We represent singers in Equity.
As the Singers Committee, we lead the industrial work of the union in relation to singing. We take approved action on issues affecting Equity members working as singers in concerts, recordings, liturgical services, session singing, freelance opera singing and other spaces where members sing professionally. Alongside our colleagues on Equity’s Opera Deputies Committee, we shape the union’s policy and campaigning priorities for singers.
The Singers Committee are elected by Equity members every two years.
Singers' hub
Resources to help you protect your rights, pay and conditions working as a singer.
Our priorities
- Communicate and demonstrate to singers why joining Equity would be of benefit to them, and that by being active members we can work together to achieve even more. There is strength in numbers!
- Ensure that emerging artists graduate from their training institutions with a knowledge about Equity, their rights at work & how to assert them.
- Improve terms and conditions for engagements in freelance opera, choral and solo concert singing.
- Support singers working internationally, be it lobbying and campaigning for better access to international work though reduced visa requirements, reduced administrative burden or local support from our sister unions overseas.
- Ensure that Equity is a visible presence in singers’ workplaces, and that singers know that Equity is their union.
Who we are
About the Singers Committee
I am a member of the Glyndebourne Chorus, have been an Equity Deputy since 2013, and on the Equity Singers Committee since 2023. I have also sung as a principal and understudy artist for Glyndebourne and other opera companies in the UK and Europe, and work freelance as a soloist and choral singer, in concerts, recordings and liturgical settings. During the last committee term I contributed to the development of a Singers Hub on the Equity website and the Equity Singers Manifesto, and supported the launch of Equity’s Liturgical Singers Network and Summer Festivals Working Group. This feels like the beginning - I’m proud to be part of this proactive committee which is improving the working lives of singers. Through this term, I want to ensure singers are more aware of their workplace rights and how their union can support them, and work towards more widespread use of Equity agreements.
I’m an Opera Crossover Soprano whose career began in Opera and has since expanded to a wonderfully eclectic portfolio career in Opera, Classical, Liturgical engagements, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Cabaret, Corporate and Private Events, Weddings/Funerals, and Recording work for film, TV, and advertising. I have had the privilege of serving on the Singers Committee for the last 4 years, which has given me the opportunity to really push to further improve and strengthen our platform.
As a freelancer, I work for a wide variety of organisations in the UK and internationally. I mainly work in opera along with concerts for orchestras, period ensembles, choral societies and recital series. I also stay active as a liturgical singer and session singer when I can. My biggest aims are to persuade more early-career singers to join Equity and, with increased membership, to get more UK companies working with Equity to improve contracts, pay and conditions for us and for future generations. I am also hopeful that we can increase Equity’s support for UK artists who work in the EU. Times may be tricky, but together we can make a positive difference!
As a Dutch classical singer I moved to the UK to study singing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels before building my career as a soloist, choral, and session singer. I perform with leading ensembles such as the Monteverdi Choir and at major events including the King’s Coronation. I am an active member of Equity’s liturgical singers working group, dedicated to improving the relationship between liturgical institutions and singers. I am passionate about strengthening Equity’s influence, raising awareness of our rights, and advocating for improved payments from choral societies, where fees have been stagnant for years. I also champion live vocal recordings - especially in sectors like gaming, where sound banks increasingly replace singers. As a working mother in a career with irregular hours, I understand the unique challenges parents face. Also having experienced periods of ill health, I am committed to fighting for better support for freelance singers.
I’m a crossover vocalist and singing teacher covering classical, jazz and blues, art songs, musical theatre, opera, pop & rock, contemporary, easy listening, traditional/folk, country. Mostly live performance work inclusive of functions, cabarets, variety shows, concerts, recitals, liturgical; musical theatre, operetta and opera productions; and my own poetry, prose, musings and songs. I joined Equity 28 years ago, have been on the Singers Committee since 2023 and stand for fair pay, equal treatment, respect, and recognition for all singers.
I am a British Dramatic Soprano who specialises in Wagner and Richard Strauss. I have been a freelance solo opera and concert singer for 25 years and have sung everything from pop music in the Dutch crossover group “Call”, to session work, church music, early music and contemporary opera. I want to make the industry better for freelance artists, with fair rates of pay, a balance between pay for rehearsals and performances to protect singers, fair rates of pay for covering (understudying) and reasonable notice given of scheduling so that freelancers can plan travel and life commitments with the greatest ease and the minimum expense. I also want to continue to lobby for freedom of movement in Europe as well as trying to make things fairer here in the UK.
I am a professional opera singer with 23 years of experience working for companies including the national companies RBO and ENO, and summer festivals. I have also worked at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerp, gaining insight into contracts, working conditions and practices, and how unions operate within Europe. During my 14 years as a chorister at ENO I spent 2 years as an Equity Deputy during the recent contract negotiations (2022-2024) having previously served as a member of the Chorus Committee. As a member of Singers Committee I will be continuing to advocate for all members, especially those whose voices are currently underrepresented. Working conditions, pay and funding in our sector, particularly Summer Opera Festivals, require constant improvement. I hope to assist in the current push for companies to adopt Equity compliant contracts. I feel passionately that performers deserve fair treatment and for our voices to be heard!
I’m a Scottish mezzo soprano working freelance, mainly in the world of opera. I bring firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities in our industry. I have worked as both ensemble member and soloist for many of the UK’s leading opera companies. My goal over the next two years is to help strengthen protections for freelance singers, champion fair pay, and empower singers with the knowledge they need to advocate for themselves. I believe I can contribute a strong, solutions-focused voice to the committee, drawing on both my industry insight and collaborative approach. This is my first term of Singers Committee, and I'm committed to ensuring all singers are heard and represented. In my previous career as a secondary school music teacher was a member of EIS.