JAZZ VOCALIST
Julie Roberts
Julie Roberts at The Spiegel Tent in Brighton fringe 2021
Julie’s performance with Mike Hatchard in the Hurst Festival was a soirée in Lamb House, Hurstpierpoint UK on Monday 23rd September 2024. Tickets sold out a month before the event.
Comment
I am sure the audience went home happy and impressed by the evening’s experience. There were quite a lot of laughs as well as some dazzling playing by Mike, especially Steeplechase Rag. Everything he plays has the hallmark of a pianist at the top of his profession and a truly exceptional creative talent.
Julie gave us some gutsy blues, popular jazz standards and ballads like the moving Peggy Lee song What’s New? Her emotional connection with her songs and the special quality of her voice are what distinguishes her performances. I always think it is a very special experience to hear Julie sing.
David Roberts
Julie's next concert - jazz and blues
LINK
This is a link to WeGotTickets page for buying tickets for this event. There is no booking fee.
If you would prefer not to order online you can reserve tickets by phoning us and pay when you arrive. Cash preferred. Number to reserve tickets 01273 965 036.
We were very sorry to hear of the death of Herbie Flowers today, 8 September 2024. He will be missed by the thousands of people who came time and time again to his concerts, especially his “Jazz Breakfasts”. He was a hugely important figure in the local music scene and loved by so many people.
We have been coming to his gigs for well over thirty years and in the last ten years Julie counted herself very lucky and privileged to be invited to sing for him and have him play for her.
David Roberts
Julie singing in Mike Hatchard’s Jazz Breakfast at The Harbour Club, Shoreham, 14 April 2024
Julie Roberts sings with Herbie Flowers electric bass, Mark Edwards keyboard, Marianne Hillier-Brooke percussion. Ditchling village concert 16 June 2024.
Julie with Mike Hatchard in Hurstpierpoint Holy Trinity Church, Saturday 18 May 2024
Julie sings Alfie, a concert with Shoreham Singers and Ditchling Singers 9 June 2024
Julie Roberts in Mike Hatchard's Jazz Breakfast at The Harbour Club Shoreham Sunday 14 April 2024
Another full house for Mike Hatchard’s Jazz Breakfast
George Trebar bass, Julie Roberts vocals, Mike Hatchard keyboard and vocals
Previous Shoreham Jazz Breakfast November 2023
Sold Out
A packed audience enjoyed a brilliant gig with five musicians on top form. Great variety. Musicians with excellent rapport amongst themselves and with the audience, having a great time. I am sure the audience went home feeling they had had a great Sunday morning. Jazz Breakfasts don’t get much better than this.
Julie delivered songs with great feeling, including – Cry me a river with its tearing emotion, a beautifully sensitive The nearness of you, and a really gutsy blues, Unlucky woman.
2023 This year Julie has been singing in choirs – Sussex Chorus and Shoreham Singers-by-Sea.
Sussex Chorus is a large classical choir that was established over 100 years ago and is currently rehearsing Verdi’s Requiem.
Shoreham Singers-by-Sea is a community choir with a popular repertoire. Julie has been a member since its beginning well over 10 years ago. If you would like to sing in a feel-good community choir why not try a free taster session. The choir welcomes new members. Contact Tel: 07969 572317
24th September. Julie was one of six soloists and sang a couple of songs in the concert of Shoreham Singers by Sea at The Shoreham Centre. It was a programme of sea songs with exceptionally interesting arrangements by the choir’s musical director, Mike Hatchard. Oz Dechaine, bass, and Nils Solberg, guitar with Mike on piano accompanied choir and solists. Seven Singers were impressive with their accomplished singing of madrigals. A varied, uplifting and fun afternoon.
Julie’s two songs had music composed by Mike: The Pobble – the words of Edward Lear’s nonsense poem, and The Wild Wind, the words of a poem I wrote and put in my extensive collection of poems about human behaviour, entitled Poems about love: How could you know? (Available from Amazon). The picture shows Julie with some of the choir just after she had sung The Wild Wind.
Concert 2022
A sold out concert in aid of the NSPCC, organised by the Hurstpierpoint and Hassocks NSPCC support group.
Jazz, blues and contemporary songs with singer Julie Roberts, pianist Michael Hinton. Special guests Claire Lacey, cello, and Herbie Flowers, tuba and electric bass.
This turned out to be the last concert in which Julie sang with Michael Hinton’s accompaniment. They had worked together very successfully for many years. Michael has decided to retire from public performances and after a lifetime of music now devotes his time to his other talents, interests and family.
The venue was the Great Hall of Danny House, the Elizabethan mansion in Hurstpierpoint, 7 August 2022.
Thanks to the generosity of the audience the concert raised £1075-00
Julie Roberts, Claire Lacey and Michael Hinton at Danny House, 7 August 2022. Photo by George Cox.
Herbie Flowers entertaining with his vintage tuba. Photo by George Cox.
Julie Roberts. Michael Hinton, Herbie Flowers
Julie Roberts and Michael Hinton 7 August 2022 in Danny House
Julie Roberts, Brighton Fringe Festival, Herbie Flowers Jazz Breakfast, 2022
Danny House, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, BN6 9BB UK. Elizabethan Mansion.
The British War Cabinet (including Lloyd George and Winston Churchill) met here in the great hall
in November 1918 to consider the terms of the Versailles Treaty.
THE CONCERT THAT COVID COULDN'T KILL - raised
£1088-00 for British Heart Foundation
Musicians win through in spite of last minute disaster
Our Jazz and Blues concert was planned with Julie Roberts vocals, Michael Hinton piano, and Herbie Flowers double bass – in aid of British Heart Foundation – for Sunday 10th April 2022, in Ditchling Village Hall.
First man down
Ten days before the concert Herbie Flowers was ill and phoned to say he couldn’t
take part in the concert. We were very lucky that an outstanding bass player, Terry Pack, was available and willing to play on that date. Many people were especially looking forward to seeing and hearing Herbie so there were a number of returned tickets.
All set for success, then disastrous news
In spite of this setback we sold out and looked forward to playing to a full house.
On the morning of the concert Michael Hinton phoned to say that he had woken with a fever and had tested positive for covid.
He suggested that we should phone pianist, Mike Hatchard, as a pianist who had the ability to make a success of a performance without preparation, although he (Michael Hinton) would make available all his carefully prepared chord charts for every song in the show.
Julie phoned Mike Hatchard who was about to leave home to rehearse the Shoreham Singers by Sea choir in Shoreham. In spite of a full morning’s schedule Mike readily agreed to take on the challenge.
Countdown
By 2pm the stage was set and Mike, Terry and Julie could have a quick look at the chord charts. At 2.30 the doors opened with much of the programme still unseen by Mike.
At 3pm I introduced the show and explained that we had an extraordinary situation which relied particularly on Mike Hatchard’s musical talent and quick thinking to carry the show through – and of course the nimbleness of singer and bass player to work with an accompanist working without preparation.
The show began. The atmosphere was charged with an unusual degree of hope, fear, and excitement. At that moment no-one knew what might happen in the coming minutes and hours.
Triumph over adversity
Mike especially, but also Julie and Terry, were by general agreement, amazing. The warmth, humour, musical variety, and talent of the performers delighted everyone present.
The concert raised £1088-00 for British Heart Foundation, money that will go to fund further research into the prevention and treatment of heart disease, strokes, vascular dementia, high blood pressure and related circulatory problems.
David Roberts, 11 May 2022.
Julie Roberts vocals, Mike Hatchard piano, Terry Pack double bass - British Heart Foundation Concert - 10 April 2022
For many years Julie sang mainly with the superb piano accompaniment of pianist/composer/arranger, Michael Hinton. Together they recorded three CDs.
Hear Julie Sing
Julie’s beautiful and powerful performance of Feeling Good, with Michael Hinton on piano, recorded live at the Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham UK 22 October 2017.
You can hear more tracks on the “Hear” page.
Feeling Good
- "Feeling Good" Julie Roberts and Michael Hinton. 2017
2020 at The Hassocks Hotel, sold out, shortly before the first covid lock-down.
Julie with legendary bass player, Herbie Flowers, in Brighton Fringe Festival in the Spiegeltent, 27 June 2021. Michael Hinton played the piano.
"Julie is a fabulous singer...
“Julie Roberts is a fabulous singer… I love that dark smoky voice . . . She’s really brilliant. . . Really sophisticated . . . a great singer.”
– Claire Martin, speaking on BBC South Live. (Claire Martin is an internationally renowned jazz vocalist and recording artist.)
“Julie is a wonderful interpreter of jazz standards,” – Mike Hatchard, jazz pianist.
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