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From lettuce fields to opera stages – the brilliant journey of Helen Sherman

<p>How does a young girl growing up on a lettuce farm in rural New South Wales, surrounded by the quiet rustle of leaves and the hum of daily farm life, go on to become such a powerful voice on the operatic scene? This is the unlikely beginning of Helen Sherman, the Australian-British mezzo-soprano who has taken the world of opera by storm. </p> <p>Sherman’s musical journey began at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where her extraordinary voice started to attract attention. It wasn't long before her ambition led her to the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in the UK. There, she honed her craft, setting the stage for a remarkable career that would see her representing Australia at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition and the Francisco Viñas International Singing Competition.</p> <p>Sherman's rise to operatic fame has been nothing short of meteoric. Her versatility and talent have seen her perform a wide range of roles across the globe. Recent highlights include Flora in <em>La traviata</em> at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and Octavian in <em>Der Rosenkavalier</em> and Cherubino in <em>Le nozze di Figaro</em> with Opera North. Her portrayal of Tamiri in <em>Farnace</em> with Pinchgut Opera and Dorabella in <em>Così fan tutte</em> at Teatru Manoel in Malta further cemented her reputation as a mezzo-soprano of extraordinary range and depth.</p> <p>One of Sherman’s standout performances was her interpretation of the title role in <em>Carmen</em> with the State Opera South Australia. Her embodiment of Carmen’s fiery spirit and complex emotions captivated audiences and critics alike. Equally compelling was her portrayal of Giulio Cesare with Bury Court Opera, a role that showcased her ability to navigate the demanding vocal and dramatic challenges of baroque opera.</p> <p>In 2024, Sherman’s calendar is as busy as ever, as she will be singing Dorabella in <em>Così fan tutte</em> and Mistress of the Novices in <em>Suor Angelica</em> for Opera Australia, roles that promise to highlight her versatility and emotional depth. </p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Over60 was lucky enough to be able to interview Sherman in the lead-up to her Sydney performances of <span style="color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;"><a href="https://opera.org.au/productions/il-trittico-sydney/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Il Trittico</a> </span><span style="color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;">and <a href="https://opera.org.au/productions/cosi-fan-tutte-sydney/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Così fan tutte</a></span>: </p> <p><em><strong>O60: How did you become an opera singer after growing up on a lettuce farm in rural NSW? </strong></em></p> <p>“It was quite a journey. My father was an incredible piano accordionist (think Flight of the Bumblebee, Malagueña etc). In the 1970s his teaching studio in Bathurst peaked at about 40 accordion students, which I think is quite remarkable. After his father died, Dad stepped back from his teaching to take over the family farm, though he still plays to this day. </p> <p>“My mother is a music lover, and wanted her children to have the opportunity to explore creative outlets that she wasn't fortunate enough to explore in her youth, so my brother, sister and I all had lessons in piano accordion, piano, dancing, drama and singing. We were fortunate to live in a town that had many thriving arts organisations, such as the Dolly McKinnon School of Dance, Bathurst Eisteddfod Society and Mitchell Conservatorium of Music. </p> <p>“Bathurst's Carillon Theatrical Society (for which my dad's cousin, the late, great, Carole Eastment, was choreographer) afforded us the opportunity to be part of full-scale classic musical productions. I was also fortunate to attend MacKillop College, a local Catholic high school of humble proportions, that had a very passionate and resourceful music teacher, Mr David Eyles. Thanks to him, students like me were able to star in wittily re-written and orchestrated G&amp;S productions. With such a plethora of opportunities at my feet, my love of the stage was pretty much pre-determined.</p> <p>“Upon graduating high school, aged seventeen, I moved to Sydney to take up a place at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where I completed a Bachelor of Music and a post graduate diploma in opera. At this stage, I wasn't really in love with opera, that came later, when I found myself covering third novice in OA's 2007 production of Suor Angelica.</p> <p>“During the last studio run of the show, mere metres away from me, star soprano Cheryl Barker was singing the final solo notes of the title role: ‘Madonna! Madonna! Salva me! Salva me!’, tears streaming down her face, and the most incredible voice soaring out; I had chills all over my body and in my soul, and I have loved opera ever since.” </p> <p><em><strong style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">O60: </strong><strong>You were based in London for years; how did you find the opera world overseas versus in Australia – in both your studies and performing? </strong></em></p> <p>“I guess the main differences are that the UK scene is a bigger one with more companies and more music schools; a more international one, that students and professionals from around the world flock to, and one with – historically – more financial backing and patronage. However, the scene in the UK has suffered dramatically in the last few years, particularly with the effects of Brexit compounded by COVID, cost-of-living crisis and embarrassingly ignorant cuts made by the Arts Council. </p> <p>“Generally, abroad, there are many more opportunities for musicians, but many, many more musicians competing for them. It is an awe-inspiring thing to meet and work with musical idols like Roger Vignols, Julius Drake, Yvonne Kenny etcetera, to sing a piece of music in the venue in which it premiered or was composed for; to tread the same cobblestones that the likes of Mozart and Handel trod and to delight in the discovery that the shoes or trousers you're wearing in a production bear the name of the likes of Dame Sarah Connolly.” </p> <p>“However, I would say that there is plenty of exciting stuff going on in Australia and an optimism and openness in the Australian people, which is impactful on our industry and its creative output. </p> <p>“More needs to be done in our country to insure all children are given creative learning outlets for the benefit of their development, their communities and for the future of our industry.” </p> <p><em><strong style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">O60: </strong><strong>Why did you return to Sydney and how are you enjoying it? Any future plans to head back overseas? </strong></em></p> <p>“After a health scare in 2022 that forced me to cancel all my work, my husband received a job offer to relocate to Sydney. It felt like the universe was opening a door for us, so we gladly walked through it, and onto a flight to Sydney in mid 2023. I have felt welcomed (back!) with open arms both personally and professionally and I have no imminent plans to return abroad, at this stage.” </p> <p><strong><em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">O60: </span>You’ve appeared in many staged productions as well as concerts. What do you like about these two types of performances? </em></strong></p> <p>“Concert performances are a chance to home in on the music and the words without worrying about physical action. Staged productions afford the performer the luxury of inhabiting and exploring a character, physically, right down to their shoes and petticoats. Both are wonderful ways of working and some works naturally lend themselves to one or the other – though, I think for opera, context is key, and can be a challenge to properly manufacture on the concert platform.” </p> <p><strong><em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">O60: </span>Tell us about your two characters and how do you prepare for performing two roles in different operas in the same season? </em></strong></p> <p>“I've been playing the role of Mistress of Novices in Suor Angelica and am currently preparing the role of Dorabella in Così fan Tutte. One is a senior nun and the other an excitable teenage girl, so they are rather disparate. </p> <p>“The big challenge is in the early days of learning and memorising the role. Once you have a grasp of the music, the libretto and who you are, it's about showing up and reacting to your world. Preparing disparate roles concurrently can be a vocal challenge, since tessitura and vocal gesture have a big impact on how one might approach a score. I like to keep in touch, daily, with technical exercises that encourage economy and flexibility in my voice, especially when I'm working on contrasting roles. Thankfully, the human voice is a very sensitive instrument and responds intuitively to intention and emotion, so developing the character arc and subtext helps a lot with that. </p> <p><strong><em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">O60: </span>What should audiences be watching and/or listening out for Il Trittico versus in Così fan tutte? </em></strong></p> <p>“There's so much to enjoy so let it wash over you in broad, beautiful, very human brushstrokes!! Or, if you love little details, in Il Trittico see if you can spot which singers appear in all three operas and watch out for Frugola's bag of strange objects in Il Tabarro. You'll learn a lot from the body language and small glances between characters in the world of Suor Angelica, and in Gianni Schicchi, well, I am told there is a very interesting door stop!</p> <p>“In Così fan Tutte, listen out for the way Mozart creates subtext for his characters; tiny details, like Dorabella needing to sing a third higher than Fiordiligi (because she is the competitive younger sister!) when emotionally fraught in some of their act one recitatives! Mozart is a genius of musical detail!” </p> <p><em><strong style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">O60: </strong><strong>Do you have any dream roles you’re yet to perform? </strong></em></p> <p>“There are too many to list, but I adore the role of Octavian in der Rosenkavalier by Strauss (a role I have sung, but would love to revisit) and I would love to sing Ariodante by Händel.”</p> <p>---</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px;">Click here for more information on </span><span style="color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;"><a href="https://opera.org.au/productions/il-trittico-sydney/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Il Trittico</a> </span><span style="color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;">and <a href="https://opera.org.au/productions/cosi-fan-tutte-sydney/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Così fan tutte</a>. </span></p>

Music

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Review: Il Trovatore at the Sydney Opera House

<p dir="ltr">Tarot, clowns, romance, and drama abound in Opera Australia’s rendition of <em>Il Trovatore</em>, the melodramatic tale created by famed operatic composer Guiseppe Verdi.</p> <p dir="ltr">Set in 15th-century Spain, <em>Il Trovatore</em> follows Manrico (Yonghoon Lee), a rebel soldier and troubadour who is in love with lady-in-waiting Leonora (Leah Crocetto), who has also caught the attention of the Count di Luna (Maim Aniskin).</p> <p dir="ltr">Some years before the opera is set, the Count’s father accused a Romani woman of bewitching one of his sons and had her burned at the stake, but not before her daughter, Azucena (Elena Gabouri), supposedly snatched his son and threw him into the fire as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is then revealed that Azucena had mistakenly burned her own child in the fire and had taken Manrico from the count and raised him as her own son.</p> <p dir="ltr">With Azucena urging him to exact revenge on the current Count, Manrico rescues Leonora from the Count and they plan to marry each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, when Azucena is arrested and Manrico is captured attempting to rescue her, Leonora is faced with the decision to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her beloved.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bcdc5a5f-7fff-1384-592c-9b2d817d45bb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Opera Australia’s rendition of this classic opera blends tradition with innovation: the setting shifts forward in time to the Spanish Civil War and traditional set pieces are replaced primarily with towering digital screens.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cbdadbce-7fff-2ea2-a3fb-aab6cce5fa6e">Though this change in setting was captured well with the costuming, with the Count’s men donned in 40s era grey overcoats and armed with a mix of swords and pistols, the digital stagecraft captured the ambience of Il Trovatore more than a sense of place and came across as shallow in some moments.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/il-trovatore1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">That said, the digital aspects weren’t without their positives, playing with the audience’s sense of space and highlighting important aspects of the story, with projections of a series of tarot cards (a nod to Romani culture), a rundown circus, and a disembodied clown head as notable examples.</p> <p dir="ltr">The rotating stage of the Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre and select physical props and sets were used quite effectively to capture the dilapidated circus grounds and hospital. Meanwhile, silhouetting the cast to punctuate between scenes and songs and circus folk and henchmen frozen mid-fight showed how the cast could themselves become scenery.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fa69e0eb-7fff-477f-808e-e83537b0973c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">As for the cast themselves, Lee shone as the fierce troubadour, even when he seemed to falter and be visibly in pain on some notes. Gabouri’s casting as Azucena seemed a perfect fit, given her powerful vocals and the strength with which she played her character.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/trovatore-cast.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Yonghoon Lee (left) and Elena Gabouri (right) shine as Manrico and Azucena, and their chemistry as mother and son is electric.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Aniskin’s cold and menacing portrayal of the Count came through particularly in the second act, while Crocetto’s incredible range helped her shine as the leading lady Leonora.</p> <p dir="ltr">The orchestra, led by Andrea Battistoni, were exceptional throughout in capturing the highs, lows, and intricacies of Verdi’s music.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a first-time opera goer, the need to look at the surtitles above the stage made it difficult to stay immersed, particularly as they seemed to translate the essence of what was being sung rather than the literal lyrics.</p> <p dir="ltr">Even so, Opera Australia’s rendition of Il Trovatore is engaging in its fusion of tradition and tech, and its stellar cast breathe life into a story that is just as relevant today as it was when it was first written.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f73b4808-7fff-5ff4-dd47-827b2162d498"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Il Trovatore</em> will be performed at the Sydney Opera House on select dates until July 30, with tickets available to purchase <a href="https://opera.org.au/productions/il-trovatore-sydney/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Keith Saunders</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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The world’s most thrilling horse race will leave you breathless

<p>Get ready for Italy’s most famous sporting event.</p> <p><strong>What is it?</strong></p> <p>A one of a kind horserace through the main square of the medieval city of Siena in Tuscany. The race has been held almost continually since the mid 1600s and is a symbol of Sienese pride. It began to commemorate a miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary in the town, though over the centuries has been used to honour many other saints and prominent figures. The city is divided into 17 contrade (districts) and representatives from 10 of these are chosen to compete. Each has their own emblems and colours, and the city streets are decorated to show their support. The horses are ridden bareback and must complete three laps of the square. The whole event is over in not much more than a minute. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ID0kIaLaGLQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>What is the atmosphere like?</strong></p> <p>The city is abuzz for the four days of the festival, leading up to the race on the final day. Some 40,000 locals come to watch as well as around 20,000 tourists from Italy and around the world. The atmosphere is electric with the warmth and passion of the Italian people spilling out onto the streets. The square is bursting with people on the day of the race, so see if you can secure a spot on a verandah to watch.</p> <p><strong>What other events are there?</strong></p> <p>The whole festival lasts four days, so make sure you arrive early to take some of it in. On the first day you can watch la tratta, the selection of the horses, and a series of trials. On the night before the race, each contrade hosts a huge open air dinner in the main street of their district. Speak to a travel agent or find a friendly local to secure a ticket. Just before the race, there is a two-hour procession with people in historical dress of the 13<sup>th</sup> and 14<sup>th</sup> centuries to celebrate the time when the Sienese Republic was the centre of Italy.</p> <p><strong>When is it?</strong></p> <p>Il Palio is held on July 2 and August 16 each year.</p> <p><strong>How much is it?</strong></p> <p>It is free to stand in the central area of the square, around which the race takes place. However it will be extremely crowded and you may struggle to get a spot. Grandstand seating is set up around the edges, though you will need to pay for a ticket for these. Enterprising locals also rent out their verandahs overlooking the square.</p> <p>Have you ever been to Italy?</p>

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