Beat the Blues 2025

A British-Filipino family band from Derby who love to spread love and positivity.

Inspired by the 1960’s & influenced by modern divas, Robyn Wallis Johnson’s music is gutsy & sentimental at the same time. Singing captivating stories about her life, love, loss & liberation.

Charlie has been a storyteller all her life with credits on Broadway NY, the West End and No 1 Tours of the UK. Her work aims to help people to reconnect to themselves, to nature and to navigate grief, loss and identity in our miraculous and challenging world. She won the writers rebel flash fiction competition in 2024 for extinction rebelion, performed her prose across the Midlands and published in Steel Jackdaw magazine.

Singer, songwriter & musician Raphael Tate became known to UK audiences during his performance on ITV’s Starstruck. Raphael impersonated the ‘Godfather of Soul’ James Brown, Originally from the Washington DC region in the US, Raphael attended university on a music scholarship. His 2017 debut single, “”With Every Beat of My Heart” went to #25 on the Billboard’s Dance Club chart, the first of several successful singles. Since relocating to the UK in 2020 (somewhat accidentally, due to the pandemic), his career has blossomed, releasing new tracks heard on BBC Radio 1Xtra followed by a new album, ‘Love Grieve Live’.

Hannah Watson, formerly the lead vocalist of the jazz-pop duo Miss 600, is a Derby-based singer and songwriter known for her soulful voice and heartfelt performances. With Miss 600, she gained national and European recognition, including spots on Local BBC Radio stations and BBC Radio 2’s playlist, and chart success with their debut single “Twist” and second single “Typically Me”. Having collaborated with various artists and performing at iconic venues including the Royal Albert Hall, she since continued her musical journey, now working solo, where she continues to write music and perform.

Charlotte Bettson is a singer songwriter from Ashbourne Derbyshire. She has played YNOT festival twice and has been played many times on BBC Radio stations. You can find her music on your favourite music platform including such as Spotify. Her sound is genre blending with emotional vulnerability and pop rock elements.

This popular Derbyshire choir founded in 2007 is renowned for sharing its love of singing. Rehearsing in Matlock and Directed by Ally Law, this vibrant, entertaining and vivacious group of women hits the mark with a variety of audiences through their high singing standards, mixed repertoire, infectious joy of singing and sense of fun.

Rob is a (generally) comedic performance poet based in Derbyshire and performs anywhere where people will listen and not throw things that hurt.
Rob has supported Les Barker and Elvis McGonnagall with no apparent detriment to their careers. He has published three books and is planning a fourth.
Best described as anarchic, political and thought provoking Rob thinks that looking at the world sideways is the only way to survive; He has so far, so it probably is.

Evie Barton is an award winning harpist born and raised here in Derby. By the age of eleven Evie has successfully achieved various awards most notably second place for her solo performance of ‘Sound the Trumpets‘ back in 2019 at Lichfield’s Festival of Music. Evie went on to lead the Derbyshire Ensemble to first place in 2022 at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in Wales which was televised by BBC Cymru.
During the various lockdowns Evie was very keen to use her musical talent alongside her Ensemble to help raise money for various charities struggling as a result of the pandemic. For that reason they performed in online concerts which resulted in £1000’s of pounds being raised for local and nationwide charities.
‌Evie had been a part of the Derbyshire Harp Ensemble since the age of five until the age of nine which culminated in a first place finish at the Urdd Eisteddfod festival. Though Evie’s desire to play the harp started long before then. At just the age of two Evie had a passion to master the harp after watching the BBC Proms where Evie then became a classical music and movie soundtrack enthusiast.
Most recently Evie has played at various award ceremonies including The Eagle Awards at Derby Theatre and the BBC Make A Difference Awards at Pride Park Stadium. Evie’s first musical and theatrical debut was in A Derby Christmas with Karolina and Friends this year at Derby Theatre.

Get ready for puns, piano, and plliteration, as Willow Millard takes to the stage with their signature style of musical comedy!