Music to our ears

To mark World Opera Day on 25 October, Sandra Smith caught up with Berkshire born soprano Jennifer Coleman

- Sandra Smith

One positive outcome from current performance restrictions is the return of Berkshire soprano Jennifer Coleman to her Slough family home. But the pandemic hasn’t dulled her enthusiasm for her chosen profession.

“Every day is World Opera Day in my world!” she says of the event that launched last year on 25 October – the birthdays of two celebrated composers, Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II. “Music always felt like my destiny. When, as a child, people asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, there was no question in my mind – singing. I just didn’t realise it would be opera.”

The vivacious 31-year-old has been using the enforced break to enjoy her surroundings, including the nearby ‘magic kingdom’ of Windsor, which still retains a childlike appeal. She has also been spending time watching YouTube videos for tips on how to deal with her curly hair, which is generally straightened for performances. “I’m embracing my curls,” she laughs, before we hone in on early musical exposure, which included choral singing at school and performing opportunities with Berkshire Girls’ Choir. Solo singing lessons followed until, at the age of 17, the world of pop tempted her.