[ ClassicalX ] Who are you calling a fat lady?

Lesley Garrett trained at The Royal Academy of Music before becoming the principal soprano at the English National Opera (ENO) in 1984. More recently, she has successfully turned her hand to recording, broadcasting and West End musicals.

Lesley is currently starring as Nettie Fowler in Carousel at The Savoy. We got an audience with the lady herself to find out just why students should get into opera, and what it takes to be a true diva.

Ashleigh German: Hi Lesley. Most students won’t have ever been to an opera, so how would you convince us to come and see you in action?

Lesley Garrett: The public often have a misconception about opera and imagine that it’s very highbrow, very intellectual and very difficult to appreciate. Actually it’s not, it’s just about fabulous tunes, wonderful music, incredible storylines, great drama, heart-rending emotion, and all the stuff that makes you really weep if you want to give yourself a chance with it.

AG: Do you see yourself as a kind of ambassador for opera then?

LG: It’s always been my aim to introduce people who are classically unconfident to music that they might not otherwise risk listening to. This was music that was absolutely written for everybody to enjoy.

AG: But what about the price? A lot of students probably can’t afford a ticket.

LG: The other big misconception is that opera is fantastically expensive. Sit further up and you can get a very good seat at Covent Garden for the same price as a musical, and incredibly cheap seats at the ENO, which is where I worked for a number of years, for the same price as a cinema ticket.

AG: Okay, but what about understanding what’s going on? Aren’t most operas in Italian?

LG: Another misconception is that opera is always in foreign languages - the ENO is always in English. Even if opera is done in the original language there’ll be a translation running a long the top of the proscenium arch, so you can actually see every single word and what it means.

AG: Do you go through any rituals before you go on stage?

LG: Not really, I’m not really a superstitious person at all. I do make sure my voice is warmed up properly, that’s absolutely vital. I have always taken the best possible care of my voice, which is why I’m celebrating 30 years in the business next year! I have singing lessons absolutely every week, wouldn’t miss them for anything.

AG: So what would be your tips for budding singers like the UCOpera Society?

LG: I encourage and urge people, young singers especially, to carry on having lessons. Our mouths are in front of our ears so there’s absolutely no way you can actually know what you sound like. It’s absolutely vital to have somebody who’s there for you to tell you if you’re singing flat or sharp. Be sure that you find a good and credited teacher, somebody you can really, really trust - they’re not easy to come by.

AG: And finally, if you hadn’t made it to the stage, what would you be doing instead?

LG: I think if I hadn’t been a singer I would have been a politician. My great-grandfather was a left-wing agitator. When I discovered him on Who Do You Think You Are it was like recognising someone I’d known for a long time.

Source: Playmagazine.