One of the great things I enjoy about my work is visiting new places, traveling to locations that I may not otherwise have had the opportunity to visit. Last Thursday, 6th September, I traveled North from London to Aberdeen to join the new cast of BambinO, Hazel McBain ( Uccellina ), Samuel Pantcheff ( Pulcino ), Andrew Drummond Huggan ( Cello ) Michael D Clark ( Percussion ).
It was exciting to watch them perform together on Friday before putting my Uccellina costume back on again to take over from Hazel, who leaves to take up her place on a Young Artist Programme in Salzburg.
Today we moved on to Inverness where we have four more performances on Monday and Tuesday at Eden Court Theatre, Bishops Road, Inverness at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. each day.
You can get the details of the rest of the tour here:
Earlier this week I received an email from the Editor of WordPress Discover to let me know that I had been selected to be showcased as an Editor’s Pick on their Discover page and Home Page. It was quite exciting to be chosen and to share my blog with visitors to the WordPress site. They have also asked me to take part in a question and answer session which will hopefully be featured on their site, I will let you know if it gets published.
But it got me thinking, that after five years blogging about my studies that it would be interesting for me to ask you if you have any questions that I could answer for you on my profession or expand on in a future blog post? For example, maybe you would like me to interview a Stage Manager to find out more about the role they play in an opera production. Or interview an instrumentalist to see if there are any parallels between their study path and that of an opera singer. Perhaps you may want to know more about costume design for the stage, or where the costumes are stored after each performance.
Whatever the question I will try my best to answer it and hopefully add some new topics that be suitable for blog posts to share with you all over the coming year.
Bravo !! Mercide this beautiful sharing – And personally, I would say that I would find great if you do a series of interviews about the people working around the Opera 🙂 – wish you the best
Merci pour ce nouveau mot ‘mercide’. I will have to try to get them done before I leave Scotland.
Best wishes
Charlotte
oups : merci de (merci pour) (thanks for)
I would like to know how you keep your voice in shape for a demanding performance schedule.
Years and years of the best vocal training by classically trained teachers, vocal warm ups and cool downs, lots of water to drink, honey and lemon and specialist teas. I don’t often drink alcohol, I’ve never smoked and I rest my voice when I need to.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you.
Congrats! I am sure this new exposure will only highlight you super talent. Enjoy Scotland 🙂 xx
Thank you Christine, I’m loving northern Scotland, Inverness was lovely we booked a great shared house, thanks to Sam, which makes it a bit cosier when you’re on tour over a hotel room, although I got a great breakfast at the Premier Inn in Aberdeen, set me up lovely for two performances straight after each other.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Charlotte, you have such an exciting life. To be blessed with such a voice and beauty as well, its a dream! Good luck in all you do.
I think the excitement is in the unknown 😊. It is my dream, if I get a bit caught up getting concerned about a new piece of music I’m learning with a deadline I just remind myself I’m blessed to be doing what I love.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations on being chosen for Discover! My question is: Do you ever wish you had more say in your costumes?
Great question. I’m quite a flexible person, I’ve worked in very uncomfortable shoes before that bruised both my big toe nails, so I think I’d speak up about that in the future, I make quite an unusual looking boy! When I first saw the BambinO costume it wasn’t at all what I’d imagined but it works and I love it, although the hat gets very hot hehe.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations on all that you have accomplished and the wonderful shows you have performed so beautifully. Which performance has been the most challenging for you to prepare? Hugs xx
This latest step in to BambinO was challenging because I’d not worked with my lovely duo partner Sam before or the musicians and their tempo was slightly different with subtle changes that I couldn’t have guessed in advance, but it didn’t take long to settle in to their version. Maria Bertram was a great challenge to work more in an ensemble group that wasn’t a choir but required that level of balance. Cunegonde was just brilliantly challenging with lots of top notes to reach whilst dancing and changing costumes on stage and taking off jewelry, I loved that when it finally came together.
Best wishes
Charlotte
That’s amazing, Charlotte, that you can do all that, sing and act and remember all the moves precisely. You are quite talented. Thank you for answering my question. Hugs xx ❤️
That is great you are on the WordPress discover page. Congratulations!
Thank you I was thrilled to be asked.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wow! Welldone.
This is inspiring!
Thank you, it has been lovely to meet some new friends through the link. I am glad you enjoyed my blog.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations! It’s great that WordPress discover selected you!
Thank you Colin, I wondered what triggered it? I’m happy to get the world of opera and classical music training to as many people as possible.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You look like you are very happy to be back doing BambinO. Congrats on WordPress Discover page. Best Wishes Charlotte on your performances, Darlene
It’s been great fun, I missed my original team but Sam, Andrew, and Michael have been great with me, a bit like working with my brothers really hehe. I even got to go to the funfair in Aberdeen.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wonderful news about the WordPress approach; I’m not surprised – your posts are always fascinating. As for questions, I usually have one from your posts which is always answered, so thank you.
So, just one for you, what is the operatic role you’d most like to perform and why?
I’ve put the answer to the operatic roles in my discovery interview, which I hope they publish, but they are pretty fluid as I’m discovering more all the time.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I don’t usually see the ‘discoveries’ as it’s all I can do to keep up with the few bloggers I follow, so do they tell you when/if it’s published in which case you can tell us?
It’s lovely to see you in your feathers again😁 good luck with the tour👏👏. Also, well done being selected by WordPress discovery, your blogs are always very interesting so I think you will do well here too. 😘😘😘
Thanks Gill we’re getting some lovely feedback, it’s super visiting the Highlands of Scotland your old homeland. I’m very excited to be featured on WordPress discovery.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Bravo
Thank you, I am glad you dropped by.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You are welcome
I believe I’ve asked the questions I wanted as the years clicked by. But I do hope the Discover showcase will help others to find you and also enjoy your posts. Maybe you should feature a song to show new readers just what you can do!! I hope you know I wish you all the very best!
I’ve loved your regular support and encouragement GP. I’ve recorded some new songs for auditions but maybe now they’ve replaced some of my old ones I can share a couple of those now.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Happy to hear it!!!
Looking forward to your tour report and I’ve always been interested in costume design. Also, how do you keep your energy up for performances in a row?
I’m not a very good photographer, I see other blogs with great photos taken on iPhones and I just think what am I doing wrong as mine are often dark.
I’m a very energetic person, I get stir crazy if I’m still for too long so that’s good for this profession. I use up tonnes of energy on the BambinO performance but I remember being told when I was little and training with Stagecoach you must remember every show is someone’s first show so you must keep up the energy until the end of the run. I eat well and lots I’m not one for faddy diets, I drink lots of water and I always exercise and do yoga every day so that’s how I do it.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations on being chosen for WordPress Discover, Charlotte!
Thank you I was really pleased when I got the e-mail. I hope everyone enjoys reading the Q&A.
Best wishes
Charlotte
The only question coming to my mind is how you find the energy and commitment to keep up your constantly challenging lifestyle!
Congratulations on being chiz for Ed Pick!
I keep up the energy and commitment because I want repeat work and don’t want to ever be seen to let a team down. I’ve always been dependable like that I think it’s because my parents run a business and we lived that lifestyle of commitment to customers and fellow workers every day. Thrilled to get the Ed Pick and he likes Opera (bonus!), actually I wonder if WordPress have parties with entertainment required 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Since reading your blog, has been a pleasure to find out more about you and opera. What an honour to be chosen 🙂
Thank you Alex.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Since l real you blog a lot of things well mean to me
Thank you for visiting, reading and commenting,
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations on being chosen for WordPress Discover! I will go and have a look at your interview. I am glad you were able to fit in easily with the new BambinO team.
I’m not sure when WordPress are going to put the interview out yet Clare but as soon as I know I’ll let you know. The new team are just lovely, I miss Tim and Stuart and Laura as we’d got so used to each other in over 100 performances but I was made very welcome and the new guys are great company.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte. xx
Glad you’re enjoying the tour xx
This is the last week, tomorrow I fly to the Shetland Islands, very excited I hope the storm Ali stays away because all my winter clothes are at my Mums but I guess I can always buy authentic warm wear in the Shetlands.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte, and it is great that WP has chosen your site as an Editor’s Pick on Discover ~ an honor that could not be more deserving. And more great news and events continue for you as we move into autumn, so best of luck with the continuation of the tour 🙂
It really was a great surprise Randall. The interview was good fun and I’m really pleased you think I deserve Discover. I’m in my final week this week, I will miss performing as it’s been none stop but I have plenty to do to fill my time.
Best wishes
Charlotte
OMG! You know I want to know all about costuming for an opera. I would love to read an interview with one of Opera’s designers.
Possible Questions:
Do you follow/copy previous interpretations of the characters?
If following classic examples, do you try to interject your own style/take?
Who/how do the costumes get cleaned and repaired? How often?
Is there an Assistant Designer? What does the Assistant do?
Where do you buy fabrics from?
When preparing, do you do a breakdown of scenes? Do you prepare a breakdown with sketches for the director?
Are there often costume changes during performance?
What can you tell me about live performance “special effects”, and the involvement with costumes?
Okay enough from me!!!