Who is Katherine Brookes?
Katherine Brookes is a musician, artistic director and World Record Holding Flautist.
In August 2017 Katherine reclaimed the Guinness World Record for the ‘Longest Flute Marathon’ playing for 27 hours 32 minutes and 32 seconds in aid of Cancer charities.
Born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, Katherine began playing the recorder as a young child, before initially taking up the piano, and then the flute. At the age of 11 she was awarded the Cyril Collins Bursary Award for her piano playing, and by the age of 17 was a grade 8 pianist and flautist. She continued her studies at the University College of North Wales, Bangor, attaining a B. A. Hon’s. She then studied for a PGCE in secondary education at the University of East Anglia.
Since 1994 Katherine has had a very successful career in teaching, rising to Head of Music and ultimately Head of Expressive Arts at a secondary school in Staffordshire. In December 2007 she resigned this post to concentrate on her music, but has continued teaching peripatetically.
Katherine has travelled around the country and Europe, giving recitals and performing as a pianist and flautist. Credits include Sudbury Hall (Derbyshire), Coughton Court (Warwickshire), Dunster Castle (Somerset) and Blanc et Noir Piano Festival (Lagrasse, France). She has also been part of the local orchestral scene in Warwickshire, performing at venues such as the Swan Theatre (Stratford Upon Avon), and as part of pit orchestras at The Loft Theatre in Leamington Spa for Into The Woods, at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry for Disney’s Beauty and The Beast & My Fair Lady and at the Warwick Arts Centre for The Wizard of Oz.
She also regularly plays her own arrangements of classical favourites. She was a rehearsal pianist for ‘Sing Live Central’ and was the resident accompanist for the Atherstone Chorale for 10 years. As a singer Katherine has performed all over the country, for weddings, shows and concerts.
Katherine has musically directed a number of shows, including The Wizard of Oz at the Priory Theatre, Kenilworth, We Will Rock You (Rugeley), Our House at the ArtsHouse Stratford Upon Avon, Beauty & The Beast and Sleeping Beauty (Pantomime) at The Abbey Theatre Nuneaton and a number of shows and pantomimes at Bedworth Civic Hall with Nuneaton Pantomime and Review Society. She is MD for The Atherstone Chorale, taking up the post in January 2010. She has also worked as a Director for Nuneaton Pantomime And Review Society, having written their 2018 pantomime Aladdin. She also created, directed, MD’d and choreographed The Big Show in 2017, and was MD and Director for Return to the Forbidden Planet in 2018.
In August 2018 Katherine created her own theatre group, Sparkle Theatre – a family orientated group that doesn’t just put on great theatrical productions, but also teaches theatre craft. In January 2019 Sparkle Theatre Choir was added to the Sparkle family.
Katherine is also a published composer having sold her music worldwide.
