Belinda Sykes - 'ethnic' session singer
Alto/Tenor voice, shawms, oboe, recorders and bagpipes

N.B. I DO NOT SING SOPRANO!

Belinda Sykes is a London-based session singer who can sightsing in various ethnic styles including Bulgarian singing and Arabic singing. Belinda studied voice and improvisation in Morocco, Bulgaria, Syria, Spain and India; oboe and recorder at the Guildhall School of Music. She is now Professor of Medieval Music at Trinity College of Music.

Belinda has been a soloist on scores by: Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Karl Jenkins, George Fenton, Trevor Jones, Howard Shore, Richard Harvey, Harry Gregson-Williams, Christian Henson, James Horner, Adrian Johnston, Jocelyn Pook, Rob Lane, Graeme Revell, Gabriel Yared, Matthew Ferraro.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vocal ranges pdf
Instrument ranges pdf
Duduk ranges pdf

Listen to soundfiles of Belinda's work:

 

Belinda's voices - all multi-tracked
Balkan Choir.mp3 | Composed by Chris Blackwell
New Age Arabic.mp3 | Composed by Trevor Jones & Belinda Sykes
Bulgarian Caterwaul.mp3 | Traditional/Belinda Sykes
Arabic impro .mp3 | Belinda Sykes
Gothic Horror.mp3 | Composed by Adrian Johnston & Belinda Sykes
Ethnic/African.mp3 | Composed by David Poore

 

Belinda's ethnic wind instruments
Low Duduk.mp3 | Composed by Steve Hamilton & Belinda Sykes
High Duduk.mp3 | Composed by Belinda Sykes
Arabic Shawm.mp3 | Composed by Jonathan Cooper & Belinda Sykes
Ethnic Flute.mp3 | Composed by Steve Hamilton & Belinda Sykes
Soprano shawm.mp3 | Anon - medieval
Alto Shawm.mp3 | Anon/Belinda Sykes
Ethnic Shawms.mp3 | Composed by Mozart & Belinda Sykes
Ethnic Double flute.mp3 | Improvised by Belinda Sykes
Bagpipes.mp3 | Traditional/Belinda Sykes
Single Reed Bagpipes.mp3 | Composed by Belinda Sykes
Oboe.mp3 | Composed by Kim Burton & Belinda Sykes



Belinda's soundtracks include:
Being Human (BBC)
Planet Earth (BBC)
House of Saddam (BBC)
Jane Eyre (BBC)
Hamlet (Zeffirelli)
GI Jane
The Cell
Red Planet
13th Warrior
Cleopatra
From Hell
Copenhagen
Around the World in 80 Days
Troy
Merchant of Venice (Al Pacino)
Kingdom of Heaven
River Queen
Severance
Brick Lane

"Belinda Sykes' study of voice and improvisation in North Africa, Spain and the Middle East was thrillingly evident " The Times, December 2005

Belinda has recorded/sung solo with many of Europe's major early music ensembles and her own band Joglaresa. She has also sung on soundtracks with artists as diverse as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Norma Winstone and the Master Musicians of Joujouka.

As an oboist she has played for the Gabrieli Consort, English Concert, King’s Consort, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Age of Enlightenment, and Hanover Band, and won the 1990 Reichenberg Award for Baroque Oboe. Belinda has an MMUS in Ethnomusicology/Arabic music from London University (SOAS) and is a musical director and composer for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Belinda has taught at Newcastle University, Exeter University, York University, Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. London's Arabic press has enthused: "One would never realise she is not Arabic".

email Belinda c/o Ensemble Joglaresa