Rose Bottomley, who founded Mickleton and District Music and Drama Society (Mad Mads) in the 1960s and performed as a professional singer at numerous events in the area, may have died four years ago but her ability to bring people together through music is set to live on.
The singer’s daughter, Katie, now wants to establish a new adult choir at The Hub, in Barnard Castle, to carry on the tradition. Her mother was renowned for the Renaissance choir she brought together while still alive.
Ms Bottomley, a music teacher in her own right, has returned to provide music training in Teesdale after spending much of her life in London and on the continent. She famously rubbed shoulders with the likes of Paul Merton, Vanessa Feltz, Amanda Barrie, Richard Wilson and Julian Clarey while working on ITV’s Dick Whittington pantomime in 2007.
She also worked extensively in Bratislava, in Slovakia, where she ingeniously used her guitar and Beatles songs to teach English.
More recently she was selected to represent the North East for BBC World Music Day and was filmed playing a grand piano in the Northumberland outdoors.
She said: “My heart is still in Teesdale. Of all the places I have travelled, it is still here.”
Along with presenting keyboard training to children as young as four and singing classes in Teesdale, she launched a new adult choir this week, offering free entry to anyone who wants to join during the first six weeks.
Ms Bottomley said: “I’m keeping on mum’s legacy by creating a voice of Teesdale and bringing people together.”
She added that people do not need experience to join and songs would be light and fun. As Ms Bottomley will be conducting the choir, she also hopes to recruit a pianist to provide accompanying music for the choir.
The choir meets every Monday evening at 7.30pm.
Anyone interested in joining can contact The Hub on 01833 690150.
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