Who Are We?

Julia Turner:
Musical Director and Schools Choirs
Roger White:
Trustee & Co-Director

Julia is a warm and inspiring workshop leader who enjoys sharing her love of vocal harmony and getting everybody singing. She set up her first choir, the Royal Park Groove, in 2010 whilst completing her BA in music at Leeds College of Music. Since then choirs have become her main work focus. She currently leads Bring Your Own Baby Choir which she founded in 2013, Wax Lyrical and co-ordinates the primary school part of our inter-generational choir Handfuls of Harmony.
Julia also does outreach work for Live Music Now, an organisation that supports young professional musicians to take their music into places where people are otherwise excluded from the joy of experiencing live music, for example care homes and hospital wards.
As well as arranging music for vocal groups, Julia also writes her own music. Taking inspiration from a range of genres including jazz, blues and folk, she spins her stories through intricate vocal melodies and deft finger picking guitar. Her latest album Fifteen Times the Moon was released in 2016. She performs regularly with various groups including her own quartet and a capella vocal group Eko Trio.
Roger has been involved with Ashton Park school since the first of his three children started there in 1996, and is now Chair of the Board of the South West Bristol Co-operative Learning Trust. The People’s Millions project offered a brilliant opportunity to create a truly inter-generational activity that could bring together children, parents, grandparents, school staff, friends, residents and employers in south Bristol in common cause – and have a lot of fun in the process.
As Trustee my role is to ensure we achieve the stated aims of the People’s Millions project, which includes involving those who don’t feel very confident at singing, but fancy having a go in a friendly and supportive environment.

Chris Morgan: Schools Choirs

Ali Orbaum:
Adult Community
Choir
Ali’s clear, encouraging and dynamic teaching has proved popular with all ages and she is fantastic at getting a room singing in harmony in a matter of minutes. She has a relaxed and humorous style and is a committed advocate of the reality that singing in harmony is both therapeutic and enormous fun. Ali loves helping other people discover that only good things will happen if you lift up your voice and join in.
As a singer, a cappella arranger and community choir leader she has been running choirs and singing workshops around the country for the past 20 years in arts centres, festivals, work places, schools and community spaces.
Ali founded the Handfuls of Harmony project with Roger and was MD for several years. She founded and co-directs Bristol's Gasworks Choir and is MD of Sing for Water West, as well as teaching at Bristol Community Choir Conventions and Unicorn Voice Camps. Previously she has sung with various a cappella groups and bands including Naked Voices, the Tea Ladies and the Sweet Soul Sisters.
Chris is a former primary school teacher with a passion for singing and music. He has taken children to perform at Colston Hall and St George's Hall. Recently, he has been part of the talented team behind Bristol Plays Music's 'Get on Board: Music Curriculum for Bristol' and has completed Choir Conducting with Sing for Pleasure to add to his singing tool box! Chris joined Handfuls of Harmony in May 2017 and loved seeing the adult and children's choir come together to create a truly unique and beautiful sound; he is very much looking forward to doing it all over again!

Sadie Fleming: Schools Choirs
Sadie is a professional musician who is passionate about developing others through music. She predominantly works in the field of music outreach - bringing the joy of live music to people in care homes, hospitals, schools, hospices and community settings. Sadie deeply understands the impact of music and singing on wellbeing, as well as the power of song - and is one of only a handful of people in the world with a Masters in Songwriting. She has a warm, positive, inclusive and encouraging teaching style, and currently leads singing and music making workshops with groups from the ages of 6 months to those over 100.
Sadie has also written, recorded, produced and released two albums, and toured these extensively across the UK. She has performed at hundreds of gigs and events, with highlights including sets at Colston Hall, Chapel Arts Centre, The Louisiana, Cox's Yard, Brisfest, Sunrise Celebration, Bristol Folk Festival, Bath International Music Festival, Bristol Harbour Festival and How The Light Gets In Festival. Her songs have been played on various local, national and international radio stations, including BBC Radio 6 Music.
Sadie joined Handfuls of Harmony in September 2018 and is really excited to be working with the talented children (and grown ups) of South Bristol. She is looking forward to hearing the whole choir in action, and having a lot of fun along the way!