SINGER EIRLYS ON WALES’ PASSION FOR MUSIC
Mezzo-soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies reflects on her career as a professional singer with Robert Lloyd
WHEN it comes to singing, we like to start them young in Wales! It’s a truth acknowledged by mezzo-soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies.
“My mum likes to think I started singing when I was three when I first stood up in Sunday School in my chapel, Capel Rehoboth, in Five Roads, Llanelli,” Eirlys chuckled.
“My mum was the Sunday School teacher and everyone seems to remember that I always sang.”
It’s been quite a journey from the humble surroundings of Capel Rehoboth to one of the most famous stages in world opera, Glyndebourne in East Sussex.
But it’s been a journey the 32-yearold singer treasures and looks back on with considerable affection and gratitude.
Now in lockdown at her home in Leatherhead in Surrey, Eirlys reflected on the journey from her home village of Trimsaran to life as a professional singer.
It’s a career which has taken her to the four corners of the UK and an international journey which has included an appearance at The Vatican in Rome.
“I consider myself very lucky as I had a great start to this musical life,” Eirlys said.
“It seems that I was always singing as a child. I started primary school and had a lovely teacher. The music staff were great and I started competing in eisteddfodau.
“Then, in secondary school, in Ysgol y Strade in Llanelli, I started getting success in local Eisteddfods, then the National Eisteddfod... and then the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen.
“It was plain that I enjoyed being on stage more than doing anything else.
“I wanted to follow the music and the voice developed into a classical voice. So, I went to do my music and drama course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) in Cardiff.
“Then I had about eight years of training and I have probably been a professional singer for about four years, full time. And, so far, so good!”
Eirlys is passionate about Wales and is convinced that we provide better facilities for young singers than any other nation.
She said: “We are so lucky in Wales as singers to have so many companies, so many choirs – and there are a lot of competitions offering scholarships, bursaries and tuition fees to help young singers. “We are so lucky compared to a lot of other countries. A lot of my colleagues in the world of music ask me, ‘Where can you get all these funds and all these prizes?’ because they have not got that funding in England and elsewhere. “Over the years, I’ve competed in everything from the Urdd Eisteddfod, the National and the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen and then the London Welsh Young Singer of the Year (2017).
“It was wonderful to win the W Towyn Roberts Memorial Prize scholarship in 2014. It was ‘back home’ when the Eisteddfod was in Llanelli. I think it was the last time for me to compete in the National and it was so nice that it was in Llanelli.
“I think it’s worth making the point that, as Welsh singers, we are very grateful for all the opportunities we have to compete and gain scholarships.
“The opportunities we get to rehearse and practice our craft are so great in Wales. It’s a wonderful thing.”
Since those early days honing her craft Eirlys Myfanwy Davies has come a long way.
Summer months are spent taking the stage at one of the world’s premier opera stages in Glyndebourne – and Eirlys treasures every minute of it. She has been based in Glyndebourne in East Sussex for the past three years.
“It’s a truly unique experience and I consider myself very lucky indeed,” Eirlys said. “Everything you’ve seen and heard about Glyndebourne is true. Glyndebourne is recognised as one of the finest and most celebrated opera houses in the world.
“Everyone has heard the stories of how relaxed opera is at Glyndebourne. You get the long intervals and people can picnic out on the lawns in a stunning rural settling.
“It’s just an hour from London, near Lewes in East Sussex, so it’s an easy journey for many concertgoers.
“Of course, we are on lockdown now so there’s nothing happening, but in normal circumstances I would be working at Glyndebourne from April to August and then we would have a company taking opera on tour to other parts of the UK. There’s a wonderful atmosphere at Glyndebourne and I feel really privileged to be allowed to be part of the company there.”
Glyndebourne all began with a love story in 1934, when founder John Christie met soprano Audrey Mildmay.
The Glyndebourne company now delivers performances to some 150,000 people across a summer
festival and an autumn tour.
“It’s a truly unique setting,” Eirlys said. “And, when we get back to work after lockdown, I would urge everyone to try and visit, if they can. The grounds at Glyndebourne are exquisite, the flowers, the roses, the great lakes, there’s plenty of space to have a stroll before the opera and at the interval.
“Normally, people arrive about two or three o’clock when the gardens open. They bring their picnics and their drinks. They enjoy the first half of opera and then there’s an hour and a half of an interval where you can enjoy socialising with friends – and then you are back in for the second or third part of the opera.
“Most people who enjoy opera should have a visit to Glyndebourne on their bucket list to say, ‘Been there, done that,’ because it is a wonderful experience.”
Eirlys said it was “a dream come true” to be part of the Glyndebourne company.
“I had the audition. They gave me an offer and they have taken me back every year since. They are a wonderful company who look after their singers and staff. It is a wonderful privilege to be part of such a great name and a great company.
“Opera is a very competitive world. There are so many of us going for the same jobs. Much depends of what shape, size, look and sound the casting directors are looking for when they want to fill specific roles. Sometimes it is luck and you have to build up a thick skin and not take the rejections too personally when you don’t get cast.
“You just have to plough on, keep working hard, keep being professional, keep learning and keep on enjoying what you do. We all love what we do and we all aspire to get our dream roles.
For now, though, Eirlys has to play a waiting game.
She added: “Lockdown means that there’s no work coming in. My contracts with English Touring Opera finished about three or four weeks before lockdown.
“Things has started to slow down. People were not buying tickets because they were nervous and shows had to be cancelled.
“Currently, there’s nothing scheduled in until September and it’s wait and see if we will be able to return to the stage then.
“Of course, lockdown is a very unusual situation, but I am doing my best trying to learn new music. I’m catching up on the things I should have done over the last couple of years but never really had the time to do.
“I’m sorting out music and sorting out scores and stuff, so it is OK. So far, so good!”
Eirlys continued: “Being on lockdown doesn’t mean that you stop rehearsing and using your voice. Being a singer is like being an athlete. You don’t become an opera singer just by rehearsing for a few hours, It takes years of work. You don’t just wake up one day as an opera singer. The muscles and the voice take years to develop. It takes years to get the craft, learn the languages and build up the stamina to sing and be on stage for three hours.
“I still have to keep the voice ticking over at home, not to undo all the things I’ve already done to get to this point. Yes, the voice needs time to recover and relax. But, like being an athlete, the longer you leave it, the harder it is to get back into shape and back into singing again.”
If the Glyndebourne touring company are able to get back on the road in the autumn, Eirlys is scheduled to take part in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Die Zauberflöte.
Looking back, Eirlys pinpoints two magic moments in her career so far - winning the W Towyn Roberts Memorial Prize scholarship in 2014 at her ‘home’ National Eisteddfod in Llanelli and singing in concert with baritone Sir Bryn Terfel in the Llangollen International Eisteddfod.
“Obviously, I had met Bryn before, but to be able to sing on the same stage as him was something that so many singers dream of doing. Sir Bryn is an absolute superstar and that is a moment I will treasure,” she said.
Eirlys added that she was looking forward to returning to sing in Wales at the earliest opportunity.
“It’s a great shame that I had four concerts scheduled in Wales, but