St Edward's Rhubarb Issue 5

6 ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

Taking Flight:A Choral Career

Neville Creed, Director of Cultural Activities, interviews Edward Price (C, 1989-1994)

F E A T U R E S

Performing at RAF Hendon

What were some of the musical highlights of your School career and were there any particularly influential singers or music teachers? I was at St Edward’s on a Music Scholarship, and whilst in the Shells we did a production of Verdi’s Attila , and I played the cello. I remember at the dress rehearsal they were very enthusiastic with the dry ice, and we couldn’t see a thing in the orchestra pit! It was an amazing performance and a great introduction to Teddies. At my prep school, Beechwood Park, I was singing bass and baritone, and Philip Cave tried to encourage this at St Edward’s. In the Fifth Form we did cabaret, and it was my first introduction to musical theatre. Two particularly memorable moments were when I was cast to sing the Marriage of Figaro and when I was entrusted by Philip to do the solos in the Nelson Mass. Was there anything about your time at St Edward’s that you felt prepared you for life as a professional singer? The general discipline of singing in a choir and sight-reading really prepared me, and

You joined the BBC Singers in 2001: what have been some of the highlights over the last 14 years? I auditioned for the BBC Singers, thinking that I might get on the extras list. They actually offered me the part, and I have been there ever since! I had to sight-read some Lennox Berkeley for my audition – I still remember that day. An early highlight was when I worked with Pierre Boulez, who is incredible. We have often worked with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and we did a concert of the Queen of Spades in St Petersburg. It was very daunting to sing in Russian to a cast of Russians! It is such a privilege to work with the BBC singers and such incredibly talented conductors and to travel so widely, as far as Hong Kong and Japan. Recently you performed with the BBC singers at the RAF Museum in Hendon as part of the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, what was that experience like? I had not been to Hendon before, and the hangar is fantastic. We were singing music connected with flight and the RAF, and in the background was a Phantom, a

taught me how to organise music around a busy life. Choir practices were always at lunchtimes on Thursdays and Fridays, games afternoons, and I would always be dashing about in between Field House, lunch, games and Chapel! Philip taught me something I still use today, which is to take ten deep breaths before going on stage. Since leaving School in 1994, how have you developed your career as a singer? I went up to Clare College, Cambridge as a Choral Scholar for three years, and really started to get to grips with singing on a professional level. I had additional lessons with David Lowe before leaving School to help prepare me for transition, and he continued to teach me while I was at Cambridge. I stayed on as a postgraduate at King’s Choir, which was truly amazing. I was lucky eno¨gh to have some solo work for the televised performance! We travelled a lot and it was great to work with large professional orchestras. After leaving Cambridge I wasn’t sure about making singing my full- time career, so I started working with a music agency run by John Boyden.