published by: Universal Edition
Here is a sample of Isobel singing an aria from the Ragnarok.
In 1984 Isobel performed the role of Zita in the school's production of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.
Anne Harley was a pupil while at Gordonstoun School in 1984. She sang the role of Nella in the school's production of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.
A native of Toronto, Canada, Anne Harley holds the Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University (Comparative Literature, French and Russian), the Master of Music degree from Boston University (Voice Performance), attended the Boston University Opera Institute and received her Doctorate in Music from Boston University (Historical Performance with a concentration in voice) in 2006. She has taught at Longy Conservatory and Boston University.
In 2006, she was invited to join an international voicework exchange for teachers of voice at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia and at San Diego State University.
She is a specialist in contemporary and early music, and has appeared across North America and Europe with Opera Boston, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Opera Unlimited, The American Repertory Theatre, The Handel & Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, and Boston Camerata.
She has spent several seasons performing new works at the Banff Centre for the Arts (Alberta, Canada) and at the Tanglewood Festival.
She debuted in Europe at Amsterdam's Conzertgebouw as the lead in Handel's Acis and Galatea, and has since toured in Europe several times. In conjunction with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles and Oberlin College, she performed the leading roles in the modern-day premiere of Royer's Le Pouvoir de l'Amour.
She joined the music faculty of University of North Carolina at Charlotte as Assistant Professor in 2006.
ROBERT AMES
Robert Ames was a singing pupil of Mary's between 1985 and 1987.
In 1987 he sang in Gordonstoun School's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.
He continued his studies by majoring in singing at Rice University in Houston, Texas. While at Rice he was the winner of many singing awards, the most notable being the prize winner at the Metropolitan Opera Regional competition in Kansas City.
Here is an example of Robert singing the Count's aria from Figaro, which he recorded while studying for his Masters degree at Rice University.
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PHIL PRITCHARD
Phil was a pupil of Mary from 1986 to 1988. He was a talented singer with a natural gift for acting. He performed the principal role of Fred Graham in Gordonstoun Schools production of Kiss me Kate in 1988.
He continued his theatrical training at Mountview Theatre School and the Academy of the Science of Acting & Directing.
Since then he has had a successful and varied career in both Film and Theatre.
Phil Pritchard is currently performing in the critically acclaimed, Menier Chocolate Factory production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's musical A Little Night Music, directed by Trevor Nunn, at the Garrick Theatre.
Alycia was a pupil of Mary from 1985 to 1990 when she was a pupil at Gordonstoun School. During her time at the school she performed in Musical Theatre as well as Opera productions. In 1989 she sang the role of Pamina in the school's production of The Magic Flute and the following year the contrasting role of Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring.
From Perthshire, Scotland, Alycia Fashae then went on to study singing at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and the Centre de Formation Lyrique de L'Opera National de Paris. While in Paris, she made her debut for the Opera National de Paris in Rigoletto, subsequently performing in Lulu and Bataclan while understudying the role of Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito. Alycia toured extensively with the Centre and also France Opera, singing in many provincial Theatres, in such roles as Pamina, Servilia, Adina, Fiordiligi, Lucia, Clorinda, (La Cenerentola); Juliette, and Constance, (Dialogue des Carmelites).
Since returning from France, Alycia's roles have included: Musetta La Boheme English National Opera, Mid-Wales Opera; Leila, Les Pecheurs de Perles for English National Opera, Swansea City Opera, Frasquita Carmen, English National Opera; Donna Anna, Don Giovanni, Diva Opera, Opera des Azuriales,Theatre de Neuchatel, Switzerland and the Festival de la Vezere, Mid-Wales Opera, Opera a la Carte and The Water Music Festival of Ireland; Violetta La Traviata,The European Chamber Opera, Mimi La Boheme Diva Opera, European Chamber Opera; Gilda Rigoletto for The European Chamber Opera, Pamina Die Zauberflote, Diva Opera; Antonia Les Contes D'Hoffmann, Diva Opera; Gianetta, The Gondoliers, Carl Rosa Opera; Adele, Die Fledermaus, Opera Box; Alice Ford, Falstaff and Rosalinde, Die Fledermaus, Opera Project, and Norina, Don Pasquale, Opera a la Carte.
In the United States of America, Alycia toured 29 states in the title role of The Merry Widow for Columbia Artists and participated in the Bermuda Festival.
Other Concert repertoire includes- Beethoven's Missa Solemnis; Rossini's Stabat Mater; Carl Orff's Carmina Burana; Handel's Messiah; Schubert's Mass in A flat; Brahms Requiem; Strauss' Four Last Songs and Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail.
Jo was a pupil of Mary's from 1986 to 1991. She was a talented musician and singer with an exceptionally beautiful voice.
A graduate of Birmingham Conservatoire, Jo writes and sings her own musical scores.
Jo's latest album 'Gown' demonstrates her continuing development as an exceptional singer and musician.
The Independent writes about Gown:
"In a world of La Roux, Little Boots and Lady Gaga, this is an unashamedly grown-up record that dares to step out of the boxes we have reserved for our female singer-songwriters."
Richard was a pupil of Mary when he was at Gordonstoun School between 1988 and 1990. In 1989 Richard sang the role of Tamino in the school's production of The Magic Flute. Because of his exceptional singing talent, a production of 'Albert Herring' was staged the following year, with Richard performing the long and demanding title role.
After leaving school Richard Rowe studied Geology at the Royal School of Mines in London and pursued a career in business before returning to his initial love, singing.
He then went to study at the Royal Academy of Music where he received a DipRAM, attended the Opera Course and was awarded the Charles Vestey Award. He has participated in masterclasses with Richard Van Allan, Robert Tear, Alan Opie and Malcolm Martineau.
He has undertaken many principal roles including Tamino in The Magic Flute; Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte; the title role in Albert Herring; Male Chorus in Rape of Lucretia; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus and Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro under the baton of Sir Colin Davis and Sergei Cheryomushki (Shostakovich).
Richard Rowe has also worked with British Youth Opera.
Scottish harpist Ruth Wall was a singing pupil of Mary between 1989 and 1990.
She now specializes in the development and performance of new music.
She performs on lever harp, Renaissance bray harp, Gaelic wire strung harp and concert harp and often uses live electronics in performance.
She performs as a soloist and in chamber ensembles as well as collaborating with other musicians, artists and dancers on new commissions.
Recent performances include those at Monza Milan, Spiral Hall Tokyo, Liquid Rooms Edinburgh, The Sage Gateshead and Union Chapel in London.
SARAH HOBBS
Sarah Hobbs was a pupil of Mary Nicholson from 1996 to 2001.
While studying with Mary she passed an ABRSM Grade 8 singing examination and a DipABRSM (Diploma of The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), both with distinction.
In 2001 she won a place to study singing at the Birmingham Conservatoire with the distinguished singing professor Margaret Field.
While at the Conservatoire, Sarah studied many genres of singing, including Lieder, Oratorio, Opera and Contemporary Music.
Sarah's many operatic roles at college included Helena, A Midsummer Night's Dream; Susanna, Le Nozze di Figaro; The Plaint, The Fairy Queen; Jane Dee, Dee (Robin Grant's new opera) and the title role in Puccini's Manon.
In 2003 she performed the UK premiere of n sunnari by the Italian composer, Azio Corghi.
In the same year she won the Cecil Drew Oratorio Prize for her exceptional interpretation of Handel and Haydn songs.
Now a Graduate of the Birmingham Conservatoire, Sarah is continuing her studies at the University of East Anglia in the field of Speech and Language Therapy. She completes her BSci Degree in 2010.
Hannah Collings is an experienced performer and teacher of the harp in East Anglia. She studied the harp with Stewart Green alongside lessons in piano and voice. This resulted in a scholarship to study at the Birmingham Conservatoire where she trained with Robert Johnston and graduated with First Class Honours. She also trained as a singer with Mary Nicholson and she holds the DipABRSM diploma in singing.
As a performer she has held engagements in many of the major venues across East Anglia.
As a teacher, she directs the Soli Deo Music teaching practice in Suffolk and as the Harp teacher at Woodbridge School.
LUCY HARVEY
Lucy Harvey was a pupil of Mary Nicholson from 2003 to 2005.
While studying with Mary she passed an ABRSM Grade 8 singing examination with distinction and later obtained a DipABRSM (Diploma of The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) prior to gaining a place to study singing at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
At the conservatoire she continued her singing studies with the eminent singing professor Margaret Field.
Lucy was successful in many genres of singing, in particular Lieder, Musical Theatre and Opera. Her many operatic roles at college included Amori, Poppea; Countess Almaviva, Le Nozze di Figaro; Donna Anna, Don Giovanni.
Lucy is a member of St Chad's Cathedral Choir as well as the close harmony octet Harmon8.
Now a Graduate of the Birmingham Conservatoire Lucy Harvey hopes to follow a career as a professional singer.
EMILY ELVIN-POOLE
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Emily was a pupil of Mary between 2005 and 2009.
She is now a student at the University of Warwick, where she is studying law.
Emily is also an accomplished actor, and is a member of the
in Bungay where she has taken major roles in musical and drama productions.
Emily speaks French to a high standard:
Here Emily is singing À Chloris by Reynaldo Hahn.
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