Charlotte Heslop: Mezzo Soprano
Charlotte (front left) as a witch in the Miranda Wright Singers' production of Dido and Aeneas
When did you start singing, and what inspired you to take up lessons?
CH: It started in my primary school choir; after doing a solo in the school play I found that I wanted to sing all the time. I then joined my local church choir which was probably the best thing I could have done, though I didn't know it at the time. It exposed me to a lot of music that I never really tackled at school until GCSE years. When I joined the Durham County Youth Choir later on, I saw the high standard of other young singers and it really pushed me to work harder myself and to find a teacher to help.
You study on the Young Musicians Programme at the Sage Gateshead. Can you tell us a bit about that?
CH: I'm in my third and final year of study now in the Weekend School, a programme that is entry by audition. We cover all sorts with lessons in theory, aural, choir, small ensemble, first/second instrument and for the singers we also have Pilates. Of course my favourite thing is my singing
lessons but I love aural too because although it’s often challenging it can be applied to everything else that I do and has really helped me grow as a musician. At the age of 20 I'm currently one of the oldest students in attendance (the usual age range is 7-19) but staying an extra year has been
great: there is a great wealth of knowledge and experience to be found in the teachers that I will miss when I leave.
What have been the biggest moments of your singing career so far?
CH: Taking part in the Miranda Wright Singers' production of Dido and Aeneas last summer was great. Concerts and oratorios are all nice but there is really nothing like being in a fully staged production. Not long after that I was a participant in the first ever Samling Academy. This was a programme set up by Samling to nurture young singers through a series of workshops, masterclasses and at the end a concert. It was a really phenomenal thing to be involved in and there was a lot that I learnt that has really changed the way I approach singing. It was truly two life changing weeks and I hope that I'll have similar opportunities in the future.
You were the alto soloist in our Mozart Requiem last October. What did you learn from that experience?
CH: Always follow the conductor! As a young soloist the majority of music that I sing uses piano accompaniment and my accompanists are always very forgiving when I pull the music around, following me no matter what I decide to do. With an orchestra it's a different matter; I'll get left behind if I'm not strict with myself about the rhythm and tempi. In addition to this you can't trust that what you hear isn't delayed in a big space such as the cathedral which makes it even more important to rely on the conductor rather than your own ears.
Your next role is Mrs Noye: tell us a bit about how your preparations are going for this, and what you’re looking forward to about it.
CH: Mrs Noye is wonderful to play because she is so stubborn and makes it very clear just exactly what she thinks about getting on the boat. Vocally there are some things that I don't often get to do like glissandos, tuned laughs and outright shouting, which I've had a lot of fun practising. Right
now I'm spending a lot of time getting the rhythms absolutely precise, learning from my Mozart experience. I think that Britten's community ethos is wonderful and I can’t wait to work with the children who will be involved in this project and to see how all the groups come together.
What sort of music do you most enjoy singing?
CH: I really enjoy exploring German lieder: I love the intimacy with the audience and connection with accompanist, plus there are some really weird and wonderful poems. I also love anything that lets me sing fortissimo! It feels amazing just to release your voice like that.
What are your plans for the future?
CH: In September I'll be applying to various music colleges across the country for 2014 entry to study undergraduate music with voice as principal study. I'm unsure exactly what will happen afterwards; only time will tell what I'll need to do next, but, regardless, my final aim is to be a full
time professional singer.
Do you have any advice for other aspiring young singers?
CH: There's a lot that could be said here but I think, above all else, the most important thing is to never forget the joy of singing. It’s far too easy to get caught up criticising ourselves for every minor detail, berating ourselves for not doing as well as we'd hoped, and constantly worrying over the opinions of others. Yes of course improvement is important but above all else as singers we need to enjoy ourselves. If we do that, then the rest will follow.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
CH: I had a wonderful time singing the requiem so thank you for inviting me back to be Mrs Noye, I can’t wait!
We can't wait either! Thank you very much for talking to us Charlotte.
You can see Charlotte in Noye's Fludde on 2 March 2013. Visit our concerts page for more information.
CH: It started in my primary school choir; after doing a solo in the school play I found that I wanted to sing all the time. I then joined my local church choir which was probably the best thing I could have done, though I didn't know it at the time. It exposed me to a lot of music that I never really tackled at school until GCSE years. When I joined the Durham County Youth Choir later on, I saw the high standard of other young singers and it really pushed me to work harder myself and to find a teacher to help.
You study on the Young Musicians Programme at the Sage Gateshead. Can you tell us a bit about that?
CH: I'm in my third and final year of study now in the Weekend School, a programme that is entry by audition. We cover all sorts with lessons in theory, aural, choir, small ensemble, first/second instrument and for the singers we also have Pilates. Of course my favourite thing is my singing
lessons but I love aural too because although it’s often challenging it can be applied to everything else that I do and has really helped me grow as a musician. At the age of 20 I'm currently one of the oldest students in attendance (the usual age range is 7-19) but staying an extra year has been
great: there is a great wealth of knowledge and experience to be found in the teachers that I will miss when I leave.
What have been the biggest moments of your singing career so far?
CH: Taking part in the Miranda Wright Singers' production of Dido and Aeneas last summer was great. Concerts and oratorios are all nice but there is really nothing like being in a fully staged production. Not long after that I was a participant in the first ever Samling Academy. This was a programme set up by Samling to nurture young singers through a series of workshops, masterclasses and at the end a concert. It was a really phenomenal thing to be involved in and there was a lot that I learnt that has really changed the way I approach singing. It was truly two life changing weeks and I hope that I'll have similar opportunities in the future.
You were the alto soloist in our Mozart Requiem last October. What did you learn from that experience?
CH: Always follow the conductor! As a young soloist the majority of music that I sing uses piano accompaniment and my accompanists are always very forgiving when I pull the music around, following me no matter what I decide to do. With an orchestra it's a different matter; I'll get left behind if I'm not strict with myself about the rhythm and tempi. In addition to this you can't trust that what you hear isn't delayed in a big space such as the cathedral which makes it even more important to rely on the conductor rather than your own ears.
Your next role is Mrs Noye: tell us a bit about how your preparations are going for this, and what you’re looking forward to about it.
CH: Mrs Noye is wonderful to play because she is so stubborn and makes it very clear just exactly what she thinks about getting on the boat. Vocally there are some things that I don't often get to do like glissandos, tuned laughs and outright shouting, which I've had a lot of fun practising. Right
now I'm spending a lot of time getting the rhythms absolutely precise, learning from my Mozart experience. I think that Britten's community ethos is wonderful and I can’t wait to work with the children who will be involved in this project and to see how all the groups come together.
What sort of music do you most enjoy singing?
CH: I really enjoy exploring German lieder: I love the intimacy with the audience and connection with accompanist, plus there are some really weird and wonderful poems. I also love anything that lets me sing fortissimo! It feels amazing just to release your voice like that.
What are your plans for the future?
CH: In September I'll be applying to various music colleges across the country for 2014 entry to study undergraduate music with voice as principal study. I'm unsure exactly what will happen afterwards; only time will tell what I'll need to do next, but, regardless, my final aim is to be a full
time professional singer.
Do you have any advice for other aspiring young singers?
CH: There's a lot that could be said here but I think, above all else, the most important thing is to never forget the joy of singing. It’s far too easy to get caught up criticising ourselves for every minor detail, berating ourselves for not doing as well as we'd hoped, and constantly worrying over the opinions of others. Yes of course improvement is important but above all else as singers we need to enjoy ourselves. If we do that, then the rest will follow.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
CH: I had a wonderful time singing the requiem so thank you for inviting me back to be Mrs Noye, I can’t wait!
We can't wait either! Thank you very much for talking to us Charlotte.
You can see Charlotte in Noye's Fludde on 2 March 2013. Visit our concerts page for more information.