Last Tuesday Night as I walked on to the main Pavilion stage at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod I had to pinch myself to make sure that it wasn’t all just a wonderful dream.
To be opening the evening’s Opera Gala was a huge honour for me and knowing that I would be sharing the stage with Rolando Villazón and Rhian Lois brought a tingle to my spine.
My first two arias of the evening were O Luce Di Quest’anima from Linda di Chamounix, by Gaetano Donizetti followed by Je Veux Vivre from Romeo et Juliette, by Charles Gounod.
Rhian Lois then performed Quando M’en Vo from La Boheme, and O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi, both by Giacomo Puccini
Rolando Villazón then treated us to a lovely rendition of L’esule by Giuseppe Verdi .
I then sang my first duet with Rolando Villazón to close the first half of the Gala, Non Ti Scordar Di Me by Ernesto di Curtis & Domenico Furnò. This was so special for me, especially when he produced a rose from inside his jacket and gave it to me during the performance after our little waltz.
For the second half of the evening, I again sang two arias, the first was Qui La Voce Sua Soave from I Puritani, by Vincenzo Bellini followed by Glitter and Be Gay from Candide, by Bernstein. The Gala was brought to an end with the three of us performing Brindisi from La Traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi which was so much fun.
I had a wonderful evening and was thrilled to have so many people in the audience to support my first Opera Gala including my parents, my Nana and Grandad, Gill and Terry, and my wonderful blog friends Hilary and Edwin, and I feel blessed to have shared this experience with them.
I also want to thank James Hendry, the Conductor and the British Sinfonietta for their amazing performances throughout the Opera Gala and for making my evening so special.
You always take a good picture, Charlotte, even when you’re slumming around in sweater and jeans, but that first one looks gorgeous. If you sang half as well…
Martin, you can be my cheerleader full time.
Photographers say less smile, more natural, less eyes and I have to say that is my natural resting smile face lol and look what happens in photo 2 with less eyes hehe. I had great fun singing my heart out.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Wow, you looked fantastic and great show. Well done you.
Thank you I felt great in my posh frocks. The audience were just so supportive and responsive I was buzzing after the event.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Wow, great ! congrats, bravo Charlotte, félicitation, Toi, toi,toi !!!! 🙂 All the best for you my dear !!!
Merci mon ami pour tout le soutien et les encouragements. Thank you my friend for all the support and encouragement.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Merci pour ton amitié,ta fidélité et ton talent ma chère Charlotte !!!
Wow, you looked fantastic and liked you belonged up on the stage. Great show and well done you. Congratulations. 🥂
It’s great to feel so alive, to be there in that moment. Thank you for your support.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wow! So impressive Charlotte! You look gorgeous too.
Thank you, Cindy I usually do my own hair and makeup but my Mum treated me to a hair and makeup session early in the morning with a local salon in Llangollen, it took all the stress out of getting ready away although I was a bit heavily made up all day for me hehe.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Wonderful photos, so glad you enjoyed your performance.. Your dress was gorgeous…
I’ll bet that your singing was too!!!
Thinking of you Charlotte, Darlene
Your dresses were wonderful….not dress…..
Thank you, Darlene it was great to have a gala big enough to sing in for my black sparkle dress and the lilac one was new bought specially for the occasion.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
I had lots of lovely messages about my singing after the concert including a lovely message from the Music Director, and on Friday I drove George to Llangollen for the Young International Musician competition and he won!
People were stopping me in the street to say they enjoyed my performance, it was just a lovely experience.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Congrats to George!!!!What a wonderful experience for you too!!!
Marvelous!
Keep going!
Thank you, Sheila keep hoping and believing for me.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
That was wonderful!
Thank you very much for cheering me on.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
What a fantastic show to be part of. It looked wonderful! x
You’d love the Eisteddfod Christine, great walks and lakes all around Llangollen the colours of the whole event are just lovely.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
I am so pleased for you, Charlotte! What a fabulous experience and such an exciting post to read!
Thank you for all your encouragement Clare. I’ve been planning and preparing for this event for six months and it completely lived up to my dreams.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
What a wonderful experience and great honor for you Charlotte! Your life IS a wonderful dream, and I hope it’s one that you never have to wake from. Congratulations and many great years of singing ahead!
It was a complete honour that Rolando to agree to sing a duet with me and that Rhian sang the trio Brindisi with us.
I know Peter that forward momentum is so hard to sustain. I’m back in London now in the practice studios, Maria Bertram next then Hero.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Great experience. Thanks you so much for sharing.
Thank you for checking in on me John I appreciate your support always.
Best wishes
Charlotte
😊
Wonderful, dear Charlotte! Alice in Operaland! Great! 🙂
‘Alice in Operaland’, Love it Maria. I still feel I’ve fallen in the rabbit hole.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Be careful on the stage! A rabbit hole there might be an orchestra! 🙂 Have nice July weeks!
Best wishes,
Maria
😄
Beautiful! Shoot some video as well or record audio.
Sadly Daniel I don’t think the evening concert was recorded only the day time competitions, I’m so sad because the Llangollen tv recordings are always so beautiful with all the colours and flowers and the sound is always recorded so well.
All my best wishes,
Charlotte
Congratulations, looks like a wonderful evening, and you are gorgeous by the way!
Enchantment!
A perfect word. I was totally enchanted by the experience.
Best wishes
Charlotte
What an honour to be the opening singer in the Pavilion and you look lovely in your blue gown dear Charlotte. Awesome ! 🙂 <3
Thank you my lovely Ralph, I’m glad you liked my new gown I hope I get more chances to wear it lots. Lots of people remembered me from last years competition and were cheering me on it was super.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Wonderful. You are getting there my friend. You are becoming a STAR ⭐ xx
Great event! Congrats & accolades…! You are so enchanting in your fine light blue dress… and all you singers, all you artists are so inspiring and simpatico…! Rolando Villazón just magnificent as always! – Thank you, Charlotte, for the great share… with love from Düsseldorf!!!! I wish you many more events like this… :))))
Danke, Eberhard das kleid hat eine schöne lila farbe wie die blumen.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
I am so happy for you, Charlotte! :)))) Success!!!
Thank you I’m pleased you’re happy.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Absolutely amazing. So happy for you. It looks like you all were performing in front of a large garden. Flowers …a sense of Nature everywhere.
Thank you so much, Eric, I was performing in front and behind large flower garden displays of multiple colours. It was magnificent.
You’d love the photography opportunities of Llangollen it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Llangollen town is on the River Dee and our small hotel was on the banks of the fast flowing river with a walk over bridge and kayakers paddling by, it was even opposite a railway station where a steam train stops to pick up passengers in the daytime. I just love it there and the festival is so well supported.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
It was a stunning performance Charlotte. You looked amazing and sounded awesome, a fantastic time was had by all👏👏👏😘
So happy you could make it Gill and thank you and Terry for running me around in the morning I really do appreciate it.
All my very best wishes,
Charlotte x
Such poise and elegance! Congratulations!
It was such a wonderful evening and I wish that it had been recorded so that I could share it with you. I will treasure this memory 🙂
My very best wishes
Charlotte
We were so privileged to be there to see your great success, Charlotte. Your voice has developed so much in range, volume and sweetness. Your courage and confidence as you walked onstage – the first singer – set your audience at ease and you really wowed us. It was the happiest evening for us, Rolando has been our hero for many years, Rhian has a beautiful voice and an engaging delivery and you gave us one of our proudest moments in 50 years of opera-going. Your opening aria was new to me and so movingly sung – it bought the house down – and your final aria was enormous fun and showed us the considerable (comic) range of your acting skills. I know how hard you have worked for this and deserve the successes that we see ahead for you.
Hi Hilary, I am so touched to read your lovely words. It meant so much to me to know that you and Edwin were there to share this special moment with me. My first aria has a special place in my heart as every time I perform it I think of George and me and how we hope to forge ahead and show the world what is possible with hard work, dedication and love of our art.
This year I managed to persuade George to enter the Llangollen International Eisteddfod Instrumentalist of the Year which was held last Friday, and I am happy to share that he took my advice and won first prize. Not only that but he then traveled to Eastbourne the next day where he also won the 2019 Norah Sande Award. What a week 🙂
My Very best wishes
Charlotte
Charlotte, that’s such lovely, impressive news. Please give George our congratulations. My gosh the two of you have chosen a profession where hard work and a complex lifestyle are major components. You have both started brilliantly and deserve the awards and accolades coming your way.
Charlotte, we had a marvellous evening.
Three hours flew by, and what fantastic entertaining songs they were..
Your dresses were beautiful.cannot wait for what is coming next.
That stage at the Eisteddfod is amazing I’ve never seen so many beautiful and colourful flowers anywhere.😘💐👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
The stage was fabulous and such a joy to perform on. Whoever does the flower arrangement should be given a medal as they are just outstanding. Thanks for being there and I hope that you enjoyed the performance as much as I did. See you soon.
Very best wishes
Charlotte
Lovely photos!
Dear Charlotte,
The Gala was wonderful and you looked fabulous. So happy for you and your family. May the Lord bless you richly my Beloved.
Beautiful on all levels … – tsk
Great photos. And looks a fantastic show
Stunning shots, as always. Kudos, dear Charlotte…. much love 😘👍
Quite wonderful!
Oh wow, wow, wow! I need to be pinched. It is like a dream. Charlotte, your gowns are absolutely perfect for you, and you look fabulous in them! I feel honoured to know you and be part of watching you become an Opera Star! You go!!! 💜
Would love to hear some snippets. °°🐬💦
Awwwwww you are cute I’m love to sing too