As we enter the final week of the rehearsals for Much Ado About Nothing everything is coming together nicely. This week we will get to run through the full production, familiarise ourselves with the costume changes, and rehearse with the orchestra. It is going to be a whirlwind week culminating with our performances at Morley Town Hall on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th August at 7:30 pm.
Here is a small taster video put together by Northern Opera Group featuring photos by Fiona Pelly and music from the Act 1 chorus! This is just a sneak peek at our rehearsals which I hope will encourage those of you who can to come along and savour the excitement and emotion of this amazing production. See the full opera on 23 and 24 August at Morley Town Hall Tickets £10 – £20 www.ticketsource.co.uk/northernoperagroup.
Yesterday I was invited to accompany David Ward for an interview hosted by Andrew Edwards on his BBC Radio Leeds breakfast show. Though I have done several interviews in the past for both radio and TV this was my first in an actual radio station. So, it was quite exciting for me as we made our way to the studio to sign in as guests. The show aired just after 8:00 am and BBC Radio Leeds sent us the audio which I have shared with you below.
In The Studio 
David Ward, Andrew Edwards and Me
I have really enjoyed learning my way around Leeds and working with all the cast and creatives on this show. For those of you that can come along, I’m sure that you will have a great evening.
Enjoyed the interview, Charlotte. Your passion for opera was terrific.
Excellent thank you John, I think I was a bit lively for 8am in the morning 😊 a benefit of being an early bird.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
😊
You sounded great on the radio Charlotte! I am so excited for you! 🙂 Hope one day I’ll be able to hear you sing and perform one day x
Thank you, Christine, I’d love to sing for you. I’ve a concert recital in Warrington coming up this year on Saturday 26th October in the Holy Trinity Church and one of the Radius opera’s productions is at the Royal Northern College of Music where I did my juniors training aged 16-18 on Saturdays so it’s exciting to perform there again.
All my best wishes
Charlotte x
Great interview, your speaking voice is just as wonderful as your singing voice.
Thank you 😊 I’m glad you enjoyed listening to the clip.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Loved listening to your interview Charlotte, you were great. Good luck with Much Ado About Nothing, I know you’ll be fabulous 😘😘
Thanks Gill I really enjoyed the interview. Thanks for the good luck wishes x.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Lovely post Charlotte and I really enjoyed listening to your interview, you were great. Good luck in Much Ado. See you soon 😘
You are truly a woman of many talents
Thank you so much Annette, it was a great opportunity to share my passion for the opera, we have a great team on the show and it will be lovely to fill Morley Town Hall with the music quite thrilling.
Best wishes
Charlotte
How confident you sound on the radio, Charlotte! What an excellent interview too. Good luck in the performances!
Thank you, Clare. Andrew Edwards was lovely I was a little more lively than I think he expected first thing in the morning I think, hehe. Thank you for your good luck wishes.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Haha!
By the way the host reacted, seems your enthusiasm is infectious 🙂 Nice interview. And nice teaser video. Best of luck 🙂
I hope I tempted Andrew to come along. It’s great to be given snippets off the radio and the video to share here. Thank you for your good luck wishes Trent.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
What a wonderful radio interview!
Thank you 😊. I hope you are well, lovely to hear from you x.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
How fun is that? What a great interview. The host noticed your passion for opera right off. You do shine with enthusiasm, which is really refreshing. I love the photo you posted and your top/dress with the cranes is super.
Great fun! Thank you, Timothy. It’s great that my passion and enthusiasm came over to you 😊. Rehearsals are going well there is lots of great singing. I’m also happy you like my crane dress I love it.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
We get cranes in the winter here, and they are very special. We love the cranes.
Wonderful interview Charlotte and so lovely to hear your voice.
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊. So happy to have been given the clip to share here.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
It was great listening to you on the radio Charlotte,
You’re talents never cease to amaze you.
Cannot wait to see you in much ado about nothing..xx
Thank you, 😊. I found that video for you of Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe that I talked about in the interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1fiOJDXA-E a magical moment that still gives me goosebumps! I can’t wait to see you both on Saturday 😊.
All my best wishes
Charlotte x
Wow, c’est super ! Bravo Charlotte, très bien le passage à la radio !!!! Bravo, bravo, félicitation, meilleurs pensées pour Toi !!!
Merci beaucoup Pascal. Sitzprobe today with orchestra very exciting to be in the final days of rehearsal. I think you would enjoy this opera very much.
Best wishes
Charlotte
‘Musical confusion’, Mr. Edwards does have a sense of humor during the interview and you handled yourself as I expected – like a pro. Thank you for including the trailer as well.
Thank you GP I’m glad he was so jolly he made the interview very easy. I’m always happy when I’m allowed to share trailers and clips so you can see and hear what I’m up to.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
So do I !!
Charlotte, what a wonderful interview……thanks for airing it. Bet wishes for Much Ado About Nothing…
Thank you, Darlene, I’m pleased I was allowed to share the interview and video by northernopera. I’ve been loving the rehearsals.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
How wonderful to hear your non-singing voice too 🙂 Wonderful smile too.
Thank you, Alex. I’ve always been a big smiler 😊 hehe, I’m going to have terrible wrinkles.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Don’t say that! It’s a great trait 😁
You were the best in the interview, I’ll allow myself to say that.
Danke Arndt 😊 Du bist sehr nett.
Best wishes
Charlotte
In this country, aptly, you might have been called the “real deal.”
That is delightful, thank you 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
That is so cool!!!
Thank you, it’s been fun.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Mr. Edwards, we heard you at the end. ..No picking on Charlotte about ….where she’s from? I didn’t quite get that. Sounded like an inside joke. Anyhow, that was awesome. Then, near the end of the video slideshow it looked like one guy was trying to harm someone else. Is there fighting allowed in this Production? Didn’t the radio host say he was going to put Charlotte in a bottle or something like that? Also, perhaps, not allowed.
Haha 😊 we always pull each other’s legs about where we come from up North (in Northern England), lots of history and regional identity, war of the roses etc. Yorkshire people are very proud of their County and identity they joke they’re from God’s own County. My Great Uncle Brian and Aunty Joyce lived for many years in Morley near Leeds and my parents started their married lives in West Yorkshire so I do have a slight link 😊.
Phil looks like he’s having a bit too much fun in the knife scene you mention lol.
It’s a real compliment for someone to say they could bottle you up I never thought how strange that would sound in the States 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Dear Charlotte,
Congratulations on the BBC interview and you certainly are doing an outstanding job. May the Lord bless you richly my Beloved.
Thank you Rev. Tim, I am looking forward to the opening night performance on Friday 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Fab interview, Charlotte! It was very striking to hear your talking voice. It’s wonderful!
I always forget you don’t hear my speaking voice 😄. I did another radio interview in Leeds a few days later and was much more confident. I hadn’t anticipated an opening question on Musical Confusion because I wasn’t in that performance, I should have batted it over to David but I knew enough to get by 😂. Much Ado was a lovely opera, my friends and family that came to watch really enjoyed it, and believe me if they didn’t they’d have said so 🤦🏼♀️😳.
When I’m with Northerners my Northern vowels come back in my accent, down South I start to sound more Southern I’m like a mimic bird.
Best wishes
Charlotte
A wonderful interview, Charlotte! It was good to hear your speaking voice, too.
Only just got to listen to this interview – excellent, well done Charlotte. I’m so pleased to hear about opera being brought to the attention of lots of people who would enjoy it if they got to hear it.