About SongSpider

SongSpider is run by Dr Janet Woodall in cahoots with Justin Nye of Gripplespider, and specialises in creating and maintaining websites for artists in the world of classical music.

Janet is an academic by profession and inclination – she has a PhD in plant biochemistry and molecular biology – but has a passion for opera and song which has been with her since childhood. Justin is a veteran of 20 years in the commercial software development industry, having developed software for many industry heavyweights including Microsoft and Fox Software as well as companies in the telecommunication, manufacturing and investment banking sectors, both in the UK and the USA.

Janet is the driving force behind the dot.info group of websites, developed by Janet with Justin’s help, and run entirely on a voluntary basis by a dedicated group of opera-loving friends around the world.

www.simonkeenlyside.info was the first of these sites, beginning life in 2005 from an idea by Janet and good friend Jane Garratt who were astonished that there wasn’t a focus for information about the hugely popular, lyric baritone, Simon Keenlyside.  Since then the site has developed into a major archive of Simon”s professional career, and has recently been adopted by Simon and his agent, Askonas holt, as his personal website – a very proud moment.

Flushed with the huge success of the first site, Janet created www.geraldfinley.info in 2007, to reflect the career of the great bass-baritone, Gerald Finley. This site has enjoyed great support from Mr Finley from the start, for which Janet and the team are most grateful.

Janet’s love of song, and her appreciation that recitals are duos of singer and pianist, prompted her in 2009 to create www.juliusdrake.info as an showcase and archive for the inspirational pianist, Julius Drake.

It was through conversations with Mr Finley and Mr Drake that the idea of SongSpider arose, and one of Janet’s current clients is Julius Drake.

Photo Gallery

(Click to enlarge)