Questions and Answers with Giles Davies

24th June 2023

For those of you who either missed or enjoyed Giles' fantastic performance as Jack Point with Kentish Opera earlier this year - the good news is that he is going to be returning to sing with us on 2nd July at Chiddingstone Castle, and will be including one of Gilbert & Sullivan's most taxing patter songs in his repertoire. Below are some quick-fire questions with Giles about what he enjoys singing most, what he listens to when not performing and a few other interesting bits and pieces.

Let's start by asking you what your favourite opera is?

That's obviously a very difficult question! My favourites would all have to be Mozart, to be honest - Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni... My favourite of his scores is an opera seria that he wrote - Idomeneo; it was very ahead of its time, drawing from Haydn and Gluck but foreshadowing music that was to come from Berlioz, Rossini, Donizetti... Interestingly, it was the only Mozart opera that Benjamin Britten ever conducted. I am also a big fan of Les Contes d'Hoffmann and have always loved the Powell & Pressburger film.

Is there any role you've not performed that you would like to?

Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte. He is an interesting amalgam of the Count from Figaro and Don Giovanni. I like the way he becomes worldly-wise about people, and he gets to sing some of the best ensembles ever written.

What do you really like listening to?

Lots of things... Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Bach, Handel, Rossini and the early Romantics put my soul back together.

What would have been your 'Plan B' career if you weren't a performer?

I would have also loved to have been involved with cinematography or directing films. In many ways, my enjoyment of film was what sparked my interest in performing - I also like the 'overview' aspect of directing in film-making and the editing ability, which is very far from what you get on stage! So I am always thinking about the overview of a show and how it comes across.

You've mentioned Powell & Pressburger's The Tales of Hoffmann - which other films are particular favourites?

I am a big Hitchcock fan - particularly North by Northwest, Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann is one of my favourite composers so that helps with that one) and Rear Window. Another film I particularly like which combines opera and excellent film-making is Ingmar Bergman's film of The Magic Flute. It's absolutely extraordinary and I would urge anyone interested in either the film-making or operatic side to watch it.

Another opera question - Verdi or Wagner?

Verdi is the greater dramatist, no question - look at Don Carlos, Falstaff, Otello, Aida...

Where do you like going on holiday?

We usually go to the Channel Islands - I love cycling and you can cycle offroad there. We also visit relatives, the World War Two Tunnel Museum and Durrell Wildlife Park.

What do you do when you're not rehearsing/performing?

I sleep! And I like revisiting favourite books, films and recordings. I collect 78 records - you can find lots of excellent ones in charity shops and house clearances. I also have five pre-electric gramophones, including from Colombia, Decca and HMV, all in working order. They all have pitch dials so you can control them if a recording feels too fast/slow which wasn't uncommon in a less standardised era - is this getting too technical...?

Giles will be performing arias from The Magic Flute, Gilbert & Sullivan's Iolanthe and Verdi's Rigoletto at our forthcoming Gala.

Book tickets here