In our school newsletters we will be hearing from different freelancers and teachers to find out a little bit more about them and their experiences with ENO Engage.
We sat down with Stockport based tenor Michael Jones to talk about his work on Finish This… Celebration events, increasing access to excellent musical provision in Greater Manchester, and where to get the best Biscoff pancakes.
Hi Michael! Could you tell us a little about yourself and your connection to the work of ENO Engage?
Of course! I’m an operatic tenor from Manchester and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music. I currently live in Stockport with my lovely husband (also an opera singer!) and our two extremely grumpy shih-tzu/pekingese crosses. I’ve been lucky enough to work with ENO Engage a couple of times over the past year, performing for schools as well as helping to make resources for school engagement.
How did you become involved in working with ENO and working in outreach more generally?
I’ve previously worked with ENO as a performer, but I absolutely love teaching and going in to schools and letting kids be involved in Opera as – although I may be biased – I truly believe that when it’s good it is the BEST art form, so it seemed like a natural fit to work more closely with ENO Engage and to be more involved with school projects and education.
You’ve just finished taking part in the Celebration Week in Greater Manchester for Finish This… what was the highlight for you?
There’s honestly too many to mention, but if I had to pick one, it would be just feeling the electric buzz in the air when the school kids heard some snippets of operatic arias at the Victoria Hall in Bolton. You could honestly hear a pin drop! It’s a really exciting thing to hear someone singing opera for what is probably the first time, and it felt really special to share that with the primary schools.
You’ve recently started a new role working for Tameside Music Service. Why do you feel working in music education in Greater Manchester is so important?
I’ve recently taken over as Vocal Lead for Tameside Music Service which has been hugely exciting. My main aim is to try and get as much Opera into schools as possible so at the moment I’m planning some early years Operas as well as a larger community Opera for next academic year. It’s early days but all the kids seem hugely excited. It’s so important that all schools are given excellent music provision – at the moment it can be somewhat of a postcode lottery – so to help improve that provision in Greater Manchester is my job for the next couple of years.
What’s your best Manchester recommendation?
100% Black Milk in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and order the Biscoff pancakes, you won’t be disappointed.
And finally, what’s your favourite opera??
Can I give two answers? My absolutely favourite is Britten’s Peter Grimes – amazing music and an incredible story of being an outsider in a community. But my very close second would be Wagner’s Das Rheingold – major Lord of the Rings vibes mixed with Norse Mythology, what’s not to love?
