NOTEWORTHY PEOPLE

RACHEL SHOUKSMITH, MUSICAL DIRECTOR

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Born and raised in Eastbourne, Rachel Shouksmith began her musical career singing in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain as a teenager. After completing her Music degree at the London College of Music, she remained for a post graduate year in Opera Studies and was awarded the Henry Baker Memorial prize for Outstanding Performance. During this time Rachel toured the world with NYCGB, was a founder member of the NYCGB chamber choir and represented England in the World Youth Choir. She also recorded several CDs both as soloist and ensemble singer.

Since then, Rachel has been in demand as a Soprano soloist, singing with choral societies and orchestras all over the UK; these days she particularly enjoys singing as soloist with local groups, for example Poulenc’s Gloria with Eastbourne Choral Society and Haydn’s Creation with Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra.  Rachel is also very at home on the operatic stage and has sung as soloist with several opera companies in a wide range of operas ranging from Purcell to Puccini. She made her Glyndebourne debut in 2018 alongside the Glyndebourne Chorus, has sung in several Glyndebourne community operas including the recent Jonathan Dove opera Uprising and particularly enjoyed being part of the 2023 Glyndebourne Festival’s award winning production of Poulenc’s Les Dialogues des Carmelites.

Rachel has been lucky enough to have conducted all kinds of ensembles over the years. Highlights include the Komitas Choral Society and Orchestra in London (in Armenian), concerts in La Madeleine in Paris and a private villa in Venice and leading numerous performances of primary school children singing and Makaton signing. Alongside her performing, Rachel began her teaching career in 1996 at Wellingborough School and has since been involved in all aspects of school life at various schools ranging from teaching Music and Singing to being a Boarding Houseparent and Army officer in the CCF. She currently teaches at St Andrew’s Prep in Eastbourne where she and her family have been involved since 2003. When not doing something musical, Rachel can usually be found in the sea.

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