“You cannot teach what you do not know.”

My professional career has spanned more than 30 years and an additional 14 years were spent studying. I was lucky enough to be given a full scholarship to the then famous Royal Manchester College of Music (now RNCM) where I was taught singing by Frederic Cox and Sylvia Jacobs. I was also taught movement and stagecraft by Sheila Barlow. Like most young singers today, I was given a number of roles at college working with other students. My year included people like Ann Murray and John Tomlinson. I went to the Glyndebourne Chorus and was offered the role of Donna Elvira on the tour with the then up and coming baritone Tom Allen and I continued studying at the London Opera Centre. This was a difficult time for me. Some thought I was a mezzo, others a soprano. I still had to work on joining the three registers of my voice. I continued working with Erich Vietheer and in late 1978 found the extension to my voice which allowed me to sing as a Spinto Soprano for 20 years.