An Interview with Helen Massey
Check out Swansea City Opera’s interview with Helen Massey who will be singing Susanna for us in this year’s production of the Marriage of Figaro.
When and why did you decide to become an opera singer?
I was all set on the trajectory to be a vet – doing all sciences at A level – when I was BBC Radio 2 Choirgirl of the year. Suddenly I glimpsed a world that I had never considered and was smitten! It took a while for the penny to drop but, having always been very involved with music, I think it was inevitable, really.
What was your first experience of opera and what did you think of it?
In truth, I didn’t fall straight into opera. I went to the RCM and all I wanted to do was sing – I didn’t really know what sort of format that would take. I had never seen an opera before. (I’m ashamed to admit, I still thought all opera singers were fat at that age!) One I was exposed to it, I quickly caught the bug. It really does have everything for me – creativity, communication, fun, relevance to current issues… What more could you want?!
What’s it like living on a boat and being an opera singer?
Wonderful but also challenging. I adore nature, so it is perfect in that respect. Changing a gas bottle at night, in the dark and rain, having just come back from a tour is less glamorous. It’s all in the balance, though. Time at home is precious so it’s important for me to be in beautiful surroundings.
What’s your favourite opera and why?
My favourite opera? That’s an impossible question as it varies depending on what I’m doing at the time. I tend to immerse myself in the music I am working with and that often influences, or indeed, becomes what I love most at the time. (The reverse can theoretically be true, I suppose, but I haven’t experienced that yet… I think that proves I must be in the right job!)
People are curious about rehearsals – what happens in them? Is it true that coffee and biscuits keeps you going? What’s your favourite biscuit?
Ha ha, yes, biscuits can be essential sustenance! To be honest, I’m more of a dried fruit and nut girl… with the odd bar of posh chocolate.
Rehearsals are a combination of creativity, discussion, understanding, compromise, repetition and plenty of trial and error. Other than that, I couldn’t give away too many trade secrets! I believe that a slight mysticism around the creative process helps keep it alive. Besides, there’s no easy way for it to be described – it has to be seen to be understood.
Any good tips for keeping your voice in good condition?
Look after yourself, body and soul, and the rest comes decision by decision. Of course, there is always room for a carefully placed neurosis about what is good for the throat when it suits the diva! In truth, some of my best performances have been when the odds have been stacked against me & the same in the reverse, so I don’t believe there are hard and fast rules here.
Any advice for budding singers?
Trust your instinct and understand the difference between constructive assessment and inconstructive criticism. These things can make or break you in what can be a harsh world. Be kind to yourself & others.
What’s a day in the life of a singer with Swansea City Opera when on tour?
Get as good-a night’s sleep as possible before the show; drive to the venue, perhaps picking up some edible treats for the dressing rooms; have a cuppa & sound check/rehearsal; eat something that will sustain you for the next few hours; hair, make-up & costume; wait in the wings and go on for a fantastic show! Afterwards, we’ll all hit the bar (as long as the next show isn’t the following night, of course!).
People might imagine that opera is a very serious business – even though there’s some fantastic comedic moments in opera – do you have any funny anecdotes that you’d like to tell us?
I must admit I’m a bit hopeless when it comes to remembering my own anecdotes – I tend to be so absorbed in what I’m doing to commit them to memory. I can share one from another colleague who was doing Schaunard in La Boheme at an international house in Europe. It came to the moment of Mimi’s death and Schaunard delivers his line as the first person to notice her passing. At this, the rest of the cast fell about laughing, including Mimi, in stark contrast to the mood of the story. My friend was rather confused so the joke had to be explained: As an English speaker, a minor inflection had changed the line from “espirata” to “es pirata” but Mimi was without her peg-leg & Polly the parrot!
