Profiles

Ed was born and educated in Belfast. On leaving school he joined the Royal Marine Band Service, in which he served for almost thirty years, having the privilege of serving with distinction on Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia.

Ed's passion and love for music have never diminished and he joined the orchestra as its conductor in 2006. Ed appeared in the first semi-final of Radio 4's musical quiz 'Counterpoint' in May 2007.

Jennie Reeves lives in Southampton with her husband and two children, and works in the Electronics industry. Enjoying playing the violin is her main hobby, filling all her spare time on top of family life and work.

She started playing violin, aged 5 and progressed through to Grade 8 aged 18 under a Music Association Scholarship. Jennie joined the Portsmouth Light Orchestra aged 12.

Aged 18 she left Portsmouth temporarily to study Chemistry at the University of Surrey during which time she played 1st Violin in the University Symphony Orchestra. Upon graduating, she returned to Portsmouth to pursue her career and also rejoined the PLO playing 1st Violin and was promoted to Leader in the late 1990s. She has performed a variety of solos with the orchestra including 'Czardas' by Vittorio Monti, the 1st Movement of the Bach Double Violin Concerto and the 2nd Movement of the Max Bruch Violin Concerto in G minor.

Val Loft, a retired teacher, lives in Farlington.

Val started playing the piano at the age of 8 and went on to study with John Churchill, organist at St Martin in the Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, and his deputy, Jean Trevelyan. She gained the ARCM in Pianoforte Teaching just after her 18th birthday, then went on to study Piano, Piano Accompaniment, Organ and General Musicianship (including Keyboard Harmony aka 'busking') at the Royal College of Music. While there, she passed the LRAM in Piano Accompaniment and GRSM qualifications.

Val taught in comprehensive schools in London and Portsmouth until her retirement in 1997 when she again found time to enjoy her first love of playing the piano. She has performed the slow movements of Mozart's Piano Concerto no 21 and Beethoven's Emperor Concerto with the Portsmouth Light Orchestra as well as playing piano solos/accompaniments in past concerts.