On the 15th June 2011 we marked our Diamond Jubilee with an event that celebrated the life and work of Rose Bruford and her special qualities as an exquisite speaker of verse. Our Guest of Honour was Cicely Berry CBE, Hon. DLit., Director of Voice and Text at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Patron of the Rose Bruford International Research Centre for Voice and Speech which sponsored the event.
An exhibition entitled Think Move Speak in The Barn Gallery, highlighting important aspects of Rose Bruford’s life, provided one of the foci for the day’s activities. Another was the Rose Garden in the College Grounds dedicated by Cicely Berry to the memory of Rose Bruford with a display of the roses named after, produced by the Wheatcroft Brothers in 1960.
A Poetry Recital in the evening was held in The Barn Theatre which was the main performance stage during Rose Bruford’s time as Principal of the College. The Recital was given by students, staff, alumni and distinguished guests, drawing on a wide range of poetry and song. Here we heard also the voice of John Masefield, Poet Laureate and Friend of the College as he liked to be known, giving a short speech on the occasion of the opening of an extension to The Barn Theatre made possible by a grant from TV Redeffusion; and the voice of Rose Bruford herself speaking William Blake’s “The Tyger” from a recording of her last recital in the Purcell Room on the 17th October 1971.
The Recital was followed by an Award Ceremony which honoured Betty Mulcahy for her contribution to Spoken Poetry as an Art Form; Professor Sally Grace for her contribution to the Teaching of Verse Speaking and Voice Training; and Cicely Berry with a Lifetime Achievement Award for pioneering work in verse speaking and empowering people to find their authentic voice.
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