Page 36 - Headingtonian Magazine 2017

THE HEADINGTONIAN 2017
ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT
FROM MIDDLE C TO HIGH A... AND BEYOND
MAGGIE DRAYTON
OPERA SINGER
What’s it like being a real-life Diva? Maggie Drayton (2000) – performing as Margaret Cooper – talked to The Headingtonian about her life as a lyric soprano opera singer
How did you decide to become an opera singer, Maggie?
Surprisingly, I can actually trace it back to a specific event! For my 12th birthday, my parents gave me a video of Carmen. That was the first time I’d seen an opera and I was completely smitten. I’d always really enjoyed singing and watching that video just made me think ‘Ah! That’s what I want to do with this voice I’ve been given!’
Did your singing develop at Headington?
Yes, I was very lucky to have Mrs Sonia Vichniakov as my Head of Music at the Senior School. She really was amazing. A lot of people thought she was a great music teacher but she did so much for me personally. She gave me so many opportunities to sing and become confident in my vocal performances – in solos, in concerts and in our choir tours as well. It was thanks to a music scholarship created by her that I could spend my final years at Headington.
What happened next?
I auditioned for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and won a scholarship there. That’s where my real training as an opera singer began. My musician friends at college practiced for at least eight hours a day but with singing, especially opera, you need to develop your technique gradually. Starting out, I had to be careful not to strain my voice and I would have to restrict my practice to an hour of intense singing each day. Part of my love of opera is the research that goes with it. So when I wasn’t doing voice training, I would familiarise myself with every aspect of an opera score; the music, the text, translating passages for myself from the original into English. This is still very much part of the job today!
A lyric soprano generally has a warm voice with a bright full timbre with a high vocal range; from Middle C to a High A...and beyond. It’s
a voice that can be heard over an orchestra and at college I had a coach to help me develop this style of singing. But, as well focusing on technique, with opera you are also involved with stagecraft so there’s a lot of work to do on the whole process of a performance.
What’s it like working as a professional opera singer?
I’ve been singing professionally for 10 years now and I love it. I work freelance – I’m not attached to one of the big opera houses – that means I’ll audition for a part and then work with a company on a production for around two months. At the end of rehearsals, we will usually give between three to five performances. Unlike musicals, where performers use microphones and often give two shows a day, opera singers have to rest their voices for a day before performing again.
What are your favourite roles?
My favourite is Mimi, the lead role in Puccini’s La Bohème. I once played Mimi at the Longborough Festival in Gloucestershire. It’s like a smaller scale Glyndebourne, with its own theatre set in beautiful grounds. The standard is very high with excellent conductors and orchestras. That was an unforgettable experience, an incredible high when you come off at the end of the performance. It’s a wonderful feeling even though your whole body feels exhausted!
I also love the part of Cio-Cio-san – Madame Butterfly – in Puccini’s opera. I once sung it three or four times a week for a show that lasted three months. I was delighted with the write up I got in the Times! I’d trained well and my voice was fine at the end, but often it meant not talking at all the day after a performance! After a show, the cast often meet up in a pub to let loose and relax. Unfortunately, the lead singers can’t join in - too much roaring in the pub can be disastrous so we save our celebrations for the last night!
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