Festival Committee
William Burton – Chief Steward
Bill is the Chief Steward and was Assistant Chief Steward from 2016-2018. He came to Bedford in 1977 after university where he was an active member of the drama society both as a performer and committee chairman. He has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Bill is not a musician but his daughters have performed in the festival numerous times over the years in both musical and dramatic roles. He has also been involved with the festival as a corporate sponsor having spent most of his working life as a director of an electronics manufacturing company in Bedford.
Olivia Cooper
As a teacher of both drama and music, a professional copywriter, and a lifelong bookworm, Olivia has always had a love for literature, music and drama and so takes a keen interest in both the musical and dramatic sides of the Bedfordshire Festival. She did, in fact, compete herself as a young girl in the piano, verse and prose and choral classes. Trained as a classical pianist to Grade 8 Associated Board level, Olivia has a passion for musical theatre and a love of accompanying singers performing this exciting and varied genre of music. Olivia joined the Festival Committee and as an official accompanist in 2020, having been a part of the Festival for as long as she can remember. She grew up with both of her parents (now Festival Vice Presidents) on the Festival Committee as Chief Steward and Secretary, and she is keen to continue her family’s dedication to supporting the Festival. She hopes during her time on the Committee that she can open the Festival’s doors even wider and enable more students from across the county and beyond to enjoy the Festival experience. Olivia has been Head of Musical Theatre at the Redford School of Speech and Drama for over a decade – responsible for the musical direction of all school projects and the tuition of the LAMDA Musical Theatre syllabus to individual students and groups, consistently achieving high distinctions across all grades. In addition to her private musical theatre accompanying and performing, Olivia has also worked as an official accompanist for the London College of Music’s Musical Theatre degree course. She tells us that her favourite thing about the Festival is that performers of all ages and abilities have the opportunity to come together to learn from each other, to inspire each other and to share their hard work and talent with an audience. It is always a privilege to watch.
Lucy Eggleton - Committee Member
Lucy has been a keen follower of the Bedfordshire Festival of Music Speech and Drama with her children competing in Speech and Drama, Musical Theatre and Choir categories from an early age. She joined the Festival as a steward last year. She has worked for the United Nations and other international organisations in humanitarian affairs and human rights. Whilst raising her family she trained as a nutrition coach. She is excited to be supporting the Festival and hopes to support as many people as possible to experience the creativity, joy, accomplishment and community that performing in the Festival brings.
Irina Ermakova - Committee Member
Irina was first introduced to the Festival as a parent in 2008, when her family moved to Bedford and both of her daughters started taking part in various Music and Speech and Drama classes. Having been involved in Performing Arts during her school and university years, and later working in the education sector, Irina always believed in the huge positive impact of Performing Arts, especially on young people. She loved the Festival atmosphere, so when her daughters left for University, Irina joined the team of volunteers, and then the Committee (also volunteers!), to support the Festival and the opportunities it brings.
Tim Grant-Jones – Official Accompanist
Tim has had links to the Bedfordshire Music Festival since 1979, as accompanist, teacher and parent. He joined the Committee around 10 years ago and his responsibility includes entry checking, organising piano hire and tuning, syllabus setting and development, programming arranging and proof reading, rota for official accompanists', and advising on musical matters. He accompanies many of the choir, vocal, string and wind classes throughout the Festival week. Tim is keen to make the festival an enjoyable and rewarding experience for all who take part.
Manoj Gupta - Committee Member
Manoj first came to Bedford after graduating in 1987 and left in 1991 to develop his corporate career, which included a 5 year stint working in Germany. At the turn of the millennium he embarked on a world tour for 12 months, following which he started working as a freelance IT consultant which took him around Europe and beyond. Upon returning to the UK Manoj migrated back to Bedford which has now been home for over 20 years. Since that time Manoj has been involved in local charities offering opportunities for young people and helping to shape the Bedford environment. He accepted an invitation to join the festival committee in 2023 to actively influence it’s outreach programme and enable a wider demographic to participate. In addition to outreach, Manoj is also involved in IT and fundraising for the festival.
Sally Merryweather – Trophies Secretary
Sally was brought up in a musical family and played the violin and viola in school and County Orchestras in Suffolk. She came to Bedford in 1973 to the then College of Education to train as a primary school teacher. Her main subject was music and she went on to be part of the musical life of the schools in which she taught. Sally retired in 2017 and has been able to work with Jean Duivenvoorden learning the job of Trophies’ Secretary. Sally is really happy to be part of the Festival which gives opportunities to so many talented performers in the County and beyond.
Ellie Tadiello – Festival Secretary
Ellie took up the post of Festival Secretary in July 2023 after spending the last fifteen years working in education as a primary school teacher and later as a health and wellbeing education lead in community learning. During this time, Ellie has been part of many music, speech & drama projects, helping children to develop a passion for the arts. Ellie has a keen interest in making music, speech and drama accessible for everyone and is keen to further this by working with the Festival.
Robert Trunchion – Honorary Treasurer
Bob is the Treasurer – he therefore counts notes but cannot play them! He first visited the Festival in March 1974 when he attended the Prize Winners’ Concert (equivalent to today’s Gala Concert) to see his then girlfriend (now his wife!). After he returned to Bedford to raise a family, his daughters started performing in the Festival in various Music and Speech and Drama classes. As he was spending so much time at the Festival with the children, he thought he ought to join the Committee to help out and is still serving despite the fact that the children left home long ago. Bob is a tax partner in a national firm of accountants and lectures regularly to fellow accountants and solicitors. He has also appeared on national television and radio talking about that subject.
Henry Vann – Vice-Chair and Honorary Secretary
Henry was a participant in the Festival from a young age, particularly in singing, clarinet and piano classes. Having been involved in music making in Bedford all his life, through County Youth Orchestra and at school, he joined the Council in 2011 and has been the council appointee to the Committee since then. Henry was Education Portfolio Holder on Bedford Borough Council for six years and is now Portfolio Holder for Town Centres and Planning. Until 2018 he was Head of External Affairs for the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) and now teaches at Bedford School, as well as continuing to perform locally as a conductor, singer and occasional clarinettist