TWENTY-FIVE Border youngsters will learn more about life as an opera singer when they take to the Albury Entertainment Centre stage on Tuesday.
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The group, aged between eight and 14 years, will form the Albury children’s chorus for the Opera Australia touring production of The Marriage of Figaro.
During weekly practices led by local choirmaster Bohdan Krowicky, the singers have been preparing their contributions ahead of joining the professionals.
“Opera Australia have rearranged those particular choruses so the children could be part of them,” Mr Krowicky said.
“The children are taking the soprano and alto roles of the chorus.”
Children’s choruses sourced from the towns visited by Opera Australia have been a feature of the tour.
“Friends of ours went to see it in Wagga, they thought it was excellent,” he said.
Rehearsals with the Opera Australia children’s choir master Josh Van Konkelenberg will be held Friday and Saturday, followed by costume fittings and final rehearsals on performance day.
Some choir members, like Mullengandra’s Freddy Simpson, 12, also sang in the children’s chorus for The Magic Flute two years ago.
“That was awesome, I really liked it,” he said.
“It’s really exciting to see how everything works.”
Freddy, recently seen as Pinocchio in BYTE Size Productions’ Shrek, said the whole night stood out.
“Those magnificent voices from those big opera singers,” he said.
“It’s amazing how they can get those notes.”
Mr Krowicky, who led many in the choir while musical director of Oliver! earlier this year, said the children had worked hard.
Freddy said he had enjoyed rehearsals.
“Bohdan’s taught me a lot of great skills in singing,” he said. “Like how to really project your voice and how to make you sing better, like your posture and all that.”
The choir members are Danni Antonello, Chloe Bartasek, Ebony Banks, Jack Bonnor, Ruby Bonnor, Kobey Hudec, Abigail Hurst, Abbey Jacobs, Sarah Jarvis, Leora Kelly, Mattea Kelly, Zahlia Kelly, Iona Kelly, Stella Klironomakis, Caitlyn Martin, Matilda Pearson, Sam Pepper, Johanna Ratnik, Dayna Rice, Leila-Rose Rogers, Samara Sergi, Freddy Simpson, Eila Thornton, Faith Walter and Sidney White.