Questions and Answers with Helen Bailey

21st September 2023

Helen Bailey was a fantastically moving Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana with Kentish Opera a few years ago and has subsequently sung with us at one of our Chiddingstone Galas. She returns to join us for our 70th Anniversary Concert on 21st October 2023.

First of all, what is your favourite opera?

I don’t actually have a favourite opera! I usually say, The Magic Flute because it has so many wonderful moments but I also love Peter Grimes. The Rake’s Progress breaks my heart and I have fond memories for me of performing the role of Anne Truelove at Trinity Laban.

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

I’d love to play Tosca one day! Also Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus would be lots of fun; I performed a scene from it when I was on the Masters course at RAM and it was the most fun rehearsals I’ve ever experienced! Lots of silly choreography.

What do you really like listening to?

I mainly listen to rock and indie! My favourite band of the moment is Nothing But Thieves. If David Bowie is on the radio, I will turn it up loud, and I also adore The Beatles. My husband and I are going to see Stornaway soon in Bexhill; I love their folk-indie style and their vocal harmonies.

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

I did have a former life as an English teacher so I might have gone further with those studies instead of music; I would love to have done a postgraduate in Time Travel literature and lectured at a university! Otherwise, speech therapy or midwifery might have been my calling.

Another opera question - Verdi or Wagner?

Such a hard decision to choose between Verdi and Wagner but I think I’d say Verdi; I’ve sung and covered many Verdi roles and have found them all incredibly exciting and dramatic. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I covered the lead role of Giovanna D’arco at Buxton Festival. For the cover show, I had to wear an armoured breastplate which hid my bump. A pregnant Joan of Arc might have been a bit confusing!

Where do you like going on holiday?

I love reading so anywhere that I can sit and read in the sun is a winner for me. We recently went to Walton-on-the-Naze and Eastbourne for weekends away with the kids and both were just the tonic! Sea, sand, and a good book!

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

In my spare time I run two book groups and am a massive bookworm so I'm always reading. Although I'm not very fast, I like running and try to do Parkrun as often as possible. My kids take up a lot of time so I'm generally with them at their clubs or helping them with their own music practice.