Locals came out and cheered as I sang O Sole Mio on a Venice bridge
WHEN I was just a jobbing singer 35 years ago, I went on my first cruise. It was to the Mediterranean and stands out for being an experience on the roughest possible seas.
In the theatre, every time the ship tilted the cardboard car in the Greased Lightnin’ number slid from one side of the stage to the other. Some were scared but I found it hilarious and thought: I like this life!
I’ve done a lot of cruises over the years – many with P&O, and more recently with Cunard – and I am never seasick.
Before I became established as a classical singer, I was often booked in tandem with the comedian Crisco and we became friends.
Wherever we went ashore we’d create havoc. In Naples we visited Pompeii, but the tickets were too expensive so we climbed over the wall. We got to the amphitheatre and Crisco was on one side and I the other, and all of a sudden he shouts: ‘I am Spartacus!’ And I shout back, ‘I am Spartacus!’ And then everyone else is joining in, shouting ‘I am Spartacus!’ just like in the film.
In the Caribbean, we went to a beach where the hot sea and the cold ocean meet, creating massive waves. Perhaps unwisely, Crisco and I decided to go in the water – and had our shorts torn off.
I love ocean cruises but my wife, Louise, won’t come. She hates the idea of being in the middle of nowhere, but adores river cruises, knowing she can hop off if needed.
There is something romantic about sailing through beautiful scenery, and Venice must be the most romantic of all.
I have performed for the passengers in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco under a painted ceiling. It reminds me of when I sang for the Pope in the Vatican, but not as big. Last trip, I stopped on a bridge and felt compelled to sing O Sole Mio. I stood on the bridge and the locals came out on to their balconies. When I hit the high note there were 20 people clapping and cheering.
Not the biggest audience I have experienced – but one of the best.
Russell Watson will be performing on Uniworld’s Venice & the Jewels of the Veneto cruise, departing October 27. Fares, with flights, from £2,549pp (uniworld.com).