Page 31 - Redditch People

Redditch People

Her father had received music lessons from a pupil of Edward Elgar and her mother also
loved music and they encouraged both Alma and her older brother Jason with their
musical careers.

From the age of about six Alma studied piano with Cyril Moseley until she won a
studentship at the Birmingham Conservatoire where she studied piano, theory and acting
in her early teens. She later studied piano with Appleby Matthews, Tom Bromley, Denis
Matthews and Patrick Cory. Appleby Matthews also taught her conducting and he went
on to found the CBSO.

Her singing career began at the age of about 10 when her brother Jason’s voice broke at
the beginning of a term in which her mother had already paid for singing lessons from
Mavis Bennett and so she took over those lessons. She continued to study singing with
Mavis until she died at the age of 89 in 1990, often over the telephone after Mavis moved
to Dorset. She also studied with the famous counter-tenor Alfred Deller.

She continued with her musical studies whilst attending Redditch County High School
between 1938 and 1943.

Her first public performances took place at the Methodist Church in Headless Cross, where
there were many opportunities for budding musicians to try out their skills. She had
become an experienced accompanist in a few years and in about 1936 Mavis Bennett
asked her to teach some of her singing pupils some interesting solos, which Mavis would
then conduct. She also played as an accompanist at the Palace Theatre when she was
about 11.

Mavis’ ‘Juvenile Songsters’ became quite famous and they performed on the BBC
‘Children’s Hour’ many times, during which Alma always sang a ‘Song at the Piano’ as
well as accompanying the soloists and choir, Alma was only 13 at the time. They all
travelled to Broadcasting House in London during the war to make the recordings.

Alma, together with her brother Jason, joined the City of Birmingham Choir and later
became members of the BBC Midland Chorus and Singers, in about 1940. Alma also
became a soloist with the BBC and gave many broadcast recitals; she was featured in the
Radio Times in July 1950 for a concert she gave with Harry Shaw. In her early twenties
she auditioned at the London BBC for Television and was accepted, but quite soon she
became too busy with five sons to pursue that career.

Alma married Walter Evelyn (Tony) Clarke in 1948 and they continued to live in Redditch
until 1955, then they moved to Studley. Tony Clarke always encouraged her career,
especially Redditch Choral Society, where he helped behind the scenes with the concerts.

During 1948 Alma founded the Redditch Bach Choir and Orchestra, which she directed.
She was asked to join The Royal Opera House in the 1950’s, but was unable to accept
due to her family commitments.

In 1964 Alma Bright founded the Midlands Opera Group with rehearsals taking place at
Aston University, Bromsgrove College and Bates Hill Church in Redditch. Alma also made
all the costumes for the principals.

In early 1964 Alma placed a small advertisement in The Redditch Indicator inviting

© RLHS 2015 Page: 31