Other Hobbies

I have many hobby besides my Astronomical hobby, namely: 

Birdwatching and wildlife

Snorkeling and under water Photography

 Opera Singing, though this was also a profession for around 8 years

I once did Zookeeper for the day at London Zoo.  

Travel.  

Scroll down for the various hobbies

Unfortunately my Hobbies website no longer seems to exist, so will have to try to re-create it here - if I still have the original Photos.  

I once saw a huge Barracuda when I was snorkelling at Buccoo Reef off Tobago -  scared the begeezus out of me, and I couldn't get back to the boat quickly enough.  

Opera

I have sung most of my life, first with the Orpington Junior Singers where I was soloist and we travelled on tour to Northern Ireland and Holland.  We were often recording at the BBC, and sang at the Royal Albert and Festival Halls in such works as Mahler's 3rd and 8th Sympnonies, and Honeggers Joan at the Stake.

I then moved into Operetta with a local Operatic Society and then after a few years moved into Grand Opera where I sang as a soloist for something like 40 years.  

Professional work:  During this time I also did around 8 years professional work, some as a soloist and on two occasions in the chorus of some mega productions in London, such as Aida and Carment at Eerl's court with international stars.  Touring the OK as a sol0ist in concert, and going to Germany where I was the soprano soloist in a group who sang Opera based on Shakespeare to the Shakespearean Congress in Bochum.   I also sang at the Royal Opera in the Extra Chorus in Die Meistersingers Von Nurnberg.   I also spent two year as a film Extra in order to boost my Equity "Points" to get a Full Equity card.  

Opera Nova:  1989 I was in what they call "a resting period" as regards professional work, and so I decided to mount a production of Madam Butterfly (sung in Italian), as none of the groups I normally sung with were likely to do it for various reasons.  This was not intended to be an on-going company but it was so successful I was persuaded by both members of the company and a new audience we had acquired to continue with it, and so Opera Nova continued for about 25 years performing many operas as follows:

Madama Butterfly 1990

La Boheme 1993

The Marriage of Figaro 1996

The Magic Flute 1998

Tosca 2000 (for which we obtained a lottery Grant for the Millenium)

La Traviata 1999

Carmen 2001 

Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci 2005

Magic flute 

Opera Nova held open auditions and sometimes had professional up up and coming professional soloists as well as good amateurs.  onductors and Directors were drawn from local contacts as well as the occasional choreographer.  All performed with orchestra at local venues as well as a couple of touring performances in Kent. 

Roles Played over the years, some of which were professional and some with amateur companies:  

Mabel (Pirates of Penzance), Valencienne (Marry Widow),  Saffi (Gypsy Baron), Yum Yum (Mikado),  Sovra (Gypsy Princess), 1st Lady 3 times (Magic Flute),  Leonora In Italian (Il Trovatore),  Amelia in Italian and english perfomed 3 times (Un Ballo in Maschera), Cendrillon (title role), Rosalinda 2 times (Die Fledermaus), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Leonora (La Forza Del Destino), Suor Angelica (Title role with Vilem Tausky conducting).  The Merry Widow 2 times (Title Role), Lady Macbeth (title role), Santuzza 2 times (Cavalleria Rusticana), Nedda (I Pagliacci), Manon (Massenet Title role), Countess (The Marriage of Figaro), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan Tutte), Violetta (La Traviata), Madam Butterfly (title role), Tosca 2 times (Title role), Mimi 2 times (La Boheme) In Italian, Carmen (Title Role),   chunks of Aida, Dedemona and Turandot.

in such theatres as:  Churchill theatre Bromley, Little Theatre Elt, ham (Later known as the Bob Hope Theatre:, Blackheath Concert Halls, Assembly Halls Tunbridge Wells, Edward Alderton Theatre Bexleyheath, Holland Park Theatre Kensington, Trident Theatre Greenwich, Hever Castle (open air theatre), Questors Theatre Acton, Watersmeet Theatre Rickmansworth Middx ,  Riverside Arts Centre Sunbury on Thames, Broadway Theatre Barking, Lewisham Theatre,  Crofton halls Orpington,  Arts Centre Theatre in Chatham, Stag Theatre Sevenoaks 

Professional Work

Leonora (La Forza Del Destino) Holland Park Theatre Kensington

Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus) Hever Castle Festival

Carmen

Tosca (Title role) Stag Theatre Sevenoaks

Several years with Opera Italiana - Inc Extracts of Lady Macbeth, and Desdemona (Otello) in Germany, Chunks of I Due Foscari

Various places in London, and England, a trip to Nottingham, and a trip to Germany to sing to the Shakespearean Congress in Bochum.  All sung in Italian as soprano soloist. 

Opera Concert Tour with a now defunct company in various venues, in Norfolk Milton Keynes, Tewksbury, Guildford, and Hereford

performing solos and extracts from various Operas.  Sometimes with Orchestra.

Chorus of Aida with the Ambrosia Opera chorus in Italian - Earl’s Court Arena - With international soloists

Chorus of Carmen in French - Earl’s Court Arena - With international soloists

Chorus of Die Meistersingers - Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Soloist in many concerts wih  Metropolitan Police Male Voice choir

Many concerts in the SE, and sang at weddings and funerals

Personal engagements, or via an agent

Keeper for a Day at London Zoo 2009