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The Tatty Tenors are on their way to Malta and will be playing to a packed house on Tuesday 22 June at the Sala Isouard in the Manoel Theatre. MaltaToday caught up with the beautiful Sharon Moore, the soprano that has joined the tenors for their tour, in Ireland.
Affectionately known as ‘The Diva’ to the tenors, Moore has sung all her life and is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and a former member of both the Queensland and Western Australian Opera Companies.
Although they have a wide ranging international repertoire of Italian, Spanish and Irish songs the Tatty Tenors have put together an Australian repertoire for their tour to Malta. The programme will include the ‘Wild Colonial Boy’, ‘I am Australian’, ‘The Road to Gundagi’, ‘the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘I Still Call Australia Home.’
As a tribute to Malta, and in recognition of the country’s last great siege, the group will also be performing a medley of World War II songs including, ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’, ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square’, ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ and the very Australian, ‘Brown Slouch Hat.’
What set you on your career as a soprano, any family inspiration?
There was definitely no family inspiration. I always sang, from when I first went to school I used to sing to the children in the schoolyard. My Mum had no idea that I sang, or could sing until I was 11. I used to sing in the back of the choir at school and at the age of 11, my teacher (a nun) wanted to know who the voice belonged to in the back row. It was I. Promptly, I was then placed in the front row. As a child I studied at seven different schools as my parents moved quite often with their work. It was difficult to take extra classes during that time.
My first extra-curriculum studies were in Ballet. I started piano at the Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane at the age of 16, voice was also part of my education process there. After graduating from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music I performed in Principal Roles with the Queensland and Western Australian Opera Companies.
Do you sing full-time, if not, how do you balance out your life? If so Has it been a struggle to achieve that status?
No I don’t have a full time career any longer. I now have a family and cannot commit myself to a full time career in voice, although I do quite a lot of performances in the Brisbane/Gold Coast area for special occasion events. I teach voice and obtain a great amount of satisfaction from it, and like to bring out the best in my students. I also do soft sculpture and have found it to be quite a successful venture, all at the same time as renovating the house.
Is it opera singing you most prefer, or do you enjoy other genres?
I love opera. I believe that a great combination of acting and singing puts you in a special place, the role you are performing takes you out of your own self and transports you into a new and different world. It is powerful. All combined with an exceptional orchestra, I would imagine that it must be like heaven. By the same token, I do enjoy cabaret for different reasons. However, you are still able to play a character doing cabaret, it is only the roles that are different.
Not everyone likes to face an audience from a stage, what does performing add to your life?
Performing on stage is my major means of expression. It is probably the only time that I am who I am, expressing myself artistically.
How has your tour gone so far with the Tatty Tenors?
The Tour has been incredible, it has been a wonderful experience for all of us. We performed at the Sugar Bar in Dublin for three nights. The first night we were hosted by the Australian Embassy in Dublin at a special reception. We have been spoilt.
Our performance at Ballyhooly was an exceptional evening. The audience well and truly let us know that they had enjoyed our performance totally. It was overwhelming.
This has been an absolutely memorable tour for us. As a group we have matured overnight almost. We have all merged to become a very close knit unit, blending together so well artistically that at times we seem to be one.
Could you tell us about some of the highlights of your career?
The first time I sang ‘Michaela’ in Carmen by Bizet at the Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane as one of the foremost highlights of my career. This was because I felt what it was like to be part of the orchestra. You felt you were part of the wave of the music coming from the pit. The musicians were so pleased with the performance and were lavish in their praise of our performance.
Any low points? Did you pass through the experience of feeling like the starving artist?
Weekly! One of the biggest hurdles an artist has to work through is the depression and the self doubt. The ability to work through it is essential. You must realise your life has to have balance and that there are other things in life. You have to be determined. However, having said all of that, for the very different roles one performs in opera, having all of those varying life and emotional experiences, puts you in a powerful position to interpret the roles that you play.
Which was your most memorable performance and for what reason?
Cho Cho San - based on the story of Madam Butterfly in 1990 was probably the most memorable experience on stage. This performance combined opera, music theatre, jazz and puppetry, it was an extremely experimental piece for its time, and was performed at the Princess Theatre in Brisbane which is now classed as a heritage building.
As a person in the spotlight you must receive attention over and above the average, have you had good or bad experiences with individual fans?
The audiences I have been performing for have been absolutely wonderful all the way. When you ‘move’ people they generally like to let you know and are keen to do so. I have not had one negative experience in that way in theatre/performance work.
What should the Maltese audience expect from your show with the Tatty Tenors?
I look forward to seeing things I have never seen before, like the your Neolithic temples and St John’s Cathedral, the walled city of Mdina and the Cittadella in Gozo and also performing with the Tatty Tenors in your amazing theatre. I also look forward to talking with the Maltese people.
What do you expect from your Malta visit?
The audience should enjoy being moved, having a good laugh, listening to some Australian repertoire, and having a good time. Don’t forget we will all be sampling Australian wine after the performance.
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