We all, however successful we are, have areas in which we feel vulnerable. One of mine has always been singing. Having been told as a child to ‘sit with the crows, not the larks’ I have always known I have a rotten voice. But I also know that education is a life-long journey and we can grow and learn at any age. So, when Sky Arts promised that they could teach anyone to sing I took the challenge! It has been an amazing journey alongside 5 other lovely non-singers and three completely wonderful teachers. There were heartfelt tears and transformative experiences along the way, and I hope the programme will encourage others to face their most deep-seated fears and know that it’s never too late to learn.
The Revd Dr Ellen Clark-King
26 January 2022
King's Dean takes part in new show, Anyone Can Sing
The Revd Dr Ellen Clark-King will take part in Sky Arts' upcoming show, Anyone Can Sing.
The show, which is set to air weekly on Sky Arts from 30 March, follows six participants as they are put through their paces as they learn to sing, proving that all of us can hold a tune. The English National Opera’s world-class vocal coaches - Nicky Spence, Sarah Pring and Michael Harper - mentor the would-be singers throughout the process, giving masterclasses on everything from vocal technique to stage presence and setting them a series of musical challenges with the help of singing superstars such as Katherine Jenkins to take their singing to the next level – all in the space of three months.
The Revd Dr Ellen Clark-King became the first female Dean in King's 191 year history, when she started in the role in December 2020. The Dean of King's College London is responsible for overseeing the spiritual development and pastoral welfare of all students and staff from all faiths and none.
The Revd Dr Ellen Clark-King has degrees in History (University of Cambridge) and Christian Spirituality (University of London), and specialised in Practical Theology and Feminist Spirituality for her PhD (Lancaster University) with a thesis on Feminist Theology interrogated by the voices of white working class women.
She trained for the Anglican priesthood in Oxford; following her ordination in 1992 and a curacy in the Diocese of Hereford, Dr Clark-King’s next role was as Chaplain and Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (1995-2000). She then spent time in parish, cathedral and higher education settings in the UK, Canada, and the US, before starting as Dean of King’s.
