Meet Jo Sercombe, BCGC's Musical Director
Jo trained in Music at Southampton University and it was there that she discovered her love for singing gospel and jazz. Since graduation, Jo has worked locally and nationally as a singer and Musical Director, specialising in community music projects, vocal practice and gospel music. She has lead gospel workshops in many different settings including schools, colleges, community and day-care centres and corporate offices.
Clients include Bristol University, Paignton Community College, Farncombe Education Centre in the Cotswolds and the Nationwide Building Society. She also directs a regular choir at the University of Bath as well as running the Bath Community Gospel Choir.
She is particularly keen to make singing accessible to all regardless of skill or experience. You don’t need to be able to read music to sing in Jo’s choirs. All she asks is just a desire to make some noise and a sense of adventure when it comes to swaying and clapping!
Jo is Head of the Inspire Arts Trust in Thornbury; a national charity that does music workshops with disadvantaged young people. She also gigs locally as a jazz singer and is lead vocalist for Bath’s GBH Bigband in her spare time.
(Many thanks to Bath City Church for providing this article)
Rob Henderson, Keyboards
Rob - a classically trained pianist - studied jazz at London's Guildhall under the direction of Scott Stroman before starting his music degree at Southampton University. Whilst at Southampton he studied jazz piano with Dr Jose Bowen, an American composer & pianist and was pianist for the University Jazz Orchestra for the full 3 years of his study. During that time, Rob worked with artists such as Dave Brubeck, Kenny Wheeler, Peter King, Andy Shepherd, and The National Youth Jazz Orchestra.
On returning home to Bath, Rob became Musical Director for Musical Youth Theatre Company and, later, for his co-creation "V2 Theatre" who bowled audiences over with their debut production of "Little Shop of Horrors".
In 1999 he performed in a BBC-broadcast concert, and his 'boogie-woogie' solo piano set was described in a review as 'virtuosic'. He is one half of "Duelling Pianos", billed as "Two of the UK's most exciting pianists performing on two of the UK's most excited pianos" - providing a unique approach to the piano recital by blending all styles of great music with comedy. Their blind-folded, gaffa-taped, UV-lit, piano-swapping, show-stopping finale has to be seen to be believed!
Rob is pianist for the Bath Community Gospel Choir, Bath University Pop Choir, Lifted and The Jane Lilley Singers. He has worked with various singer/songwriters over the years and can be heard on six studio albums. He regularly deps for function bands, but is most at home behind the keys in the greatest party band of them all - Soulercoaster.
Rob is a truly versatile pianist playing Classical, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop, Funk, Gospel, and practically everything between. He can provide live music for all public, private and corporate events - either solo, or in one of numerous vocal and/or instrumental line-ups.
By day, Rob runs his own Computer Software Development business, designing and creating cutting-edge software applications for the business and educational markets.
http://www.robhenderson.com