Opera North - Sing into Spring with us

Vaiva: Introduction

The UK has a thriving music sector of great richness, breadth and diversity. Whilst typically the North of England is regarded as a region economically and culturally trailing behind the South, when it comes to music the position changes completely. The North has had an influence which is comparable to that of London, many bands and performers coming from the North, including the Beatles, the Animals, the Smiths, the Happy Mondays, the Fall, Joy Division, New Order, Pulp and Oasis belong to most popular and influential pop-rock musicians in the world. The Alt-J four first brought their musical talents together while studying at Leeds University and now play the world-over to packed crowds of 100,000 punters and counting. Well regarded for its vivid music scene, Leeds is replete with annual music festivals, notably the Leeds Festival, held over the August public holiday, it is one of the UK’s largest music events.

More traditional music lovers need not worry as the North has such an amazing classical music scene too. From Manchester and its progressive hub of classical music, to Birmingham and its with a vibrant and cutting-edge musical programme at the Birmingham Symphony Hall, to Leeds and the magical qualities of a live orchestra or the drama of opera, every city offers something unique in the classical music world.

Opera North is a national opera company based in Leeds, and is a leading UK arts organisation. Rooted in the North of England, international in outlook, they create extraordinary experiences, every day. From award-winning work tours to theatre stages and concert halls throughout the North and beyond, they curate an eclectic artistic programme of gigs, concerts, spoken word and film. With the aim to make bold, innovative, ambitious work and share it in new ways, Opera North believes opera and music is for everyone, it connects with communities and inspires each generation, aiming to enhance the health and well-being of people in the communities where we work through arts participation and performance. 

Tracy: ONe-to-ONe Performance  

Are you missing live music? Or do you just need a pick-me-up? If so, the online ONe-to-ONe performance organised by Opera North will definitely be the one for you.

In order to deliver some positivity during lockdown, Opera North has designed different free online activities recently, one of which is the ONe-to-ONe performance I just participated in.

As a fan of live performances such as musicals and live concerts, this kind of event is really my thing, especially considering that watching a live performance in theatre is not easy during lockdown. On 17 February 2021, I was lucky enough to be able to book and watch a one-to-one performance with Ms Tamsin Symonsa, a violinist of The Orchestra of Opera North, live on Zoom. Ms Symonsa is a violinist in the orchestra; however, she played Chick Corea’s Children’s Songs for me during the performance, which was such a big surprise. It is because I was informed that each performance will be unique and I will be the only person in the audience; however, the performer and repertoire were kept under wraps until I entered the Zoom concert chamber. Also, I was surprised when I was told that she would play piano for me because I can play piano as well, not as well as she does of course!

Children’s Songs consists of short songs and they are designed to be simple and light-hearted. To me, most of them sound gentle and the beauty of simplicity is conveyed from the songs, just as their name suggests. They definitely brightened up my day and reduced some of my stress. The several lockdowns has caused the lack of my socialization with others, which made me get irritated more easily and had a negative influence on my learning efficiency as well. Therefore, I have been under a lot of stress for a long time. However, the beautiful Children’s Songs created a simple world where I can have a rest and refresh myself during the performance. Also, as I have come back to my home country recently and it was around midnight after Ms Symonsa’s performance, Children’s Songs happened to be a perfect good-night music for me!

After the performance, I had a chat with her and Jane, the host of the meeting. I felt honoured when she told me that I might be the first person she has played piano to in public from many years ago as she is a violinist in the orchestra. We all hope that the pandemic in the UK can be under control and the lockdown can be ended soon. I will definitely go to watch the orchestra’s performance on site and say hello to Ms Symonsa if possible!

Compared to regular performances in theatre, this is not a programme in sight and there is no ice-cream being served during the interval; however, this intimate, one-of-a-kind experience brings live music straight into my accommodation, which cannot be better during the lockdown period. Also, another unique feature of this online ONe-to-ONe performance is that the repertoire is kept under wraps and can be something unexpected. Cappella operatic arias, jolly folk songs, poetry readings and even a marimba solo are just some of the fabulous repertoires you might be serenaded with. Interested? Although the ONe-to-ONe performances have now sold out, you can still complete this form to be added to the waiting list. Opera North is also hoping to announce more dates in the near future.

Alejandra: Singing lessons

As a daughter of musicians, I have always been used to the music scene. My house has always been filled with music, whether it was music instruments, people singing, or both, and this is something I have come to get used very to. From a very young age, my parents were very interested in making sure I would learn as much as I could about music, so since I can remember, I have always been enrolled either in singing lessons, many music clubs and choirs. 

Now in Leeds, practising music is something that I've been missing quite a lot, so when the opportunity came to participate in Singing classes with no other than with the very capable hands of Jennifer Sterling, Educational Choral Delivery Artist of Opera North, I was immediately invested in submerging myself in this new adventure.

To be completely honest, I was a little unsure about what would entail taking online lessons with other people, as I have always been used to live classes, but immediately after we started these doubts were proven to be unfounded. 

The class was full of people from all around the UK, and Jennifer, as the Director, introduced herself and gave us time to get to know each other for a little while. This class was open for anyone interested in music, so it was not required to have a lot of experience, which was really a great way for me to catch up on all the missing practice I've had for the past couple of months. 

I'm pretty used to the drill on how music classes work, and the online class with Opera North was no different from the regular dynamic you would get in any other live class. One of my favourite parts of any singing lesson is the warm-up, as it really helps you realise how to work up your breathing and technique to get the most of your voice before any lesson. We started with simple exercises and progressively worked towards more complicated ones, by the last one, I was a little out of breath, but really enjoying the lesson. 

Finally, we passed to the two songs we practised for the day. In this case, these were "The Triumphal March" from Giuseppe Verdi, a song that was part of the Opera Aida and also, "White are the roses" from Antonini Dvorak, part of the opera Rusalka. It was a great opportunity to learn more about opera and classical music, and to be honest, after the class, the tune stayed in my head for the rest of the day. 

Overall, this experience went above my expectations. I feel like I was able to practice as I used to back home, and the distance was not an impediment learn something new. 

I would definitely recommend this to anyone that is interested in music, whether they have experience or not. It is a great way to go outside of your comfort zone and get to know people from around the UK. If like me, you love music, this class is for you.