An interview with our Gala soprano, Stefanie

23rd May 2023

We are thrilled to be welcoming back Stefanie Kemball-Read, who has just sung the role of Elsie Maynard in our spring production of 'The Yeomen of the Guard', as one of the soloists in our forthcoming gala at Chiddingstone Castle.

Stefanie has performed with Kentish Opera many times over the years, and here gives her view on what makes a perfect gala.

'I am performing at a number of different galas this summer, and they come in all shapes and sizes. For me, what makes a gala truly fabulous is having an orchestra - the many different layers offered by the instruments gives vibrancy and additional depth to the music performed.

'It is also a great luxury to have a chorus because many galas only feature soloists. This broadens the repertoire that can be performed and creates a completely different energy and dynamism.

'I love performing in a romantic setting because you can be so much more imaginative with how you stage things and it has its own atmosphere even before the music begins. This affords a wonderful opportunity to see what the setting can add to the music in people’s own imaginations.

'Galas are definitely a popular choice currently. I think that, post-pandemic, many musical companies are still finding their balance and galas are a great way of appealing to a wider audience as they give companies the opportunity to offer the audience such a range of different musical styles within one show.'

And how does preparing for a gala differ from preparing for a full show?

'With a full show, you have one character to immerse yourself in, and that's a very different experience from tackling the range of pieces and moods you come across in galas. In a gala, it is more about trying to present each character in that one moment and tell their story. For that reason, I always like to rehearse the pieces in the order I'm going to perform them in, because it gives me a physical muscle memory or pattern of how the pieces are going to play out over the whole performance.'

Can you give us your views on what you'll be singing with Kentish Opera on July 2nd?

'They're all lovely pieces and a great range: some Verdi, Mozart and Strauss so very different styles to present and both comedy and love themes to get stuck into! It will be great fun to revisit the role of Adele for the Laughing Song and the Champagne trio as she is a hilarious character. It is also unusual for me to sing the Papagena duet as I am usually playing the treacherous Queen of the Night when I sing in 'The Magic Flute'. I will be singing with Giles Davies too who was my Jack Point in 'The Yeomen of the Guard' so it will be great fun to be back together again and this time do a very different style of duet with him.'

And finally, what will you be doing with the rest of your summer?

'Between normal life, which includes looking after my two children, and managing their social lives and activities, there will still be some teaching of singing continuing and preparation for some further opera galas to follow in September and October in both Spain and Brighton respectively. But before all of that, we will be heading off for some hopefully guaranteed summer sun in Greece!

Book tickets for the gala here