About Us
The Cherubim Music Trust (charity #1088403) owes its existence to Clancy Steer, who founded it in response to her personal experience and keen understanding of the needs of young musicians:
“Our daughter Serafina chose to take up the harp aged seven. After the VIth form at Chethams Specialist Music School, where she had access to a first-rate concert harp, in 2000 we were faced with buying her a £10,000 instrument for music college – but as we had only recently moved house a further loan was out of the question. For us, a genuine fairy godmother provided a suitable instrument, so the ground was laid for Serafina’s later successes as a harpist and songwriter.”
To help others in similar situations Clancy created Cherubim Music Trust in 2001 with the aid of the Gosling Foundation. In the decades since, the Trust has grown steadily by purchase, donation and loan and now holds 30+ instruments worth over £400,000.
Trustees
Juliet Brain
Simon Foster
David Ganderton (Chair)
Mary-Jane Gibbons
Sir Raymond Jack
Anne Davies
James Scott-Clarke
Clancy Steer
Deborah Steer
Patrons
Baroness Cumberlege CBE DL
Alison Balsom
Michael Collins FRCM HonRAM
Sir Mark Elder
Prof Guy Johnston
Tasmin Little
Chi-chi Nwanoku MBE
Trevor Pinnock CBE
Marisa Robles FRSM
Personnel
Founder
Deirdre Clancy Steer
Clancy played a key role in the development of modern theatre since seminal 1960s at the London Royal Court. She has collaborated with many of the world’s leading theatre, opera and film directors, designing nearly 200 productions worldwide. She holds two Oliviers for Best Costume, a BAFTA Best Costume for Mrs Brown.
Director
Michael Maxwell Steer
Clancy’s husband is currently directing the Trust. A former BBC music producer and Head of 20thC Studies at the Junior Royal College of Music, he composes and teaches in Wiltshire while maintaining a career as a performer.
Chair
David Ganderton
David took over the position of Chair from Felix Rigg in 2017. He is a lifelong music lover who has recently moved to Tisbury. He approaches his new responsibilities with an equal measure of enthusiasm and trepidation.
Behind the scenes
The reason the Trust runs fairly smoothly in public is because we have some first-class professionals supporting it behind the scenes.
Juliet Brain has just taken over as Administrator. Juliet has been a Cherubim trustee for a couple of years, she trained in theatre at GSA and is a tireless advocate for young people’s involvement in the arts. Her Youth work includes The Arts Award as Regional Manager SE, Artswork and Salisbury Playhouse. In her current guise as 'Juliet Swan Productions' she is seeding a community venture ‘All Walks of Life’ for International Women’s Day 2021.
Succeding Roz Surtees as SocialMediator is Charles Lewis, who comes with a wealth of experience, having managed the online presence of British Youth Opera, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and
the LondonMozart Players.
Charles is a familiar figure in the small worlds of opera and classical music marketing, and works with a handful of arts organisations to help talk to their online audiences. He says “I can’t wait to build on the hard work that’s already been done and spread the word about what Cherubim does to even more people.”
Our Webmaster Ros Russell is a wonderfully resourceful resource person for Tisbury. Her main work is as a business consultant and mentor but she supports Tisbury in a number of volunteer roles – as a publisher for the local magazine, driving the village minibus and also working to build up the New Victoria Hall as a venue
for art exhibitions. For Cherubim she also looks after mailouts and occasional graphic design.