Ch'ella mi creda

Walking into the Harwood tonight, after a long day of practicing  in preparation for singing at NZ house in London on Monday and preparing  for another hour long slog, I hazarded straight into the set for Opera North's production of Fanciulla del West. I saw the little bibles, virgin Mary tableau,  the swinging saloon doors and the kerosene lamps and I felt the opera come to life right there before me. Like it did this week at St George's Crypt, where we workshopped Fanciulla choruses with members of the homeless community in Leeds. Outside it was the bleak midwinter but inside it was goldrush California. There were conductor's scores everywhere, music stands, and little director's notes. Suddenly I was struck by exactly where I was. I was a player in the middle of a living, breathing, opera. I immediately forgot my tiredness at the end of my long day, picked up a discarded score, walked over to the piano and started to play this aria:

Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano,               Let her think I'm free and far away,
Sopra una nuova via di redenzione!           on my way to a new life of redemption!
Aspetterà ch'io torni                                     She'll wait for me to return..
E passeranno i giorni,                                   and the days will pass,
Ed io non tornerò...                                       and I won't return...
Minnie, della mia vita mio solo fiore,        Minnie, only flower of my life,
Minnie, che m'hai voluto tanto bene!       Minnie, you who have loved me so much!
Ah! tu della mia vita m io solo fior!           Ah, you, the only flower of my life!

No matter what happens in my career, I will always be overwhelmed by being in the midst of opera. I'm not usually one for Puccini's antics, but for tonight - Giacomo, here's looking at you.