MEG
ELLA
BROOKES
MULTIDISCIPLINARY MUSICIAN
SESSION WORK ︎ VOCALS ︎ CELLO ︎ PIANO ARRANGING & ORCHESTRATION︎ MUSICAL & CREATIVE DIRECTION ︎ COMPOSER & SONGWRITER
Welsh born. London Based.
To get a better sense of what I do you can read testimonials & credits below.
If you have any questions or would like to chat about how we can work together, get in touch here.
M.
“A singer songwriter, composer and all round musical genius, who effortlessly picks up instruments and makes it look infuriatingly easy. She is incredibly talented, in high-demand, a furiously booked up woman, and one of my favourite artists.”
Salma El Wardany, BBC Radio London
ORGANISATION ROLES
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD,
the UK’s leading refugee choir.
2017 - present
PROJECT MANAGER & ARRANGER
LONDON CONTEMPORARY VOICES
2016 - present
TREASURER
THE MAGDALENA PROJECT,
an international network of women in theatre.
2022 - present
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
TRANS VOICES
2021 - present
SESSION WORK, live and recorded
ARTISTS
Jools Holland; ABBA; Basement Jaxx; Pete Tong; Elbow; BBC Symphony Orchestra; Jules Buckley; Sir Tom Jones; Laura Mvula; John Grant; Nitin Sawhney; Angel Olsen; Emeli Sandé; Patrick Watson; Imogen Heap; Ilan Eshkeri, Dermot Kennedy, The Staves, Kelly Lee Owens, Wolf Alice, Orlando Weeks (The Maccabees); Paris Paloma; Manu Delago; Marc Almond; Charlotte Church; Paris Paloma; Tom Chaplin (Keane); Alev Lenz; Reeps One; Amber Run; Ian Shaw; Be No Rain, Brijs
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ADVERTISEMENTS/TV
Nike; Lloyds Bank; Sims 4; ROBBIE WILLIAMS, Netflix; David Attenborough’s Perfect Planet, Aldi; Mandarin Oriental Hotels; My Builder; Just Giving; BBC Platinum Party at the Palace (BAFTA Winning); Channel 4, The Great Christmas Bake Off; BBC The ONE Show
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“a woman with the voice of an angel.”
Theatre Box
“The show’s USP is it’s live band; Meg Ella’s soulful voice underscores these antics, creating a rich atmosphere […]”
Time Out
MUSICAL DIRECTION AND COMPOSITION
CONDUCTOR & DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Infected Blood Inquiry Report Presentation Event
London Contemporary Voices / St Botolph’s Choir / PRISM String Quartet
Westminster Central Hall
2024
CHORAL DIRECTOR
Jools Holland / London Contemporary Voices
The National Gallery 200th Celebration Concert
2024
CHORAL DIRECTOR
Paris Paloma / London Contemporary Voices
Kelly Clarkson Show
2024
SONGWRITER & COMPOSER
Vagina Rex & The Gas Oven / London Performance Studios
2024
CONDUCTOR
Nitin Sawhney / London Contemporary Voices
Royal Albert Hall
2023
CHORAL asst. DIRECTOR
A Play for the Living in the Time of Extinction,
Starring Lydia West (It’s a Sin), Dir. Katie Mitchell,
The Barbican.
2023
CHORAL asst. DIRECTOR
Elbow with Citizens Of The World Choir.
BAFTA Winning BBC Platinum Jubilee Party At The Palace
2022
CHORAL asst. DIRECTOR
Elbow with Citizens Of The World Choir.
Glastonbury Festival Pyramid stage
2022
MUSICAL DIRECTOR, deputy
Measure for Measure.
Sam Wannamaker Theatre at Shakespere’s Globe
2021
STRING DIRECTION
Dermot Kennedy/ ITV The Brits Are Coming.
2020
MUSICAL DIRECTION
Collaborations with London Contemporary Voices
including Jools Holland, John Grant, Wolf Alice, Emeli Sandé, Basement Jaxx, Paris Paloma + more.
2018 - present
COMPOSER & BAND LEADER
Relentless Unstoppable Human Machine, Headline Circus Show
The Roundhouse Circus Fest
2018
COMPOSER & MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Daughter
Global tours (India, Denmark, Colombia, USA, Germany, France, Serbia)
voted Best Overall Performance at the Nisville Jazz & Theatre Festival 2019
2018 - present
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“Her contribution to our last show at the Royal Albert Hall was invaluable and her ability to adapt to what was needed meant that I could relax and focus on the performance. Excellent collaborator.”
Nitin Sawhney CBE
“Meg excelled in all areas. Given the chance I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Meg again in the future; She is disciplined, reliable, intelligent, multitalented and a pleasure to have around.“
Jess Cohen,
Earthfall Dance Company
ARRANGING AND ORCHESTRATION
“These beautiful arrangements have been done by the superb Meg Brookes who’s just stepping onto the stage there - Meg Brookes, let’s hear it.”
Jools Holland OBE
ARRANGEMENTS FOR
Jools Holland; Basement Jaxx; Emeli Sandé; Wolf Alice; John Grant; Jesca Hoop; Brijs, Budapest Scoring Orchestra; Citizens of the World Choir
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ORCHESTRATIONS FOR
BFI feature film, Pretty Red Dress (2022) starring Alexandra Burke
Just Giving, “Jing” (2021)
Mandarin Oriental, London & Tokyo Promotional Films (2021)
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FEATURED BY
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Shakespeare’s Globe
Milton Court
The Barbican
Queen Elizabeth Hall
St James Piccadily
Union Chapel
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Meg has an exceptional, rare and valuable skillset working professionally as a musician at the highest level but also as an arranger, workshop leader and project manager across multidisciplinary projects that bring together professional artists with vulnerable and seldom heard members of society.”
Ilā Kamalagharan,
LCV / Maison Mercury Jones / Trans Voices
STAGES
Wembley, Manchester AO & Glasgow OVO Hydro Arenas; Royal Albert Hall; The Roundhouse; The Royal Opera House; Shakespeare’s Globe; The London Palladium; Ronnie Scotts; Jazz Cafe; Shepherds Bush O2; Cadogan Hall; Union Chapel; Islington Academy; The Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre); The Barbican; Maida Vale Studios; Abbey Road Studios; Glastonbury Festival, multiple stages inc. Pyramid Stage; Love Supreme; Wilderness; Bestival; Secret Garden Party; UK & international tours (Cuba, Dubai, Denmark, India, USA, Serbia, Colombia, France, Germany); BBC One; Channel 4; BBC Radio 1, Live Lounge; BBC Radio London; Virgin Radio, Chris Evans Breakfast Show; Soho Radio
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“The original music by the company is melancholic and eerily beautiful”
Everything Theatre
SINGER SONGWRITER
ARTIST PROJECT
MEG ELLA
Debut EP, The Familiar
April 2024
Championed by Jools Holland, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio London, BBC Introducing & supported by Arts Council England 2021-2022.
“I suspect this is going to be the start of a very, very long musical love affair because MEG ELLA is clearly top-drawer.
[…] all I can say is I was discombobulated by just how beautiful that recording was.
[…] I utterly, utterly love that - very,very good.”
[…] all I can say is I was discombobulated by just how beautiful that recording was.
[…] I utterly, utterly love that - very,very good.”
Adam Walton, BBC Introducing in Wales, BBC Radio Wales
“Goliath was one of the tracks that grabbed me by both ears on first listen [...] it will sound like a terrible pun for a track entitled Goliath but it is genuinely a giant of a track! [...] this has a filmic jazz-infused sophistication that grows as the breadth of ideas become evident alongside quality musicianship. Meg’s vocals are enchanting, agile and expressive and the melody, like the accompanying chord progressions, is unusual and infectious.
She packs so much creativity into less than three minutes of simply stunning music.”
Neil March, Fresh on the Net
“Goliath was one of the tracks that grabbed me by both ears on first listen [...] it will sound like a terrible pun for a track entitled Goliath but it is genuinely a giant of a track! [...] this has a filmic jazz-infused sophistication that grows as the breadth of ideas become evident alongside quality musicianship. Meg’s vocals are enchanting, agile and expressive and the melody, like the accompanying chord progressions, is unusual and infectious.
She packs so much creativity into less than three minutes of simply stunning music.”
Neil March, Fresh on the Net
FEATURES & PERFORMANCES including;
BBC Radio 3 “Earlier... with Jools Holland”
Featured Guest
2024
BBC Radio 3 ‘Round Midnight with Soweto Kinch
Featured BBC Introducing Track
2024
ITV Wales Backstage
Featured Performer
2024
Paris Paloma, support
Artists from London Contemporary Voices
Islington Assembly Hall
2024
BBC Radio London; multiple features
Including as the “Big Guest” on the Breakfast Show with Salma El Wardany (2024)
2021 - present
BBC Radio Wales - multiple features
BBC Introducing with Adam Walton/BBC Introcucing with Bethan Elfyn
The Familiar: Dolby Atmos Listening Party
EP Launch Event
The Gallery, Tileyard London
2024
Magdalena Montpelier Festival (Montpelier, France)
2023
Winterwerft Festival (Frankfurt, Germany)
2023
Something Old, Something Borrowed, Something New (Live Stream Series)
2020 – 2022
Pizza Express Live (London, UK)
2019
Coffee Music Project
Songwriting Contest Finalist (London, UK)
2019
Glastonbury Festival (Glastonbury, UK)
2019
Nisville Jazz & Theatre Festival (Niš, Serbia)
2019
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre (London, UK)
2018
London, UK Venues
2017 - present
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“[…]captivated immediately, by both her pure, effortless singing and warmth of her voice, and by her emotional but honest delivery”
Marc Almond & Othon Matargas
Photo credit: © Tracey Croggan – Big T Images / Infected Blood Inquiry.