Tuesday14th March
Kate Baker
My Life In Music and Musicals
Kate writes: "When I was six I watched my father conducting an orchestra accompanying a musical. From that moment, I knew that it was my future, and in 1977 I realised that dream when I formed my own musical theatre company. The last 45 years have been full of memories, musical friends and the thrill of raising the baton and making it all happen.”
Appreciation by David Fisher
Kate Baker’s presentation in My Life in Music and Musicals did exactly what she promised in that she gave us a chronological overview of her life from her father’s huge musical influence to her training at Leeds University, her phenomenal educational career and her important secondary vocation producing and directing musicals. It would have been enough to play recorded examples from musicals she has produced but, ever the superb performer that she is, she brought her gifted husband (who also played guitar and ukulele) and three more talented singer performers to present an entirely live evening of musical numbers. Leslie Singleton, Josie Pearson and Russ Singleton joined Kate's husband Jim Baker in an entertaining list of songs from musicals Kate has done over the years from 1966–1991. So many more musicals were mentioned—lots of them more recently produced—but, to highlight Kate’s performance and arranging skills, almost all of the pieces performed were especially adapted and arranged for our benefit:
| Musical | Composed By | Song |
|---|---|---|
| Merrie England [1902] | Edward German | The perfect English Rose |
| HMS Pinafore [1878] | Gilbert & Sullivan | I’m Called Little Buttercup |
| Oklahoma [1943] | Rodgers & Hammerstein | Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ |
| The Farmer and the Cowman | ||
| My Fair Lady [1956] | Lerner & Loewe | Wouldn’t it be loverly? |
| I could have danced all night | ||
| Carousel [1945] | Rodgers & Hammerstein | You’ll Never Walk Alone |
| The Sound of Music [1959] | Rodgers & Hammerstein | Climb Every Mountain |
| Me and My Girl [1984 version] | Gay with Furber & Rose (revised Fry and Ockrent) | Leaning on a Lamp-post |
| Half a Sixpence [1963] | Heneker & Cross | She’s Too Far Above Me |
| Flash Bang Wallop | ||
| Grease [1971] | Jacobs & Casey | Those Magic Changes |
| Calamity Jane [1961] | Fain & Webster | Secret Love |
| Just Blew in from the Windy City | ||
| The Boy Friend [1954] | Sandy Wilson | It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love |
| Godspell [1971] | Schwartz and Tebelak | All For The Best |
| Seven Brides for Seven Brothers [1954] | de Paul, Kasha, Hirschhorn, Mercer | Love Never Goes Away |
| Guys and Dolls [1950] | Loesser with Swerling & Burrows | I’ve Never Been in Love Before |
| When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky |
All the songs were performed with energy and feeling and the appreciative audience admired not only the singing but also Kate’s impeccable keyboard skills and the anecdotes which enlivened her interesting introductions to each musical. I have known Kate Baker for many years and realised from the moment I met her that she is one of the most natural, intuitive and talented musicians I have ever worked with. This enjoyable evening confirmed that, and no-one will be surprised that she very much deserved her MBE for services to music and education.
Kate and her Singers
