Why I... sing
"I can sing all weekend then go to work on Monday and not feel exhausted"
I am a counter-tenor, a classical singer. I started singing in a choir when I was seven and sang six days a week for my entire childhood. It was a really great preparation for becoming a singer, both as a choir member and soloist and performing in front of thousands of people.
I performed live on the radio when I was an 11 year old child, singing a carol unaccompanied. That was surreal knowing that thousands of people I couldn’t see were listening. It’s funny because it was nerve-racking to speak and answer questions. But when it came to the singing, well, it’s what I’d done every day for almost my entire life so I had that confidence.
Singing in public is a bit like how Lewis Hamilton describes driving a Formula One car – he said everything slows down after a few years of doing it. You stop being fazed and develop muscle memory.
The worst time I ever had singing was relatively recently in York Minster. I’d had little preparation time and not much rehearsal so I had to sight-read the music. The cathedral was crowded with hundreds of people. I was doing a duet and seeing the music for the first time. I misread an interval and sang a wrong note that clashed with the other singer. It was really obvious I had gone wrong. I apologised to the conductor afterwards but he praised the way I had continued confidently, regardless. This is a good lesson for life.
I can earn £250 in an evening for a solo performance. I also get to travel. I’ve sung all over, including Germany and Japan and I’m singing in Barcelona next Easter.
When I sing early music I feel a real connection to history – and the creativity of geniuses who wrote the music.
Sometimes I have to concentrate really hard but other times I can end up thinking the most mundane thoughts as I'm performing – like about what I'm going to have for tea. But most of the time it's a real thrill because when you’re singing in a choir, it’s about teamwork. You’re constantly adjusting to what others are doing, as well as counting and thinking about the music. In that moment, it can be really uplifting and you’re on a high afterwards.
Singing is a source of joy in my life, and I'm happy I can couple it with my work in financial planning which provides a sense of purpose, meaning and impact.
I can sing all weekend then go to work on Monday and not feel exhausted. I feel recharged because I’ve had fun and spent time with friends and I don’t feel like I need a break after that. It’s refreshing and makes me feel ready for another week.