Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd
Dame Cleo Laine
Life President
Then began an illustrious career as a singer and actress. In 1958 she played the lead in a new play at London's famous Royal Court Theatre, home of the new wave of playwrights of the 'fifties - Pinter, Osborne and the like. This led to other stage performances such as the musical "Valmouth" in 1959, the play "A Time to Laugh" (with Robert Morley and Ruth Gordon) in 1962, and eventually to her show stopping Julie in the Wendy Toye production of "Showboat" at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1971.
During this period she had two spectacular recording successes. "You'll Answer to Me" reached the British Top Ten at the precise time that Cleo was 'prima donna' in the 1961 Edinburgh Festival production of the Kurt Weill opera/ballet "The Seven Deadly Sins". In 1964 her "Shakespeare and All that Jazz" album received widespread critical acclaim, and to this day remains an important milestone in her identification with the more unusual aspects of a singer's repertoire.
1972 marked the start of Cleo's international activities, with a triumphant first tour of Australia. Shortly afterwards, her career in the United States was launched with a concert at New York's Lincoln Center, followed in 1973 by the first of many Carnegie Hall appearances. Coast-to-coast tours of the U.S. and Canada soon followed, and with them a succession of record albums and television appearances. This led, after several nominations, to Cleo's first Grammy award, in recognition of the live recording of her 1983 Carnegie concert.
Other important recordings during that time were duet albums with Ray Charles ("Porgy and Bess") and Mel Tormé, as well as Arnold Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" which won Cleo a classical Grammy nomination.
Cleo's relationship with the musical theatre, started in Britain, continued in the United States with starring performances in "A Little Night Music" and "The Merry Widow" (Michigan Opera). In 1985 she originated the role of Princess Puffer in the Broadway hit musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", for which she received a Tony nomination, and in 1989 she received the Los Angeles critics' acclaim for her portrayal of the Witch in Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods". Los Angeles was also the scene of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Cleo by the US recording industry (1991).
In 1979 Cleo received an OBE from Her Majesty the Queen for services to music, and in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 1997 she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire. She has also been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Boston's Berklee College of Music in the United States and, in the United Kingdom from Cambridge University, the University of York, the Open University and the University of Luton. In 1998 the Worshipful Company of Musicians awarded her their Silver Medal for a Lifetime Contribution to British Jazz, and the British Jazz Awards have recognised her a number of times, including with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.
Ian Arthur
Board of Trustees
Ian Arthur was born in 1958 in Monmouthshire, Wales. He attended Monmouth School and then read Classics at Oxford University. He worked as a management consultant for Accenture 1981-2004; was a partner for 10 years; then retired in 2004. He is married with 2 children and his interests include music, golf, history, cooking, and football.
Stephen Clarke, FCA
Board of Trustees
Stephen Clarke, FCA is a director at DTZ and head of Financial Consulting, DTZ’s advisory team of Chartered Accountants. Financial Consulting is integrated within Capital Markets to provide seamless real estate advice to corporate clients and Investors.
Stephen’s corporate clients include Nestle, Electrolux and Marks and Spencer. On the investor side Stephen has advised on a number of complex large-scale developments including the new Arsenal Football stadium and the Milton Keynes stadium. Stephen’s investor clients include Land Securities, Legal and General, RBS and English Partnership.
Stephen qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1982 and, prior to being a director at DTZ in 1999; he was a senior manager at PriceWaterhouse Coopers and a partner at Moore Stephens.
Stephen is a Trustee of The Prince’s Regeneration Trust and its subsidiary, The Phoenix Trust. He is Chairman of Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd a director of The Stables Trading Ltd. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.
Stephen is married with four children and lives in Stoke Hammond, Buckinghamshire.
Stephen’s corporate clients include Nestle, Electrolux and Marks and Spencer. On the investor side Stephen has advised on a number of complex large-scale developments including the new Arsenal Football stadium and the Milton Keynes stadium. Stephen’s investor clients include Land Securities, Legal and General, RBS and English Partnership.
Stephen qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1982 and, prior to being a director at DTZ in 1999; he was a senior manager at PriceWaterhouse Coopers and a partner at Moore Stephens.
Stephen is a Trustee of The Prince’s Regeneration Trust and its subsidiary, The Phoenix Trust. He is Chairman of Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd a director of The Stables Trading Ltd. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.
Stephen is married with four children and lives in Stoke Hammond, Buckinghamshire.
Robert French, FCCA
Board of Trustees
Robert French FCCA is a qualified Chartered Certified Accountant. After leaving the accountancy profession Robert spent most his career in senior financial and commercial management roles in high technology businesses. For the seventeen years prior to his retirement in 2007 he worked as a senior finance executive in an independent Venture Capital Company, of which he was a Senior Partner, specialising in early stage high technology investments. Robert actively pursues his great interest in live music of most genres. He attends countless live concerts each year, many of them at the Stables.
Manoj Gupta
Board of Trustees
At the turn of the millenium Manoj took a sabbatical for 1 year to embark on a world tour, making it half way around the world before running out of time!
Returned to launch a dot com in the field of online dating, a business in it's infancy at the time. The business survived the bursting of the dot com bubble and is still trading today; www.nomorefrogs.com
Pursued Independent Consulting with the premise of ‘Bridging Business & IT’. Worked on client programmes in Munich, Stockholm, Texas and the UK over a 3 year timeframe.
Since getting married and starting a family he has re-oriented to a locally based life, balancing home, work and volunteer commitments. He now offers business and IT assistance to clients in and around Bedfordshire, promotes his wife’s musical career (www.poojamusic.com) and sits on the steering committee of a volunteer project called Fusion (www.allsaintsbedford.co.uk). Fusion engages around 70 children in music making and educational activity and recently won a Queen's award for voluntary service.
Graham Inskip
Board of Trustees
Graham Inskip was born in 1954 in Bedford, is married and has 3 children. After being educated at Bedford School, Graham started his career at the family haulage company, AER Inskip Ltd in 1974, arranging transport and assisting with the running of the warehouses. This was followed by 10 years (1975-1985) at Ralston Purina, an American multi-national food ingredients company, in a variety of roles including accounting, office management and warehouse administration finally setting up a seasoning plant with a new warehouse & computer system in Corby.
In 1985 Graham set up his own contract packing company, Graham Lloyd Ltd, with his brother, of which he is Managing Director. During 1989 Graham also took on the role of Financial Director of AER Inskip Ltd up until its sale in 1994.
Graham has had a life long love of and interest in music with leanings towards folk, rock, world and latterly classical music.
In 1985 Graham set up his own contract packing company, Graham Lloyd Ltd, with his brother, of which he is Managing Director. During 1989 Graham also took on the role of Financial Director of AER Inskip Ltd up until its sale in 1994.
Graham has had a life long love of and interest in music with leanings towards folk, rock, world and latterly classical music.
Lady Rima Scott
Board of Trustees
Founder of Bucks Dance, a dance development organisation, former member of various charitable boards including NACRO, Council for Dance Education and Training, Southern Arts Board, Milton Keynes Arts Association, MK Folk Art Festival, and MK Theatre & Gallery Company (Chair of its Theatre Committee). Rima was a Magistrate in Milton Keynes for 26 years, as well as advising at the Citizens Advice Bureau for many years, and Chairman of her local village school for 20 years.
Interests include 12 grandchildren who are scattered over the globe, going to the theatre in MK, London and Stratford, tennis, bridge, Pilates and books.
Michael Shelton
Board of Trustees
Michael Shelton was admitted as a solicitor in 1976, appointed Deputy District Judge in 1993 and in the same year admitted to membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. His trusteeships and directorships of charitable organisations are considerable and include:
1981 Trustee, Fairoak Festival, Rogate, Hants
1994-1999 Trustee, Bud Flanagan Leukaemia Fund
1979-2001 Trustee, Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd, including 2 years as chair, 1984/5. Re-appointed 2005 to date.
1990-1999 Director, The Young Vic Company
1978-2001 Trustee, London Music Hall Trust Ltd, including 2 years as chair
1979 to date, Director, National Youth Jazz Orchestra
1981 to date, Trustee, National Youth Jazz Association
1996 to date, Trustee, Jazz Development Trust (chair since 2004)
2003 to 2005, Delegate, World Dance Council
2003 to date, Trustee, The Old Sessions House Trust
2007 to date, Secretary–General, International Professional Dance Sport Council
Other directorships:-
Sylvia Young Theatre School Ltd
Sylvia Young Ltd
Rossmore Personal Management Ltd
Ceroc Enterprises Ltd
Ceroc Holdings Ltd
Ceroc Dance Training Ltd
1981 Trustee, Fairoak Festival, Rogate, Hants
1994-1999 Trustee, Bud Flanagan Leukaemia Fund
1979-2001 Trustee, Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd, including 2 years as chair, 1984/5. Re-appointed 2005 to date.
1990-1999 Director, The Young Vic Company
1978-2001 Trustee, London Music Hall Trust Ltd, including 2 years as chair
1979 to date, Director, National Youth Jazz Orchestra
1981 to date, Trustee, National Youth Jazz Association
1996 to date, Trustee, Jazz Development Trust (chair since 2004)
2003 to 2005, Delegate, World Dance Council
2003 to date, Trustee, The Old Sessions House Trust
2007 to date, Secretary–General, International Professional Dance Sport Council
Other directorships:-
Sylvia Young Theatre School Ltd
Sylvia Young Ltd
Rossmore Personal Management Ltd
Ceroc Enterprises Ltd
Ceroc Holdings Ltd
Ceroc Dance Training Ltd
Bill Blyth
Company Secretary
After working in Canada and Manchester with KPMG joined Grant Thornton in 1978 and became a partner in 1981.
Spent rest of accountancy career in Milton Keynes office advising SME’s and not for profit organisations.
Treasurer of Milton Keynes Relate for 14 years
Audit partner for Willen Hospice, International Youth Hostel Federation, English Hockey association, Hearing Aid Council and the Milton Keynes Community Foundation.
Was a trustee at the Stables from 1998 until 2006.
Interests are golf, hill walking and playing the piano accordion.
Rod Argent
Board of Trustee's
Rod Argent was born in 1945 in St. Albans. After a couple of years taking piano lessons, and several years as a chorister at St. Albans Abbey, he formed "The Zombies" in 1961. He was to write all the major hits for the band, including "She's Not There" and "Time of the Season", both U.S. no. 1s. The Zombies broke up in 1967, after producing a final album, "Odessey and Oracle" (sic), which last year was voted by NME as no. 32 in the best British albums of all time.
In 1969, Rod formed "Argent", which was also to achieve international success - notably with the hits "Hold Your Head Up" and "God Gave Rock and Roll To You", and he continued to enjoy a reputation as one of the finest keyboard players of the genre.
After 'Argent' split, Rod appeared as a keyboard player on countless records, with artists as diverse as 'The Who', John Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Colin Blunstone, Gary Moore and Andrew Lloyd Webber. He also wrote and scored much music for television films and major series, as well as producing several million selling albums for other artists, including Tanita Tikaram, Joshua Kadison and Nanci Griffiths. In the late '90s, he recorded a solo piano album of classical repertoire, "Rod Argent - Classically speaking".
In 2000, Rod reunited with Colin Blunstone, original singer with the Zombies, and has since toured extensively all over the world. Their recent premiere of "Odessy and Oracle" (40 years after the recording!) at The Shepherd's Bush Empire received ecstatic 5 star reviews in several national newspapers, including The Guardian, The Times, The Scotsman and The Independent.
In 1969, Rod formed "Argent", which was also to achieve international success - notably with the hits "Hold Your Head Up" and "God Gave Rock and Roll To You", and he continued to enjoy a reputation as one of the finest keyboard players of the genre.
After 'Argent' split, Rod appeared as a keyboard player on countless records, with artists as diverse as 'The Who', John Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Colin Blunstone, Gary Moore and Andrew Lloyd Webber. He also wrote and scored much music for television films and major series, as well as producing several million selling albums for other artists, including Tanita Tikaram, Joshua Kadison and Nanci Griffiths. In the late '90s, he recorded a solo piano album of classical repertoire, "Rod Argent - Classically speaking".
In 2000, Rod reunited with Colin Blunstone, original singer with the Zombies, and has since toured extensively all over the world. Their recent premiere of "Odessy and Oracle" (40 years after the recording!) at The Shepherd's Bush Empire received ecstatic 5 star reviews in several national newspapers, including The Guardian, The Times, The Scotsman and The Independent.
For one day only - Beth Nielsen Chapman will be running a special Songwriting Masterclass workshop.
