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Jeremy Kenyon


By Ginny Farrell


ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC TRAINED SINGING TEACHER, JEREMY KENYON, HAS PERFORMED WITH SOME OF THE BEST CHOIRS IN THE WORLD. He has toured across Europe and North America with the acclaimed Monteverdi Choir, described by the Guardian as having “dominated the choral scene worldwide for more than 50 years,” as well as Les Arts Florissants baroque-music ensemble, which is considered one of the globe’s most renowned and respected early music groups. After studying music at the University of Liverpool,


Jeremy spent four years as a lay clerk (professional singer of the choir) at Gloucester Cathedral before continuing his musical studies at the Royal Academy of Music where he gained a post-graduate Diploma in Performance/Singing/Opera in 2009. Jeremy, a counter-tenor, then spent 10 years as part


of the “choral scene” in London and Oxford where he sang professionally for a number of church choirs including Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral, and toured and recorded with other professional choirs. He also performed as a soloist throughout the UK. Throughout this time he remained a


freelance singing teacher and today teaches students at colleges in Oxford, London, Rugby and Somerset – and has clients here in the South Hams. Jeremy recently moved back into his family home near Blackawton with his wife Jodie and their dog Chester in search of a more harmonious work/life balance and to focus more on teaching rather than performing. “To be honest, and being pragmatic as well, the


bit more stability.” Jeremy was born and grew up in Dartmouth,


attending St John’s Primary before heading off to school in Somerset, and says it was always on the cards that he would return someday. “I have always planned to come back but what I did,


particularly in terms of performing, meant it just wasn’t practical to live down here,” he explained. “I have never had a different family home, and I have


dragged my friends down here for years and years. “I’ve spent every New Year down here with groups of


friends. I pretty much have school time and holidays off so I’ve spent much of my summers down here as well. “It’s been inevitable, my return here. I just couldn’t


“Everyone can sing, and should sing.”


ever imagine ending up living anywhere else.” Now that he is back Jeremy is hoping to build up his teaching work. “I started teaching at the end of my


university time in Liverpool, it’s something I’ve done since I was 20. “I teach one-on-one singing and I’ve


always been really passionate about it. “I think the difference now is that people


working life I had is predominantly a young person’s game,” he said.


“But also the balance of life changes and you want a


are taking a bit more time to do things they want to do, and singing seems to fit in with the sense of mindfulness. “There are also certain conditions where breathing and music itself is really hot in terms of therapy. I teach people with forms of dementia as there is a connection between music and memory. “It’s also significant for conditions like Parkinson’s disease because breathing properly and the connection between the breath and using the voice is really important to retain strength in their speaking voice.


“I also teach people in the equestrian world. People


in dressage particularly have to stay really calm on the horse to keep the horse calm. Learning to regulate their breath through singing really helps with this.


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