Lesley was born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland where she trained as a children’s nurse. She moved to Canada with her first husband, and it was there that she honed her love of watching ice hockey and curling. Some years later, after the break-up of the marriage, Lesley returned to the UK to stay with her sister near Reigate, Surrey, and it was there that she met her beloved second husband, David Tring. Sadly, David passed away in 2004 and in the years following, Lesley, ever-resourceful, was looking around for a pursuit to further fill her time. She joined Vocal Dimension Chorus shortly after it started up in 2010 as a lead singer and is one of the chorus’s charter members.
Lesley is well-known for fitting more than 24 hours into a day and being permanently active – as her daughters say “Mother’s dashing again!” It would be impossible to list all the areas where Lesley’s contributed to chorus life (besides singing!). Notably, she takes care of new members, welcoming them into the fold at rehearsal, and furnishing them with printed copies of music and name badges. She’s the chorus ‘Mum’ and this is nothing to do with the fact that she’s the oldest in the group – Lesley pays no mind to that small fact! – it’s because she’s a very caring person by nature, so if anybody is feeling low, Lesley will spot it and make sure to give them a kind word and a hug. She has opened up her beautiful house overlooking Reigate Heath to the chorus or to the lead section several times. Recently she single-handedly sewed 40 new turquoise sparkly scarves for Vocal Dimension. No chorus party would ever be complete without Lesley’s ‘all-in salad’ and many a fundraiser event has been graced with her delicious cakes or ‘Grannie’s Tablet’ on sale. Haggis and pancakes have appeared at rehearsals courtesy of Lesley at the appropriate times of the year. At Christmas and convention, rude Scottish ditties or poems are delivered in a broad Glaswegian accent. Her jokes are legendary.
Despite all of Lesley’s chorus-related activities, she still finds time to volunteer at East Surrey Hospital and St Catherine’s Hospice; play badminton weekly; tend to her large garden; have an early-morning swim; be the most avid (and vocal!) tennis fan ever and care for her grandsons Sidney and Arthur, who keep her on her toes.
Perhaps Lesley’s finest moment as a chorus leading light came in 2017, when, as the most senior member, she was chosen by the BBC to perform the infamous mic drop on their Saturday night Pitch Battle show. The public reaction was unanimous – a star was born! However, Lesley’s star quality was no news to Vocal Dimension; she is truly a powerhouse, and it is to our advantage that she’s chosen to direct her energies at Vocal Dimension Chorus – she is indeed a Woman of Note.