As a trained phonetician, I have had great pleasure training my fellow tutors at the City Lit how to include learners with some hearing loss in language classes. EDI is at the heart of everything I believe in. Around 50% of the UK population older than 50 years have some hearing loss- and also younger learners might be affected. Posting videos and recordings on a platform, making sure you speak clearly and students can see you for lip reading are just a couple of examples to make participation for all learners possible. Many thanks to our amazing deaf department for their suppport.
It‘s been such a great pleasure working again with the extraordinarily talented Alex Lowe on this dramatic project. Can’t wait for the recording to come out! Thank you for a wonderful collaboration also to Ian Page and Simon Kiln. What a wonderful evening of recording.
What a fantastic mix of learners at my German pronunciation workshop at the City Lit: Opera singers, students who have just started learning German, fluent German speakers! Well done for having made it to the City Lit on a Friday night! 🙃🇩🇪 In the first session we covered the difference between vowels and consonants and how they are produced as well as the German vowel system.
What a great pleasure coaching the talented Sam on “Winterstürme“ and “Oh Freund“. Watch this space! This guy is going to go far! And thank you to the wonderful Jane Robinson for her beautiful playing and support!!!
Samuel Downes
Samuel Downes is a 29-year old British-New Zealand Tenor from Auckland, New Zealand who has had significant vocal experience through his work with New Zealand Opera, and his chorus background. Samuel Downes is a student of César Ulloa.
Samuel recently graduated with his Masters and Professional Studies Certificate from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he was a regular performer in their mainstage productions, including Candide, Proving Up, Gianni Schicchi, The Consul,l’Enfant et les sortilege, and Le Docteur Miracle.
Before studying in San Francisco, Samuel performed with Wellington Opera in their production of La traviata as Barone.
Samuel was a Dame Malvina Major New Zealand Opera Studio Artist in 2020, where he performed in New Zealand Opera productions, piloted new compositions, and also toured the country as part of their musical outreach programme.
He was a member of the New Zealand Opera Chorus from 2018-2021 and regularly attended the New Zealand Opera School in Whanganui.
Samuel recently transitioned from baritone to tenor in 2024. He is currently supported by the Kiri te Kanawa Foundation, the Freemason Foundation, Bernice and John Lindstrom, the John and Margaret Hunn Trust, and is the 2025 recipient of the Victoria League Singing Scholarship.
These new pronunciation classes are designed to do more than just fix mistakes —they help you really understand how sounds work and can change the meaning of words.
Students are encouraged to think about those sounds which don’t exist in English. In the German course, for example, you’ll learn how to hear and say important consonants and vowels using a clear, step-by-step method. You’ll spend time on tricky sounds like the German “ch” in ich and Buch, which can be tough for learners and also on the rounded vowels “ö” and “ü”, which need a bit of practice to get right.
Instead of just repeating words over and over, the course uses helpful diagrams showing how the mouth moves, and guided practice to help you get a feel for how German sounds are made. This way, you’re not just copying.
One of the main goals of these classes is to help you understand how sounds work in the language you’re learning. For example, you’ll learn about vowel length—how long a vowel is held or drawn out when you say it. In Swedish, this can actually change the meaning of a word! Think of glas (glass) with a long vowel, versus glass (ice cream) with a short one. You’ll get lots of support to hear and say these differences correctly. By exploring these kinds of concepts in practice, you’ll start to see pronunciation as something physical—like a skill you can train and improve, just like playing an instrument or learning a sport.
