The Australian singer who fundraised his way to the UK recounts his exploits ‘going on’ at Welsh National Opera.

It’s been over five years since we last heard from Edmond Choo, the Australian operatic tenor who fundraised his way to the UK through a series of events in 2011. Here he tells Limelight about the fine art of covering at the Welsh National Opera.

“It is better to sing in the opera than listen to it” – Don Herold

I can’t speak for all my operatic colleagues, but I’m pretty sure most of us would agree that covering could be seen as one of two things. It’s one of the easiest principal jobs in the profession and/or it’s one of the most stressful. For those who are unaware, the role of ‘cover’ can be summed up in one word: insurance. You’re there just in case anything goes wrong with the singer they’ve hired to perform the role. Your job is to learn the role, learn the blocking, put it all together in a rehearsal room with the other covers for a number of weeks, and then when that’s all done and dusted, wait for the phone to...