‘Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working’ – Pablo Picasso

Despite loving both theatre and music, opera is an art form that has never particularly appealed to me. Nevertheless, in the struggle to leap onto the first rung of that sometimes elusive-seeming career ladder, the opportunity of work experience at Clonter Opera Theatre in my own home county of Cheshire could not have been more welcome.

Naturally it is unpaid – in this day and age even entry-level positions require you to have previously worked in that exact job role, forcing you into that rather horrifying existence of unpaid work (which, of course, has to be part-time around your actual paid work so you can still afford things like food and rent). However, if you are lucky, the lack of pay won’t matter in the face of finally being in the realms of working on what you love.

Artistic and theatrical environments almost certainly promise some more unusual aspects to working life, however it’s certainly a rare and odd morning at the office when your work suddenly becomes accompanied by the operatic warbling of an unknown singer. In a venue where the offices are in a collection of attic rooms and the auditorium used to be a barn, it shouldn’t really be a surprise to come across an opera singer warming up with some scales in the tea and coffee room. Nevertheless, it is definitely a surprise bumping into one of the singers wearing a dressing gown and doing breathing exercises in the corridor – especially when said singer happens to be playing the devilish Mephistopheles from Faust!

All in all, whilst working in an arts organisation such as Clonter may come with its quirks and eccentricities, the work experience that I have gained over the last four weeks alone has been more valuable than the entirety of the past year. Indeed, a local newspaper just published a press release I wrote for the company’s summer production, aimed at secondary school children to try and promote the opera to another generation. True, the piece was printed out of context and with only my initials to indicate to identity of the writer, but having published work in the field of arts marketing couldn’t feel better for pushing my career in the right direction.

It is famously said that “opera is where a guy gets stabbed in the back, and instead of dying, he sings”. This bizarre take on the art form not only sums up the curious world of opera, but also evokes a sense of perseverance in the face of the formidable and challenging. For me, this is what is needed in the endeavour to reach my dream job within the arts industry. Lesson learnt from my time so far at Clonter: just keep working hard on what you love to do – unpaid or otherwise – and the motivation and rewards (however small) will follow.

Clonter Opera Theatre website: www.clonteropera.com

West End Musicals | The Hallé

West End Musicals (The Hallé)

Conducted by Stephen Bell

The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester – 31 May 14

Victor Hugo once declared that “music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent”. Whilst this is undeniably true (hence the continual and arguably essential existence of the music industry), without the presence of a visual performance a musical concert risks not fully engaging with the audience. This, however, was not the case with the Hallé Orchestra’s West End Musicals, one of the Pops Concerts of the company’s 156^th season.

Consisting of a diverse amalgamation of musical numbers from the West End, Broadway and several films, this concert shrewdly avoided the potential pitfall of producing only the obvious numbers from musical theatre. Whilst popular choices such as Les Misérables, Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story and The Phantom of the Opera made up the body of the concert, it was the less well-known shows that really enriched the overall experience. The combination of some unexpected songs (from shows including Hello Dolly!, Aladdin, Chess, Carousel and Love Never Dies) and conductor Stephen Bell’s humorous anecdotes between numbers helped to retain a feeling of novelty throughout the concert, and the vocal prowess of singers Killian Donnelly and Louise Dearman added the final touch to the Hallé’s version of a night at the musicals.

Donnelly and Dearman created a strong vocal duo throughout the programme that really complimented the orchestra’s excellence. However it was the versatility of Donnelly’s voice that particularly stood out, especially in his performances of ‘Stars’ from Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s Les Misérables and ‘Music of the Night’ from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. The ability of any singer to credibly create both the characters of Javert and the Phantom is a rather remarkable feat. Although these two figures are arguably similar in their tortured and obsessive quests, Donnelly’s switch from Javert’s unwavering belief in justice to the Phantom’s beautifully hypnotic yet slightly sinister attraction was surprisingly convincing.

An unexpectedly exceptional piece was ‘I Only Want To Say’ from Lloyd Webber’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, one of the few numbers performed without the vocalists. Instead, a single alto saxophone took the limelight in what became a “bluesy”, slow jazz version that was perfect for emphasising the anguish of the song. Indeed, the saxophone suited this piece so well it was no wonder that the vocalists were not included – words were just not necessary next to the emotion that the saxophonist conveyed.

The second half of the concert was opened with (and dominated by) the ‘Jellicle Ball’ from Lloyd Webber’s Cats, which was a dramatic shift in style from the majority of the other numbers. If anyone walked in accidently during this performance they could not have guessed that they were hearing a live classical orchestra. The upbeat and “rock” style of the number not only veered the concert away from the more classical options, but also demonstrated Lloyd Webber’s eclectic quality of composition and the highly skilled adaptability of the musicians.

In the end, the ultimate stand out number of the whole concert was the intensely stirring and powerful performance of ‘Anthem’ from Björn Andersson and Benny Ulvaeus’s Chess. Less well-known than many of the others, this song ranged from ardent patriotism to heart-breaking passion in an emotional swell that developed in a manner that truly grabbed and maintained attention. It would have served as a more than fitting finale to the whole concert!

On the whole, though it was slightly disappointing that some musicals – e.g. Chicago, The Sound of Music, Wicked – were not included in the programme whilst Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera were used multiple times, the quality of music and the orchestra’s proficiency more than made up for any missing numbers. Even the lack of the full theatrical affair did not reduce the overall experience; it instead created a chance to fully appreciate such a crucial aspect of the world of musicals.