Singing between voyages

Press, 12 October 1988, Page 22

Singing between voyages

Michael Burch is between sea voyages. And to fill in time before he sets sail he’s doing a spot of singing. Singing is nothing new to the Wellingtonian who spent 15 years in England as a student and professional singer. He arrived there in September, 1973 as a student at the Guildhall School of Music. After his study he joined the Glyndebourne Opera Company for two seasons and travelled to France with the company. For the last few years he has worked as a freelance singer on contract with several companies including the Welsh National Opera. He says breaking into the opera and concert circuit was not easy. “England has five permanent opera companies. In Europe there are many more. Germany has 83 for example. There’s a lot of competition in England and Europe so it’s fairly difficult.”

He sang a little in Europe but “opera companies in Germany expect you to do a beginner year or two at an abysmally low salary so I left that alone.” About 2i/j> years ago Burch and his wife decided to take a break from their jobs, build a 40ft yacht and sail it around the world. They got as far as their home town of Wellington in the Ngaio last year before stopping indefinitely. “We’ve got halfway round the world and we’ll do the other half sometime. We got to Wellington where both of us grew up and fell in love with it again and decided to stay.” Now the Ngaio is moored and Burch’s singing career is beginning to pick up again after a slow start. “We decided to stay and I gave my name to all the choral societies and opera companies but it takes a while to get known. Now I’m busy

for the next few months.” His immediate commitment, and his reason for being in Christchurch, is his role as Eisenstein in the B.N.Z. Canterbury

Opera season of “Die Fledermaus” which opens on October 19. It is a new role for him and one he is thoroughly enjoying. “The opera is very funny.” After the Christchurch season he heads for Dunedin to repeat the role in a Dunedin season of “Die Fledermaus.” “Lots of concerts” follow and a Wellington season as Don Jose in “Carmen” next April. The mainly New Zealand cast for the Christchurch season were all strangers to the Wellingtonian. “I didn’t do much opera before I left New Zealand. It was mainly oratorio. I did sing in the chorus of ‘Carmen’ in Wellington in 1969. Kiri Te Kanawa sang Carmen.” In 15 years the singer has noticed a vast change in music in New Zealand. “It’s really in a very healthy state now. I’m glad to be back. I’ll be here for the foreseeable future.”