Opera soloists to help local schoolchildren hit the high notes

Friday 04 August 2023

Fresh from roles at Europe’s leading opera houses, two professional opera soloists will be sharing their "wealth of experience" with the island’s young singers in an upcoming masterclass.

Verity Wingate, a soprano, and James Cleverton, a baritone will be performing with the Jersey Symphony Orchestra (JSO) at their Summer Concert this Saturday.

Entitled 'A Night At the Opera', the concert features well-known arias and duets from operas such as Rossini's The Barber of Seville and Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Today, however, the two international stars will be leading a vocal masterclass for local singers of school age, as part of the JSO education initiative.

During the session, the young singers will get the opportunity to perform their repertoire to Verity and James and to listen to their own singing experiences and advice.

Pictured: Verity has taught masterclasses before, most recently at the Malmö Opera House in Sweden, where she performed this past season.

Verity said: "I enjoy sharing how it felt to move from a young artist to having a career, from the perspective of recent history. I know how it feels right now to be making those steps."

"It is important as a musician to share your experiences, so that the next generation can take small lessons with them into their careers. Maybe they will learn from my mistakes as well as successes, even if they just remember one silly story."

"To share the joy of singing or music, if something happens to be unlocked in a masterclass session, is just the icing on the cake!"

"Self-belief and love of what you are doing are vital," she said is her main advice.

Her plan for the masterclass is "to see what happens": "Some children might be ready for a bit of technical work. Some might be ready for some theatrical details. I will work on whatever seems most useful in the moment. I may well ask them what they would like to achieve out of the session."

She said it would be "fantastic" to perform with the JSO, adding: "I have never been to Jersey, so that is a personal treat for me. The programme is full of music that I really love, both to perform and to listen to."

Pictured: A poster for the Night at the Opera event.

Vicky Stock, JSO Education Officer said the two soloists "will undoubtedly enthuse the young singers attending, providing them with a valuable insight into their lives as professional opera singers."

"We are delighted to have them deliver the masterclass, and hope that those attending will be inspired by both James and Verity's wealth of experience."

Tickets for Saturday's concert, which will take place at Les Quennevais School, are available here.