ST BENEDICT’S LECTURE SERIES

‘Women in Music’: Lecture-Recital

Gabriella Di Laccio, founder of the Donne Foundation

Award-winning soprano Gabriella Di Laccio talked about how and why she has become a leading voice in promoting the music of women composers.

Gabriella then gave a wonderful recital of songs by Anna Appleby, Pauline Viardot, Madeleine Dring, Ilse Weber, and Francisca Gonzaga, with the Girls’ Choir joining her for Ethel Smyth’s suffragette anthem, ‘The March of the Women’. The accompanist was Richard Leach.

Gabriella Di Laccio, who is my singing teacher, spoke about how women in music, specifically female composers, are not given the appreciation they deserve. She then performed a number of songs before performing alongside Girls’ Choir, myself and another student and some of her previous students. I found it fascinating learning about my own unconscious bias and wonderful to see how passionately she sang. It was such a brilliant opportunity to be able to sing alongside her as well, and I left feeling inspired and wanting to make a change.

Alice Moore (U5)

I thought that Ms Di Laccio’s recital was very interesting as the songs performed were quite different to one another. I also thought that her work at ‘Donne, Women in Music’ was inspiring and really emphasised how female composers have been disregarded over the years.”

Jake Toynton (U4)

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce

Shevaun Haviland, the Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, shared insights into the organisation’s role, including their aim to build British businesses, invest in people for a stable economy, and raise exportled growth. Haviland’s wealth of knowledge in politics and economics was evident in her discussion, which helped me to understand the interconnected world of business and trade more comprehensively.

Haviland also shared her background in business, which added further depth to the talk and helped to provide context for her points. Her discussion on the recent Trade and Cooperation Agreement was particularly interesting, as she highlighted the positive impact of exporting for businesses. Her perspective was particularly enlightening considering the uncertainty that Brexit has brought.

In addition, Lara Giusti, co-founder of Veloforte (a cycling nutrition brand) shared her personal experiences, providing a unique perspective on trade through Brexit.

In conclusion, I found the talk to be a valuable learning experience, which provided me with a better understanding of the British Chamber of Commerce and the role it plays in supporting businesses in the UK.

Ben Rimmer (U6)

‘Political Reflections’

Stephen Pound, former MP for Ealing North

Stephen Pound gave a fascinating and very engaging talk at St Benedict’s on Wednesday 25th January.