Beverley took her first musical steps at the age of six when, under her Dad's tuition, she started playing the tenor horn. Joining the local Oxted Band aged 8, she was principal horn player of a championship section band by the time she was 11.

She joined the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain aged 12, rising to become principal of the tenor horn section. Also, at this time, she was awarded a scholarship to study at the Junior Music School of the London College of Music, attending on Saturday mornings for almost 4 years (and avoiding 4-part harmony homework at every opportunity!).

Highlights of her playing career include winning the Alexander Owen Memorial Scholarship in 1980 (the second female to do so since Gracie Cole in 1942), performing at the Royal Albert Hall with the NYBB of GB, appearing as the guest soloist with the City of Coventry Band for Yorkshire Television's "Brass in Concert", hosted by ex-NYBB trombonist Peter Skellern, joining Harry Mortimer's All Star Brass for a BBC production to celebrate Harry's 80th birthday and being the first female to play with the renowned James Shepherd Versatile Brass, causing a furore at rehearsals which were held in a northern working men's club - an experience she drew on years later when playing the part of Gloria Mullins in "Brassed Off".

In 1982, she headed north to undertake a 3-year performance course at Salford College and it was here that she was introduced seriously to jazz and popular music. Confidence to emerge from behind the tenor horn and bite the vocal bullet was still lacking. The nearest she got was finding herself in classical singing lessons and being told – at her first lesson – "you’ll never get anywhere with that husky voice."

Ten years on, undeterred and (finally!) armed with some self belief, she took to the boards. Since then she has undertaken some great lead roles including Mrs Barnum - "Barnum", Sally Bowles - "Cabaret", Audrey - "Little Shop of Horrors" and Edith Piaf - "Piaf" (and ever grateful that the eyebrows DID grow back!). She also appeared as Tess in an original musical working of "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" -a musical marathon, some two and a half hours long, and only off stage for 10 minutes!

Since the role of Piaf in February 2005, and really feeling it was "now or never", Beverley has have devoted her time to developing my singing, working with numerous instrumental combinations and exploring new material.