Guildhall Jazz Voices

With a background in both Classical music and Jazz, Clare joined 5-time Grammy winning vocal group The Swingles in 2007 and toured with them for 11 years. Whilst in the group she had the chance to sing with artists such as Rumer, Jamie Cullum and Labrinth, as well as perform in some of the world’s most prestigious music venues and working with legendary conductors.

Growing up in Kenya, she has sung in African Gospel Choirs, as well as Gospel Choirs in UK, Jazz Vocal Ensembles, Classical Chamber Choirs, Symphonic Choirs and of course The Swingles. She is a solo jazz singer, improviser, composer and arranger, most recently working on BBC Radio 3’s Carol Competition 2020 as their in-house arranger.

She has been a guest host of BBC Radio 2’s show The Choir, as well as arranger and vocal coach on the BBC One show Pitch Battle in 2017, working in the final with vocal group Scot Soul and soul legend Chaka Khan.

As a singer Clare performs all over the world, as a soloist, in choirs and vocal ensembles, singing Early Music, Jazz, Gospel, Contemporary Classical and Pop, following her love of music from across all genres, from singing backing vocals for Jacob Collier’s Prom Performance in 2018 with the Metropol Jazz Orkester to brand new original tri-lingual setting of Te Deum by John Featherstone across Europe.

Clare’s composition and arranging work ranges from a cappella, through big band all the way to orchestral writing. Specialising in vocal music, she keeps busy writing for vocal groups all over the world who seek out her individual style and harmonic approach.

In September 2019 she joined the staff of the Jazz Department of Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where she is the Faculty Chair of jazz voice, teaches improvisation, aural and transcription, vocal jazz and directs the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. She is also the Principal Conductor of the Guildhall Session Singers, a new choir for recent graduates entering the session scene.