Chat Ed : Welcome to this evening's OPERATUNITY chat with judge Mary King and the winners DENISE LEIGH and JANE GILCHRIST!
Mary King : Hello, Mary here :) I am one of the judges on Operatunity.
yanna : hello!
wayne : Hi Mary
Denise Leigh : Hello, this is Denise here...
Katy : congrats
verity : hi denise
Jane Gilchrist : Hello, Jane here, thanks very much for taking the time out to talk to us.
seb37 : hi
Izzy : Hey Jane :)
Jimmy : The best two performers definately deserved the prize tonight - they were my winners from when Operatunity first started - well done you both
wayne : Allwere fantastic, but the best 2 'won'. What was the most 'testing' time?
Jane Gilchrist : I think the most testing time was actually the first weekend in London for me because when I first got there everybody seemed to know so much about opera and I didn't. I felt a bit out of place to be honest.
Eirwen : hello Jane and Denise - I think you were both fab and I picked you both!
Denise Leigh : For me the most testing time was again the May weekend. My first session with the repetiteur was hard because I felt so under-prepared.
Nora Brown : I would like to congratulate both the winners and say how moving I found the programme. Also I'd like to wish you all the very best for your performance
Mary King : I had two testing times. One was the long days of the first round of auditions, which was very rigorous where we had to concentrate for each individual on very long days. It's a credit to the contestants that they kept our interest the whole time. The second thing was in the May weekend when we had a very long day, as the contestants will agree, on the Sunday when they sang their arias on stage. All the contestants went down to the Dutch bar whilst the judges deliberated with only a cup of coffee because we had to stay awake and I was very envious, I wanted both a drink and my bed!
ernest : David here: It was a great series. Too short, but it made me cry a lot. Jane and denise, you were both wonderful.
trish : Ms King - you were fantastic through the series - a positive influence and no doubt an inspiration to the performers. Where do you get your energy and patience?
Stephen Jones : Mary - considereing that most vocal training takes years to get anywhere, how daunting was your task of achieving real, tangible results in such a short space of time?
Mary King : Thank you for those kind words. I believe that most people are capable of vocal change. We had a very limited amount of time and so we tried to find out as much as we could in that short space of time through a variety of exercises as well as working on individual arias. I suppose the results are a combination of experience and intuition.
Steve Carr : When did the winners find out that they were going to be singing Gilda? What a fantastic part!
Andrew : How are you going to share the performance, are you each doing an Act?
Denise Leigh : We found out in September. We were both, I think, horrified and excited at the same time.
Jane Gilchrist : What we're doing is, we've split it into 2 sections, I'm doing act one, scene 2, that's the first half, and Denise is doing the second half from one scene in act two.
Mary King : And they are both doing Caro Nome.
pb : I can't wait for Sunday and the stage performance. Rigoletto is a great opera.
Joeylefondue : Jane, Denise, do you feel prepared for the performance as Gilda?
Scot opera-lover : Ms King what qualities will Jane and Denise bring to the role of Gilda, in your opinion
Jane Gilchrist : I feel very prepared because of all the fantastic coaching that we've had and the direction from the Director. So what we're left to do is just to enjoy it.
Denise Leigh : I feel very prepared, for the same reasons. We have been given such great, individual attention. The opera is only part of the prize, the last 6 months tuition has been really a good third of the prize.
Mary King : Jane I think will bring honesty and innocence to that first scene. It's very refreshing to hear both girls in these roles. For Denise it's a combination of vulnerability and pride which I find very touching.
Angela : Have you been in touch with the others yet. If so, how and what are they all doing?
sarah : What will happen with the other contestants, were they offered further support??
Denise Leigh : I'm in constant touch with Frans and Margaret and I do text and occasionally phone Mary and Jane, so we are in contact.
Mary King : After a couple of weeks had transpired we had a meeting with the other 4 where we discussed various options ranging from advice about teachers, part-time courses and further training and in all cases they were given a small sum of money with which to pursue some of these ideas for further study.
Rachael : For Jane and Denise - what do your kids make of your new incarnations as opera stars (mine put their hands over their ears when I sing...)?
Eilonwy : Jane and Denise How have you children coped with your fame?
Jane Gilchrist : I quite often practice in the bathroom when my children are having baths and they also put their hands over their ears when I get to the top notes! But they have also learnt quite a bit of Rigoletto and they sing along with bits of it now. As for coping with the fame, my children have loved every minute of it and get quite enthusiastic when people at school tell them they have seen their Mum on tele.
Denise Leigh : My daughter is very involved, she's 9 and she probably knows more about the role than I do! She can sing most of the other parts so that when I'm practising she can join in. The boys only became interested when they saw themselves on TV.
meg : Mary, do you think that any of the 6 will be able to go on and be professional singers? Would they need to go to music college? Denise and Jane are you planning to pursue professional careers and how are you going to g o about it?
Georgie : For Jane and Denise, where do you see this all taking you?
Noel : have you thought about what you will do after the performance?
Mary King : Music college is not an option for all because the closing dates for applications are on the 30th Birthday, so several contestants in the final 6 would be too old.
Katy : now i find that really unfair !!!
Mary King : So, I think the most likely thing is a part-time or pro/life as a musician and see how it goes, but I imagine that all those 6 will take their individual voice lessons seriously.
Jane Gilchrist : I think that going into an opera company would not be an option for me even if it's just one that tours. I'd be more than happy with concerts and weddings, as long as I get paid for it! I'll have a drink after the performance and celebrate with my family.
Megan Morgan : You have such a talent though Jane - I do hope we will hear more from you in operas
Denise Leigh : I think that I'd be happy with a steady trickle of work that encompassed recitals and definitely now some work on the opera stage although that may give some Directors a few grey hairs! Some people do love a challenge though! And I am paying members of the ENO to say that it's just not the same without me!
Denise Leigh chuckles
Melody : Is there going to be another Operatunity and if so how do I apply?
Stephen Jones1 : Mary, have ENO considered running courses like this for the future on a regular basis to keep finding undiscovered talent?
Mary King : I think the official line at the moment is that there are no plans to do another Operatunity, but things change as we know. I personally think it would be great.
Jane Gilchrist : And if they do, I'm sure Denise and I would like to apply again!
Nick : If either of you had to pick one of the boys, who would you have chosen?
Denise Leigh : What parameters are we judging by?
Jane Gilchrist : I'd say James.
Denise Leigh : Only because he put his hand up your skirt!
Jane Gilchrist laughs
pb : Mary, Jane, Denise and everyone involved, congratulations on a great idea, great series, and cliffhanging suspense. it's been like watching an opera itself!
Charlie : How much of the final decision-making discussion was cut out?
Mary King : A lot! It was very tense and difficult.
sam forster : Hi mary what an amazing climax to a splendid show
nicola : how have the professional opera singers reacted to you since rehearsals began?
Denise Leigh : That was a concern for me at first because I worried for them. I thought that they might wonder what on earth they were getting themselves into, but as soon as I met them I realised that this wasn't an issue. They were as keen to support us as everyone else has been and I hope they've been pleasantly surprised.
Charlie : It was great Tv and I am not an opera fan...well maybe I am now!
GuyD : Mary, what's the one tip you would give to any aspiring singer?
Mary King : Well, I suppose the most important thing is that you find a teacher who is right for you and it's often harder than you might think.
patricia anne : my husband and I sat crying at the end - goodness knows what we will be like on Sunday evening
meg : Please pass on my respect to Denise for her guts and creativity and not being beaten
Diana Williams : My final comment - the singers' love of music has been truly wonderful - so refreshing in these days of 'I wanna be a celebrity'.
Blanca : Not a question really, I'd just like to congratulate both Jane and Denise on their well deserved Operatunity vicotory! I was hoping for you both to win and wish you both a great success. I would like to go to London to see you, but I can't. Hope you have a great night and I am sure that you will be sublime!
So impressed! : Jane - you have the most wonderful voice! I find it hard to believe that you've never had a classical training. You are an inspiration for me!
sam forster : Hi mary what an amazing climax to a splendid show
bernard2 : I loved the show
pm : Thank you for a wonderful show
Denise Leigh : I'd like to say thank you for watching and the next best thing to being there on Saturday is watching the show on TV on Sunday.
Jane Gilchrist : I'd just like to say the whole experience has been uplifting and enlightening and the whole thing was totally amazing and thank you so much for watching us and I hope you enjoy the opera.
nicola : I've now discovered opera! Thank you to Channel 4 and all those involved.
Mary King : Get involved in opera whenever you can, it's the most fantastic music and a form of art that needs support both in being part of a performance and attending a performance.
Swiftnik : You made me laugh, and cry..........fantastic........good luck
meg : Lots of luck to you both
Nick King : to both, go for it, enjoy it.
H : An excellent series - compelling, moving, inspiring, and Mary a true role model for being so positive
Jessie : Congratulations to you all on a great show!!!
