Robert Hayward
ROBERT HAYWARD is one of the leading bassbaritones of his generation. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he met his wife, Tamsin, and made his professional debut in 1986, singing Don Giovanni . He is currently appearing with Opera North, in Leeds and on tour.
I’m currently reading: I’m not really a great reader, and when I am, I’m pretty selective about it, and I certainly don’t read musical scores for pleasure, only when I have to learn a role that is offered, or when I revisit a part. I like biographies, and the one I’ve got on the go at the moment is of one of the most wonderful singers ever, the bass-baritone George London, and it was written by his wife Nora, so it makes it both sincere and heart-warming. He had a stellar career, but was brought down by severe ill health, and he died in his early sixties, far too young. His story is very different from mine because I started out singing in choirs and choral societies as a countertenor, and then one day someone suggested that I might actually be a bass – the very opposite of the scale, and it meant that I could then tackle a far wider ranger of music. I’d been studying for a science degree, and then found myself at Guildhall, which was quite a leap, to say the least, and a big shock to the system. But I found it hugely enjoyable, it worked, and here I am today. I read my newspapers (The Guardian and The Observer) both online and in print, and I love doing my cryptic crosswords.
I’ve been listening to: Just One Thing, with Dr Michael Mosley, where he explores all sorts of topics, suggesting which ones will help our health and general well-being. The James O’Brien programme on LBC gets a lot of my attention, and then of course, there’s The Archers, which is a must.
On TV, I’ve been watching: Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesdays, which always manages to raise my blood pressure, a lot of Scandi drama, and Shetland, with Douglas Henshall as Detective Inspective Jimmy Perez. I’m really not quite sure about the series after he left. The scenery, of course, is always part of the attraction, although they seem to have better luck than we did when we went to Skye for a holiday a while back, There was only one day when it wasn’t sheeting down with rain, and that was the day that we left. Then there’s The Traitors, which was absolutely fascinating in that you wanted to see what was unravelling in people’s minds, what the motivation for their actions was.
The live performance I’d recommend is:
The recent production of Guys and Dolls, at the Bridge, in London. The singing was remarkable, and it was done in the round, so that you felt immersed in the action. It was also cast so that you felt you were with real people, of all different shapes and sizes – the dancing was just stunning, everything just weaved in and out, absolutely perfectly. I do love my musicals,
and for a long time I had a hankering to play the Howard Keel role in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, but, at my age, I fear that my days of dancing energetically are over, and well past.
My next box set will be (or my last boxed set was…): My wife, many years ago, used to work in a record store, to supplement her income, and the owners also used to gift her some of the stock, so we have an impressive collection of vinyl at home. We do watch opera live as and when we can, but we do get great pleasure from listening to our complete sets of discs. There’s a unique sound and quality to them, we think. I’d also like the opportunity, sometime soon, to revisit Succession, which had excellent writing and a superb cast, and told you everything about that most appalling human trait – greed. Psychology, high finance, not one nice person to be seen anywhere. Strangely, it resonated with me, because the three characters which I am currently singing for Opera North are also quite nasty pieces of work, there’s quite a lot of blood on their hands.
The app I couldn’t be without is:
With grandchildren, it’s wonderful to see them and to engage with them, on WhatsApp. That we can see them, from a vast distance, and hear them perfectly, well, that’s just incredible.
What is right at the top of your “to do” bucket list?: When I retire – which is something that I do not plan to do in the foreseeable future – I shall get myself an Arsenal season ticket. I do go to see the Gunners when I have the opportunity, but having a season ticket at this point in time would be a serious waste of money, simply because I wouldn’t be at most of the matches. Some time back, I visited Sri Lanka, and that’s a place I’d like to return to, with Tamsin, and to show her what a beautiful country it it. And I’m also going back to Melbourne, with Opera North, to sing their Tosca over there. It’s a lovely city.