Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd
Sir John Dankworth CBE
Life President
In 1959 Dankworth's large jazz orchestra played several engagements in the United States, the first of countless such visits by its leader. The trip included a week-long concert season sharing the bill with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in its heyday.
Around this time John first began devoting his musical attentions to the film world. And so began a decade or so of dozens of movie scores, including "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning", "The Servant", "Morgan", "Accident" and "Modesty Blaise", working for directors like Karel Reisz, Peter Hall, John Schlesinger, Joseph Losey and Henry Hathaway.
During this time he also served as musical director for Nat "King" Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Sophie Tucker and many others. His composing career extended to the theatre, with commissions in Britain from the National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as two musicals both involving his wife, singer Cleo Laine. Since then there has been an opera/ballet for Houston Ballet, several works for choir and orchestra, a set of symphonic variations for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a piano concerto and a string quartet.
In 1985 Dankworth founded the London Symphony Orchestra's Summer Pops, with which he continued to be associated as Artistic Director until 1990. He has continued to conduct symphony orchestras throughout the world, including the majority of the great American and Canadian organisations, as well as in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Holland and, of course, Great Britain.
John lives with his wife, Dame Cleo Laine, in Wavendon, Buckinghamshire, where in 1969 they founded their first charity, The Wavendon Allmusic Plan, with the aim of helping people broaden their views about music through performance and musical education. In the converted stable block in the grounds of their home they established a centre that has since become internationally renowned. The Stables has been host to many world famous artistes, and some of today's top professional musicians and singers have benefited from its education projects in the early stages of their careers. Having realised their original vision, John and Cleo decided in 1999 to set up a further charity. The Wavendon Foundation was formed with the objective of raising funds to benefit both individual young artistes in need of financial aid, and organisations seeking support for music education projects. A major activity of the trust is the annual Wavendon Garden Season, a programme of summer events staged under a purpose-built canopy in the Duckworth’s' garden.
John has been awarded honorary Doctorates by the University of Cambridge, the University of York and the Open University, and in the USA by Boston's Berklee College of Music. He is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music and Leeds College of Music. Elected a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, he received the Freedom of the City of London in 1994. He was also awarded the Company's Silver Medal for Lifetime Contribution to British Jazz, and has been honoured in the annual British Jazz Awards a number of times for his achievements in and services to British Jazz. His services to music have earned him a CBE and a Knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen.
John Dankworth continues to travel the world playing, conducting, composing - and continuing his untiring search for musical perfection.
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.
She lives with her husband, John Dankworth in Wavendon, Buckinghamshire and
continues to tour the world with her artistry, a trend that shows no sign of abating.
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.
Robert Howes
Board of Trustees
Robert trained at the Royal Academy of Music, which made him an Associate in 2002. At the age 7 as a boy treble, he won his first music festival. A euphonium and trombone player, he also played clarinet, then timpani with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, whose patron was Sir Michael Tippett.
He was a member and player with many of London’s leading orchestras, both modern and those involved in authentic performance. (Including the London Mozart Players, Philharmonia, Academy of Ancient Music, English Concert, Sinfonietta, and The London Classical Players etc)
A conductor and musical director with various instrumental ensembles and choral groups including his own professional choir the English Chorale (featured on many iconic albums including those by The Alan Parsons Project, John Miles, The Grateful Dead, The Carpenters, Chris De Burgh, Steve Harley etc) He founded The Baroque Orchestra of London with whom he has recorded The Four Seasons on original instruments for EMI. He was the first musical director of the Leicester Philharmonic Youth Choir and is also Co-Director of Baroque Brass of London.
Robert has written music for television, from the award-winning Rescue series for ITV, Soldiers: the History of Men in Battle for BBC/PBS, the theme to the Bafta award winning series The Rottentrolls, to the long-standing theme to Kilroy. He was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award with the song, Time After Time (co written with Rod Argent,) for the award-winning Channel 4 series, Animal Squad.
Robert originated the BBC’s acclaimed song-writing competition for young people, A Song for Christmas (BBC carol competition). Further television production followed with his first commission for ITV, the adventure comedy-drama series, The Rottentrolls by award-winning writer, Tim Firth (Calendar Girls etc), which won a BAFTA. A further three series followed, gaining two further BAFTA nominations and a RTS and Broadcast nomination.
His second BAFTA was for Ripley and Scuff for ITV which has music at its heart and is featured on the new ITV children’s channel. He is one of the few television producers who has trained and practiced as a successful, professional musician, equally at home across music of all genres.
Adult and family programming credits include the spoof documentary, The Rottentroll Phenomenon and the cult comedy series Dare To Believe as well as the post water shed comedy chat show, Dan and Dusty. He produced the BBC2 comedy special, Combat Sheep with Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow Prods with whom he is producing a feature film version, also by Tim Firth.
Two years ago, Robert directed his first documentary, Child, for the BBC filmed in Rwanda and the UK it highlighted the plight of HIV/AIDS affected young people and was runner-up in the prestigious Japan Prize.
As a record producer Robert has worked with many major companies including EMI, RCA, BMG, Phonogram and Warner Brothers etc.
A passionate believer in the power of musics ability to enrich children’s lives, he is a former member of the ILEA music advisory team, a former Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he is a consultant to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and a visiting lecturer to both
the Tokyo College of Music and Tokyo Geidei University.
In 2009 he will revisit the Gulf States to direct concerts for young people, including those with special needs. These will be recorded for television and made available to children throughout the world, encouraging mutual understanding through participation in music.
Robert lives in Norfolk and has two children. He is a trustee of the Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd (The Stables), has spent 12 years as vice chair of governors of his local primary school and is a committed supporter of Hope and Homes for children in Rwanda. He is an active member of BAFTA and has an unhealthy love-affair with the combustion engine!
He was a member and player with many of London’s leading orchestras, both modern and those involved in authentic performance. (Including the London Mozart Players, Philharmonia, Academy of Ancient Music, English Concert, Sinfonietta, and The London Classical Players etc)
A conductor and musical director with various instrumental ensembles and choral groups including his own professional choir the English Chorale (featured on many iconic albums including those by The Alan Parsons Project, John Miles, The Grateful Dead, The Carpenters, Chris De Burgh, Steve Harley etc) He founded The Baroque Orchestra of London with whom he has recorded The Four Seasons on original instruments for EMI. He was the first musical director of the Leicester Philharmonic Youth Choir and is also Co-Director of Baroque Brass of London.
Robert has written music for television, from the award-winning Rescue series for ITV, Soldiers: the History of Men in Battle for BBC/PBS, the theme to the Bafta award winning series The Rottentrolls, to the long-standing theme to Kilroy. He was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award with the song, Time After Time (co written with Rod Argent,) for the award-winning Channel 4 series, Animal Squad.
Robert originated the BBC’s acclaimed song-writing competition for young people, A Song for Christmas (BBC carol competition). Further television production followed with his first commission for ITV, the adventure comedy-drama series, The Rottentrolls by award-winning writer, Tim Firth (Calendar Girls etc), which won a BAFTA. A further three series followed, gaining two further BAFTA nominations and a RTS and Broadcast nomination.
His second BAFTA was for Ripley and Scuff for ITV which has music at its heart and is featured on the new ITV children’s channel. He is one of the few television producers who has trained and practiced as a successful, professional musician, equally at home across music of all genres.
Adult and family programming credits include the spoof documentary, The Rottentroll Phenomenon and the cult comedy series Dare To Believe as well as the post water shed comedy chat show, Dan and Dusty. He produced the BBC2 comedy special, Combat Sheep with Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow Prods with whom he is producing a feature film version, also by Tim Firth.
Two years ago, Robert directed his first documentary, Child, for the BBC filmed in Rwanda and the UK it highlighted the plight of HIV/AIDS affected young people and was runner-up in the prestigious Japan Prize.
As a record producer Robert has worked with many major companies including EMI, RCA, BMG, Phonogram and Warner Brothers etc.
A passionate believer in the power of musics ability to enrich children’s lives, he is a former member of the ILEA music advisory team, a former Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he is a consultant to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and a visiting lecturer to both
the Tokyo College of Music and Tokyo Geidei University.
In 2009 he will revisit the Gulf States to direct concerts for young people, including those with special needs. These will be recorded for television and made available to children throughout the world, encouraging mutual understanding through participation in music.
Robert lives in Norfolk and has two children. He is a trustee of the Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd (The Stables), has spent 12 years as vice chair of governors of his local primary school and is a committed supporter of Hope and Homes for children in Rwanda. He is an active member of BAFTA and has an unhealthy love-affair with the combustion engine!
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
Nigel Tully
Board of Trustees
Nigel was Master of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 2003, and chairs its jazz committee, which promotes around 20 gigs every year. He is on the board of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He lives on a farm in Hertfordshire, but makes frequent visits to his house in Tuscany, where he makes his own extra virgin olive oil every year.
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.
