Ann Hood memorial fund - award and bursary for young Cumbrian musicians

Ann Hood Music Award and Bursary

The Ann Hood Music Award fund was set up to keep alive the memory of the loved and respected opera singer and teacher.

The Fund organises events to raise money to assist young people from Cumbria who are working towards a professional career in music.

See conditions of entry

Photo of Ann Hood, opera singer

Ann Hood began her career at the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied for four years under Dame Eva Turner.

On completing her studies she applied for a job with the D'Oyly Carte Company, and was immediately engaged as a principal soprano.

Her major Gilbert and Sullivan roles included Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Patience in Patience, Princess Ida in Princess Ida, Rose Maybud in Ruddigore, Elsie Maynard in The Yeomen of the Guard and Gianetta in the The Gondoliers.

She also performed with other companies including Sadler's Wells and the English National Opera.

After retiring from the stage, Ann came to live in Furness, where she established a new career as a singing teacher. She gave strong encouragement and support to the talented young people of the area, and she is remembered with great affection by her former pupils and colleagues in local music societies.

PREVIOUS ANN HOOD BURSARY WINNERS
	Claire Smith. winner of the first Bursary Award in 2001, Grade 8 Saxophone and Grade 5 piano & clarinet. Took part in EUROPEAN SUMMER MUSIC SCHOOL playing in various ensembles including a Sax Quartet and a Symphony Orchestra. Claire has played saxophone and clarinet in Concerts and Shows in Barrow, Uiverston and Grange over Sands In A Level Exams she was awarded A's in Music, Maths & Further Maths and is currently studying Pure Mathematics and Music at Cardiff University.

	Julie Backhouse Winner of the 2002 Bursary, Julie was Principal Horn with the Lancashire Life Morecambe Band and Solo Horn with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. She has also played with Besses o'th Barn, Black Dyke Mills and Rothwell Temperance bands. She currently plays with Foden's Richardson band and the Royal Northern College of Music band.. Julie won the British Open Slow Melody Competition in 2001 and the N.W. Counties Senior Slow Melody Competition in 2002. In the same year Julie was Carnforth RotaryYoung Musician of the Year and Morecambe Festival Young Musician. She attends the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

Magdalena Loth-Hill Magdalena, a violinist, was 13 years old when she was awarded the Bursary in 2003. She is currently of Grade 7 Violin and each Saturday travels for a day of musical tuition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Magdalena sings with the Carlisle Cathedral Youth Choir and actually gave up a Choir trip to Norway to play in the Ann Hood Award Concert, 'Music for a Summer Evening' at Forum 28 Barrow. In effect this was her first "professional" engagement as a soloist - it went well, was of valuable practice in stagecraft and she enjoyed playing to an appreciative audience.

Stevie Jennings-Adams Soprano and pianist