Sarah Sweeting is an English soprano now based in Australia whom I had the pleasure of working with on Melbourne Opera’s Tannhäuser when she sang the role of Venus. For this role Sarah has just received a Green Room Award nomination along with tenor Marius Vlad who sang the title role, and Melbourne Opera itself.

Not only is Sarah a wonderful and beautiful performer (with a great sense of humour), she is also a yoga teacher which is why I’ve always wanted to hear more of her story.

Recently Sarah had been working as a cover for the Cavalleria Rusticana and King Roger at Opera Australia, which she will resume after her current trip to the UK. Later in the year we will be working together again for a Melbourne Opera production.

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You’re off overseas?

Yes, the UK for a couple of months   to see family and spend time with my dad as he’s not well. I’ll also be running a few vocal workshops – masterclasses – and performing in a couple of concerts. I’ll also take the opportunity to audition for companies and agents.

How long have you been singing opera?

I have been singing opera professionally since I was 27 years old – so a few years now! My first professional operatic role was Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with one of the touring opera companies in the UK. It was during these times that I learnt so many roles and gained a lot of experience as a performer. They were invaluable times. Before this, I was working in the musical theatre business as a dancer and singer, both touring and performing in the West End.

Did you always want to be a singer?

The human voice always held a fascination for me, from a very early age. My parents are very musical. They had all the old records of the great singers and I remember listening to Maria Callas singing Lady Macbeth and being transfixed by her ability to create such an extra ordinary atmosphere using her voice. I played it again and again. It was captivating. I would only be about 9 years old.

Were your parents musicians?

My mum was a Latin and French teacher, but she was also an accomplished pianist and she could have become a concert pianist – but she didn’t feel she had that kind of dedication that was required, and she wanted to have a family.  I was brought up listening to the musicals , opera, and classical music in general.

My dad is also very musical although his profession wasn’t a musical one. He could have had a career as a singer as he has a natural pure basso profundo voice.  He has the lowest, most beautiful deep rich speaking voice.

My dad often would sit in the armchair then  conduct the music that was playing on his record player.  He would put on symphonies and would conduct away to his heart’s content.

They were very supportive, then, of your career?

Yeah I think my mum certainly was.  I think dad was a little worried about the  career prospects. He was a very astute businessman and had provided well for his family.  A traditionalist in every aspect and the choice of a career in the arts, perilous as it always has been in terms of a  secure finacial future, worried him somewhat. However, in spite of their fears, they still supported my career choice.

How did you discover opera?

I wanted to be a ballerina so I went to ballet and tap, then started singing with a local teacher up in Yorkshire, and she was an inspiration as she had been a principal for Glyndebourne opera.

During my late teens, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see Domingo, Ricciarelli and Diaz singing in Otello at Covent Garden.  It was a stellar cast, and an amazing production.  It was a particular moment in that first storm scene when Domingo came out singing the opening line “Esultate” I thought, “that’s it, that is what I want to do”. It was as clear as that. The impact of the incredible scene, the costumes, the orchestra, the production and of course, hearing his wonderful voice, was so powerful. Nothing had had that kind of effect on me before. It was overwhelming and literally took my breath away. That, in my opinion, is what opera is about–to feel the transformational effect of the human voice without amplification, soaring over a large orchestra – there’s nothing like it!

When I was singing in London in the musicals, I used to go to ENO (English National Opera) and Covent Garden when I could. As much as I loved the musicals, I think I always knew that opera was where my heart was.

You played sport?

Yes, hockey, long distance running, swimming and javelin.  I was accepted into a very good sports school in Somerset but decided to follow the performing path instead.

What are your challenges as a singer?

My mind! I used to get terrible nerves that would affect my voice and therefore my performance. It was awful. When I began singing in some of the small companies in the UK, I was performing big roles and it used to terrify me. I got over it by throwing myself into the character, but you can only do that for so long! At some point i had to face my fear and learn how to deal with it.

When I was younger I thought my voice was unruly and a bit wild, and so I used to try to make my voice sound pretty like many of the colleagues I was working alongside. They all seemed to have the perfect technique, sounding well-rounded and secure. And I didn’t! . This insecurity created a lot of tension in my voice.

My agent at the time put me up for some auditions in England with some major companies, like ENO, Welsh National Opera and I hadn’t really had a lot of training so my voice was really not ready, and apart from vocally, emotionally I wasn’t settled.  It was awful… I cried in the middle of an audition singing something, and I could just feel that I wasn’t prepared… I was terrified. A friend of mine suggested I meditated, so I went to this Buddhist place in London and I started to meditate and it made a difference, calming the nerves.

Although there isn’t the fear of performing any more, I can sometimes spiral into negative thoughts of feeling like I’m not good enough…Still now, I sometimes feel uncomfortable thinking someone is listening to me warming up in the next room! I guess over the years I have learnt how to deal with these moments.   I don’t think I will totally get rid of them – but I have learned how to stop them interfering with my work.

I am now a big fan of yoga and meditation. So much so, that I did take a couple of years off some time ago, to live and travel around India to learn all about the yoga tradition and eventually I became a yoga instructor. It helped me with my nerves and general well-being.

What do you need to be careful of?

Watching rubbish” catch up reality TV” on my iPhone in bed, late at night. It stops me from getting a good night’s sleep!

What sort of diet do you follow?

I am a vegetarian. I do eat eggs and have milk but more and more I am noticing the benefits of an animal free diet. I have some very good friends who are strict vegan and they are the healthiest and happiest people I know! I also eat a lot of chocolate and have the odd glass of cab/sav.

About being a vegetarian – was that a choice?

I was a vegan for about 12 years while I was teaching and doing a lot of yoga and meditation. It was a health choice and i became very aware of the effects of different foods had on my body. Nowadays, i follow a vegetarian diet for health reasons, although more and more I feel a sensitivity towards the animals, and the thought of what I’m actually eating doesn’t sit well with me anymore.

What do you consider to be taboos for singers?

Each singer is different from the next. What doesn’t feel right for one singer doesn’t mean it isn’t right for another. I am a big ‘live and let live’ kind of person. You have to find what suits you as an individual. I know what works for me, and I try to be in tune with my feelings and emotions as much as possible as I believe we know inside what is best for us. Ultimately, we are our own best guides.

What does your average working day consist of?

I make sure that my first hour in the morning is very relaxed and easy. I have found that If I start my day taking care of myself and being easy with myself I end up not only having a great day, but i also get a lot done!

If I am rehearsing, I arrive at the studio a bit earlier to do a warm up, (or just meet up with the other singers and talk a lot.   Sometimes this can be the same for me as warming the voice!!), then I would go through some of the music I will be singing in the rehearsal.

But on days I am not rehearsing, I actually don’t have an everyday practice regime. I tend to begin my singing practice with what my body feels like doing that particular morning. Maybe slow, gentle ‘oooo’s’ on a scale then some breath work. I do some yoga/stretching and maybe a meditation, and during the day I walk or go for a jog. My least favourite thing is learning music, which is a challenge because my job consists of quite a lot of this!! I usually write it all out in whatever language the opera is in, then translate it word for word. Then I speak it in rhythm before taking it to the piano and learning the notes, which comes last. Everyone has his or her own way of learning music, but this seems to be the best way for me. I had to learn Madama Butterfly in 2 weeks a couple of years ago and just didn’t have time to learn the role in my usual way.  It was crazy but I managed it. I probably wouldn’t remember any of it now, as I had to speed learn it and just didn’t know every single translation of every word I was singing – terrible to admit – but it is true!

Sarah as Venus with Marius Vlad in Tannhäuser (photo by Robin Hall)

What do you do to wind down after a performance?

After a big opening night, I do like to party and go out for a drink or meal. It does take a while to come down after a show, especially after the first performance. But otherwise, I would wind down with my partner, (who is also an opera singer, Bass, Eddie Muliaumaseali’i), and probably ask him, (if he was there listening or in the show himself!), about how the evening had gone. We do talk a lot about singing…we just talk a lot…period!

And on rest days?

I don’t really have what you would call “rest days”. I am always in some way, doing something connected to either singing, some kind of body work or music. Otherwise, I guess this is where the rubbish reality TV comes in!

What’s coming up for you in the near future?

I will be continuing my work with OA this year, performing with Melbourne Opera later this year and working overseas in 2018. My voice has been a bit of a “slow burn” so to speak. From the world of musical theatre, singing a lot of G&S, then Mozart then some of the Verdi roles in my 30’s, I am now moving into some Wagner repertoire. This is a very exciting time for me, as the roles I am now studying and performing are wonderful characters for me to get my teeth into. When I look back, it seems to have been a slow progression over the years into the more demanding roles, both vocally and emotionally.

Any wellness advice for budding singers?

Regarding vocal wellness, there’s always a lot of talk about singing roles too big for young singers, doing too much etc. Every singer is different. Some singers are singing the heavier, more demanding repertoire like Wagner in their 20’s, and being very successful with that – others don’t begin to sing that rep until well into their 40’s. Who is right? There isn’t a right.  I really think we have to take full responsibility for our voices and to know what suits our individual voice.

I also would suggest that a singer has only a small number of people whose advice they trust.   As artists, we can be open to too many opinions on what to do, what to sing, who to sing for etc etc and from my own experience, it is best to have a couple of people who really understand your voice and who know you are as an artist. My wonderful agent, Alex Robertson and partner Eddie, are both people I respect and listen to.  Also, a couple of coaches I work closely with are there to support me and help me in my decisions with rep etc. This doesn’t mean that you can’t gain a lot from all the other coaches, but just know who your support group is!

Also, I would suggest that you don’t compare yourself with other singers. Being an artist is a very personal and individual journey, and by comparing yourself with others is useless. Singing has been, and still is my passion, love and life but it is good to remember that some of my happiest times have had nothing to do with singing.  Don’t place all your happiness on that role, or that place in that college etc. It will only bring frustration!

What would you be if you weren’t a singer?

I would have continued my yoga training (I am already a qualified yoga instructor), to become a yoga therapist or some other kind of alternative health practitioner. I am very passionate about health, especially alternative medicine and life styles. I also spent some time being a travel rep in my early 20’s and I did do some mountain ski guiding, so that might have been something I would have loved to do as a job. Who knows… My childhood dreams were: being a ballet dancer, playing on the left wing for England hockey team, a down-hill skier or being an actress. It is a blessing if we can do what we love and make that our career. I do feel very blessed.

Any favourite quotes related to well-being?

The first ones to pop into my mind…….

“This universe is not outside of you.  Look inside yourself:  everything that you want, you already are” – Rumi

“Follow what is being told to you from the inside out” – Caroline Myss

Thank you and safe journey, Sarah!

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Find out more about Sarah on her website: http://www.sarahsweeting.com