Rachel Hayward – Siren of Steel
Book Europe's Top Female Steel Pan Performer for your event. Imaginative, innovative and critically acclaimed. Rachel plays the steel drum as you’ve never heard it before.
Rachel Hayward – Siren of Steel's Bio
Rachel is a pan (steel drum) player of thirty years standing – with an eclectic career she is equally at home at Carnival or on the concert platform. Entering the steel band world as a founder member of The Radcliffe Rollers, Rachel has been making waves since winning the UK Soloist Championships in 1989; she remains the only person of European descent ever to reach the finals of the World Championships in Trinidad.
Other career highlights include performing “Inkle and Yariko” with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Barbados, and the UK premiere of Grisey’s “Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil” with the London Sinfonietta. In Trinidad she arranged for Skiffle Steel Orchestra and in 2000 UK steel orchestra Eclipse performed her arrangements at the inaugural European Steel Band Festival in Paris. She played with Russell Henderson (Father of the Notting Hill Carnival) and his Trio at London’s 606 Club on numerous occasions and with Pan Nectar Steel Band she became the first woman of European heritage to arrange for a steel band in the Notting Hill Carnival. In 2016 she achieved a lifetime’s ambition as her junior steel band — The Turtles — was selected to perform at Music For Youth’s Primary Prom at the Royal Albert Hall and 2017 saw her join Christian Wilson (organist at the Chapels Royal) in Luxembourg for a recital of classical music. Rachel holds a Doctorate in Music from City University, London, and played with Nostalgia Steel Band as part of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony.
As one of the key steel pan players on the soundtrack of Disney’s 2023 live-action remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID, Rachel can be heard performing the iconic riff in “Under the Sea”; she also recorded “Kiss the Girl”, and new original pieces by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken including “THE SCUTTLEBUTT” and “VILLAGE DANCE”. “The new version of UNDER THE SEA is INCREDIBLE.” – romper.com
Testimonials
“Rachel’s sparkling musicianship shines through as brilliantly as her red hair – her versatility on the various saxophones and virtuosity on the pans are a veritable tour de force.”
Mark Bassey
“Wow! Potpourri of earlobe delights my god! It was like a mystical vortex of an eerie fairground with even a bit of Benny Hill running about with the odd ferrous rave kicking in – loved it!”
Michael ‘Atters’ Attree, The Chap
“Chase away the winter chills with this music, songs ranging from pop to classical to calypso, with some video game and TMBG tunes for good measure! … an amazing album.”
Steve Popernack, Singing Steel Music, Panyard Inc
“OUTSTANDING”
RAY HOLMAN
“Her credentials as a player are of the highest class … a world class exhibition of steel pan artistry. Calypsos ‘Carnival is for Woman’ and ‘Margie’ lead the way while her versions of Mika’s ‘Grace Kelly’ and Vince Clarke’s ‘Only You’ open the mind to the interpretive opportunities of her chosen instrument. Top Drawer!”
Musician magazine