Future Classic Women Awards – Ellen Williams

Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station the program where we search for the most amazing new female artist on the classical panorama. Today on future Classic Women Awards, we will be talking to Welch soprano Helen Williams. She's a topping artist of the classical charts and she's been praised for her poise and promise, her voice agile with silvery charms from the Guardian. She performed in all the concert hall across the UK and internationally including Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan hall, the Glasgow Royal Concept hall and many more. Good morning, Ellen. Good morning, Stephanie. How are you? Very good. So happy to, well, not see you because we are in remote still. It's lovely to be speaking to you again. I know last time I came into the studio in Covent Garden on a beautiful sunny afternoon and it's okay, the sun is shining and it's a nice day today in South Wales. So it's lovely to speak to you over the Internet this time. Brilliant. Yeah, unfortunately. Well, it's. We are releasing the lockdown finally. I mean, we've been on and off with this situation worldwide. How was the lockdown for you? Yes, well, we've, we've had a lot of hope recently, haven't we? It's all good news. It's looking up and it's starting to lift the restrictions. I'm looking forward to getting back to some normality and seeing people again. I mean, the lockdown. Yeah, it's been a tough year. It's been a tough year for many, many musicians especially, you know, and everybody in terms of work, you know, financially and mentally as well. It's been a year like no other. But, you know, I was, you know, I lost a lot of my concerts and contracts. This time last year they were all cancelled and it wasn't all bad. I found myself turning to more recording work over the past year, which has been something that I have kind of neglected since I put an EP out in 2014 and then since then I hadn't released anything. So it's been lovely to be back in the studio more this past year and sometimes recording remotely as well, when we weren't allowed in the studio. So it's been a year like no other. I've learned a lot and I'm happy to be recording more at the moment. Well, I love recording. It's a beautiful tool to reach out to people that are far away, that they cannot be that very moment in that concert hall or in that place where you are performing. So I think it's a great way to reach out to a wider audience. And definitely it's something that helped us musicians during the lockdown to connect with the audience that we cannot see, isn't it? Yes, exactly. I mean, there's that moment when you're waiting for your track to go up on Spotify, where it's uploaded in all these various countries and you see them taking off one after the other and it's. Yes, it's amazing to see your music reaching the far corners of the world. And actually this year, something I hadn't been involved in before was virtual concerts over Christmas especially. I was very busy with a lot of them. I know I sang for Classical Crossover magazine broadcast from New York, and also, you know, I've done a few interviews with them, which has been lovely. And I enjoyed very much watching your interview with the magazine as well. The concert was. I sang for a concert broadcast from Argentina, Citizens of Song, which was a classical crossover organization. They broadcast from Colombia. So it was, you know, exciting to be, in a way, performing in these faraway countries whilst I've been sat in my living room. That's absolutely brilliant. Yeah. With the lovely Natasha Barbieri. That was one of our nominees and guests on future Classic Women Awards. It's fun how actually the lockdown allow us to connect with even more artists than before, because before we were broadcasting live from the studio and having the guest to come into the studio in London, in Covent Garden. But because now we're doing it in remote, we can actually talk with artists that are in Japan, in America, we had artists in France, in Italy, in Brazil. So a bit from everywhere around the world. Yes, in a way. Well, there's been some positives, hasn't there? And also, you know, being able to collaborate with other musicians has been something I've really enjoyed as well, singing duets from across the world, et cetera. So it's not been all bad, actually. I've seen you record something with the choir, even on Zoom. How did you do that? It was. Especially for St. David's Day, we recorded one of our favorite Welsh hymns in Wales called Gwahodiad. We recorded it for St. David's Day and it was, you know, published on St. David's Day and it was just a delight to be singing with the Dunvent male choir again. I've sang with the Dunvent in concert many times and they make a fantastic sound and it was something that we thought, you know, why don't we just record this for St. David's Day? And the choir have been an inspiration throughout the lockdown because they've continued to have their rehearsals on zoom. They've continued to put music out there as well as many other male voice choirs in Wales. So it was. Yes, it turned out wonderfully. I was very pleased with it. But do you have soon a concert live somewhere when the lockdown. Do you start to plan this type of events or. Not yet. Is it too soon? Well, I have a few in the diary and I'm hoping they take place a few over the summer which haven't yet been cancelled. So we'll. We'll see what happens there. But I think by December time, I'm looking forward to singing a Messiah in the Brangwyn hall in Swansea and a few other concerts. Gosh, I don't. I actually don't look at my diary every day at the moment, as you can. I can't remember what's on, but I know later in the year it's looking more hopeful, so fingers crossed. Oh, brilliant. Brilliant. Well, how about we talk about the very first piece we're gonna listen to that is Cinema Paradiso and is your latest single, and this is about it. This is from the movie Cinema Paradiso. It is. It's from the. From the movie Cinema Paradiso, which is one of my absolute favorite films. I grew up, you know, fascinated by cultures and foreign languages. And I remember when I first saw this film, I just fell in love with the music by Ennio Morricone. I'd actually, I'd heard Cinema Paradiso sang by artists like Katherine Jenkins and Josh Groban, you know, before I saw the film, because this is going to go 10, 15 years ago. And. And, you know, I might have had a few DVDs of these films at the time, but they weren't as easily accessible as they are nowadays with the Internet. So I remember I recognized that song when I watched the film and just fell in love with the music. I actually recorded a music video to go with my release that kind of pays homage to the idea of cinema in the film. Because in the film there's a reel put together by the man who owns the cinema of all of the romantic scenes and the love moments that the priest in this little town in Italy had ordered him to remove from all the films that were shown in the cinema because they weren't allowed to be shown. And at the end, he hands over this reel and we get to see what was on it. And it's all the, you know, the romantic and the relationships and beautiful moments that weren't allowed to be seen. And in my music video, I kind of tried to pay homage to watching that reel and I released it for Valentine's Day. So, yeah, it felt, you know, like a nice thing to do this year. And yes, I hope people enjoy my rendition of this well known song because it's been recorded many times. But as it's one of my favorites, I was thrilled to be able to add my version, you know, to itunes and to Spotify, etc. Let's listen then to Cinema Paradiso with Ellen Williams. Sam, How beautiful. Indeed. There is one. This is one of my favorite movie as well, Cinema Paradiso. And your version is so beautiful, Ellen. My, you know, deep congratulations. Very well, thank you very much, Stephanie. That's very kind. Now, how do you, do you choose the songs that you record? I mean, you just pick up the favorite one or you, you have like, for example, you have a program dedicated to a concert coming up dedicated to a specific subject. And so you combine songs that will go better with that program, for example. Well, I try to have a sort of plan, I think this year now I'm hoping to release a couple more singles, maybe an EP later on in the year. And that, that takes some planning. Obviously, on an ep, you want the songs to, you know, gel together and you want them to portray you as an artist. So I have put some thought into what I'd like to, to release, you know, in what month as well. And thinking of the weather and whether it's, you know, it's warm and sunny and if that song and the feeling of the song will match. So is some thought behind it. However, Cinema Paradiso I actually, you know, back in January, when it was, we were still in lockdown and it was a rainy afternoon and I just, I just felt like watching one of these romantic films. I actually still have a pile of DVDs which is old fashioned. Now I have a pile of DVDs of these foreign language films like Amelie. Lots of kind of favorite films from France, Italy, Spain. La Dolce Vita is one of them. So classic films are a big, big favorite of mine. And I just happened to watch this one afternoon and I was looking for something I wanted to release kind of around Valentine's Day anyway. And I thought this was, you know, a classy piece as well to choose by Ennio Morricone to kind of put myself out there more as a classical crossover artist because it is a new genre to me at the moment. Even though I did start off in classical crossover kind of five, six years ago, I'VE been following more of a career in opera and concert and operetta. I sang with the National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company for two years as a principal soprano, singing roles like Mabel in the Pirates of Penzanti. Oh, beautiful. Oh, I loved it. I had such a wonderful time. But I think I've always loved this kind of lighter, more accessible version of quack classical music. And it's fun to be exploring a new genre. Absolutely. No, I totally agree with you. I think this is a very good way to bring in audience from different culture and different background as well, that not necessarily feel like going to see a full opera by Verdi or Wagner, if you like. And they still get the incredible technique that is behind the opera singing because crossover is still opera singing. So you still have to have your voice prepared and a way of projecting the sound, isn't it? Yes, absolutely. I mean, I will always still sing in a classical way. But it's interesting how, you know, in a concert, for example, you could put, you know, an opera aria. A favorite still in the crossover world is omnio binocaro, which is sang on many. It's become popularized by. Because it's been sang on many, you know, talent shows and TV shows and adverts and things. So people know it, know the tune without necessarily knowing La Boheme or the. Or the opera, Gianni Schici, you know, Puccini operas, they wouldn't, you know, if they hadn't necessarily seen the full opera, they'd know that piece. And it's such a beautiful, emotional melody. And the wonderful thing is you can then follow that up in a crossover concert by something like, you raise me up, you know, or a favorite pop song or, you know, so it's. It's a fun genre. I love it. Yes, absolutely. It's funny. You're right. I never thought about it. I wonder why everyone is so fond of O muro binocaro. I don't know. What is it in that? It's a short aria as well. It's very difficult technically, but somehow it's. And also the text is actually quite dark. Although it's a super fun opera. So if you were taking just the area outside the context, you think that's not good because she's saying, oh, my dear father, I want to get the ring. I want to go to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence because I want to throw myself down to the river because I cannot marry the man that I love. So that's. It's very dark. And when you sing it out of context. I mean, if there were Italian speakers in the room, of course they would know what you're talking about. And it's a fine line knowing whether to portray the true kind of emotions of the piece. And you act it out at the same time, because as I said, it's become popularized and people like the tune and the melody without necessarily knowing the story or what it's, you know, what the song is about, because as you say it is, it's dark and sad, but, you know, it's the music itself that instead is so light. But Puccini had this incredible power of bringing the sun into the notes, really. And so although she's saying those dark things because it's a funny opera. And in the end, of course, there is the happy ending and they're having fun of the person that was. Wasn't allowing the marriage. And then in the end they get married. Yeah. Yeah. So you can see that she's. She's singing the darkest words ever. But the brightness of the music make you understand that actually is not true. It's not dark. She doesn't want to kill herself. There's a sense of hope as well in the melodic, you know, the choices and the chords at the end of that aria. It feels hopeful. This is the genius of Puccini. If you had to choose another aria from an opera or from an operetta that would be perfect for San Valentine. What would that be for what time? San Valentine? Because you said that Cinema Paradiso was for the San Valentine celebration. Oh, okay. Oh, gosh, I don't know. I mean, I haven't, I haven't looked at my operatic repertoire in a long time. I think, you know, one of my favorite go to arias always to sing is Juliet's Waltz. And that's about, you know, her potentially finding love for the first time. She's about to go to the ball or she doesn't know she's going to meet Romeo. So Je Va Vivre is one of my favorites to sing. I mean, why not sing that for St. Valentine's I guess it's about finding love and all the hope and the prospects and that young love brings. So it's exciting. Totally. Now we are recording because we are doing our show in remote. We pre record it live a week before it actually goes live on air. And so today is actually the 8th of March. So it's Monday, 8th of March, the day of the celebration of women. So what, what do you think about this festivity? I. I read some contradictive sentences from Women saying, yes, it is right to celebrate us and others saying, you know, we don't need these because we know who we are and we don't need any extra support. I don't know what, what, what's your feeling about these? I think that need you talk about is becoming less and less, but I think it is still important to have this day to celebrate, you know, International Women's Day. I think it's just an important, to be honest, you know, last week I didn't know it was coming up. So yesterday or the day before, I kind of realized. But it's nice to be reminded. And you think, oh yeah, that is, you know, to think how far women have come and how important equality is and everything in everyday life and in everything we do. I think it's important to have this day just to be reminded, if nothing else. And, and it's a nice day to celebrate women who we all find influential. And that can include your mum because I posted on social media this morning just a picture of my mother and myself because to me she's an inspirational woman. So it's a nice day to celebrate those women who you find powerful and important and inspirational. Absolutely. Well, I think in ope it's a type of job where there is not much need for equality because you cannot have a baritone to sing the part of the soprano. So yes, your right is established in that, isn't it? And quite often, you know, in all the roles that I play, which are the kind of damsel in distress or the maid or the love interest, you know, it's never a kind of powerful character, no matter how hard you try. Maybe, you know, Cellina in Don Giovanni by Mozart. She might be, she might be a little bit more modern, kind of modern view. She's a bit stronger and a bit more strong willed and more of a feisty character. But a lot of the time you'll be playing roles who are quite submissive and traditional, you know, traditional feminine, needing help kind of characters, you know. Yeah, well, it depends. I guess it depends from the opera. But you're right, normally the heroine ends up being killed. For example, in Tosca, she's quite strong, but then she can, you know, taken played off by Scarpia to kill her lover. So Cavaradossi, so. Yes, so. But in history you can see that the soprano, they had a strong will and often the stars, soprano, they would make the composer to change the opera in a way that would make their aria to show off at the maximum their virtuoso skills as opera Singer. So in that sense, they show off, you know, when you are alone and you get that moment of. Light and where everyone is looking at what you have to say. I think opera is one of the very first one to give a voice to women in a way. Yes. That's an interesting way of looking at it. Yeah. And I agree with you. Yeah. Well, the next song that we're gonna listen to was recorded live in concert. Would you like to tell us where? So it's. May it be. Yes. So I thought I'd share with you a couple of my live in concert performances because this is kind of what I've been focusing a lot on this year. I've been, as I mentioned, fortunate to be involved in virtual concerts, and I've had a great time performing these live from my home into the homes of many people worldwide. So it's been. It's been, you know, a joy. So I thought I'd pick some of these songs and one of my. For this particular concert, I was trying to find pieces from the British Isles, from Wales, maybe some folk songs, Ireland, Irish melodies sort of thing. And this song, although it comes from a film, and we kind of associate it now with the film the Lord of the Rings, it was one of my favorite pieces growing up by Enya. I just. I loved Enya and I love this piece. So I thought I'd add it to one of my concerts and thought it was particularly suitable because it speaks of, you know, coming through a darkness and finding a light. Even though I think the language used in the song is Elvish. When I looked at what these words that weren't English meant, it kind of is suggestive of coming through a darkness and finding light. So I thought it was suitable to what we're all going through with the pandemic at the moment. Yes. So that's why I added may it be to my live in concert performances from home. Silly question. You know, I watched the Lord of the Ring and I loved it. But how did you find the translation from Elvish? I thought they were making it up with no translation. So they actually made up a language. Yes. Yeah, I think, yeah, there's Elvish. I mean, I think it probably has some roots in Latin and maybe some modern languages, but I think I'm pretty sure it's Elvish. I mean, I did have a look because I wondered for a long time if it might have been in Gaelic, especially because Ennia was singing it. So I tried to find out whether this couplet was in Gaelic, which I thought it was. For a long time, but actually I then realized that I was singing in elfish, so. Brilliant. Well, let's listen to maybe. An evening star shines down upon you. May it be as darkness your heart will be true. You walk a lonely lord. O how far you are from home. Lo, May it be the shadow's call will fly away. May it be your journey on to light the day. When the night is overcome, you may rise to find the sun. Very beautiful. And this was made it be with Ellen Williams live in concert. Now, Ellen, we talked about your inspiration and your mother being an inspirational woman today, that is Woman International Woman Day. What was your inspiration? To become an opera singer or a crossover singer, actually. I mean, how did that go? Did you always knew that one day you would become a crossover star because you are a star already? Well, thank you very much, Stephanie. That's lovely to be here on a Monday morning. Well, I've sang all my life. I can't remember a time I didn't sing. And I know when I was very little, it was my grandmother who suggested, or actually she insisted, that I have singing lessons. And it was very important. And it's so that I could grow up being part of the Welsh kind of culture and musical history we have in Wales of the Eisteddfodae, which is a big arts and culture and literature festival that's held usually every year. Unfortunately, it was cancelled this year for kind of youngsters growing up. And it was, you know, I competed in these Aesthet Waldais, singing the songs of Wales and folk songs and Welsh classical pieces every year. And I guess following on from that, I wanted to have a career as a singer. I had such a lovely time, you know, competing. And I say it was. It was competitive because you'd compete to be the best. You'd try and you try and get first, second or third prize, you know. But everybody who I was singing with or against, they were all my friends and everybody kind of got on and knew each other and it was all a lovely atmosphere to be a part of. So growing up, being a part of that, I think, is what fed into wanting to sing professionally. And then, so, yes, I carried on. I studied, then I studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and I did spend two years studying opera, which I left a few years ago. And I was fortunate since then to have, you know, have contracts, act back to back or to be working until this year. And as I mentioned at the beginning then I think I found myself this year just wanting to turn more to lighter music, to crossover music and recording. So I can't quite remember the question you actually asked me. I always thought I wanted to be a singer. What inspired you? Yes, to become a crossover singer. All right, well, yes, I mean, I'd like to put it down to my grandmother, you know, saying that we had to sing and she would, when I was little, sing the songs of Wales to me. One of the favorite songs I remember her singing was Adlannamor, which means on the seaside, and it's a beautiful Welsh folk song, and have very fond memories of her singing that to me as well as many others. And, you know, I grew up in a musical household. My mother is a harpist. She was an international concert harpist and she's played all over the world with many, you know, amazing musicians. I'm always amazed. I continually find out where she performed and who with. So, you know, that's why she's still an inspiration to me. But I grew up with her. Playing harp and listening to classical music was always in the household. Wonderful. So inspiration, Grandma, to your mother, to yourself. So women. Women on the women's radio station, somehow. Yes, well, the men in my family don't sing. They certainly don't sing. Beautiful. Now, if you had to think about your time when you were studying at Royal Welsh College, for example, and you said that you had a passion for crossover, would that been received fine from your teachers to encourage you in pursuing that side as well, or you were more pushed to go towards the classical open? I do remember one particular singing lesson I had, and at the time I was touring with Hridayan from the X Factor as his support artist. And a lot of the pieces, you know, the support set, I chose what I wanted to sing and I felt comfortable singing those pieces, and they were great. You know, I was happy singing those. And one of the pieces I sang with Ridyan in the main concert in his performance was oh, Once. Once Upon Another Time. That's what it's called, isn't it? Once Upon Another Time, the duet from Love Never Dies by Andrew the. The second one of Phantom of the Opera. And I also sang. I followed that with singing Love Never Dies. It was one that he'd asked me to sing and I hadn't sang it before. And I do remember taking that to my teacher because I thought I didn't know how to sing this because it, you know, it's a musical theater piece, but it's. Christine, then is sang by a kind of classical crossover soprano. So, yeah, very difficult as well. Yeah, yeah. Well, I do remember feeling a little bit like, oh, my teacher's not gonna approve of me singing this. But, you know, she was completely, you know, this is great. You should sing what what you're asked to sing, what comes your way. And if you can do it and it's comfortable, then just enjoy it. And she gave me some great tips and taught me how to sing it because at the time, I can't quite remember what the note is at the end. Is it a B or a B flat in there somewhere? And it just felt very high after the majority of the piece. It's very low. So, you know, we worked through it and it was. I enjoyed singing at the end and I, you know, nowadays I would never say no to singing Christine. I'd love to. I haven't sang the role of Christine anywhere. But it wouldn't be something that I'd say no to at all. Well, that's exactly what was gonna be my next question. What would be your dream role, both in opera and in opera? Do we call it Operetta the Musical? What do you think? I think it's a sort of operetta, yes. In a way. Yes. Yeah. I mean, there is some musicals like west side Story, that is basically an opera dressed as a musical soprano. So. Yeah. So what would be your favorite role? Well, something I actually like. Maria looks a lot of fun. I say Zori, that would be fun in opera. Oh, gosh, I don't know. I enjoy singing Musetta's Aria Cuando Mendo and I think she'd be a fun character to play, which I haven't done. So, you know, maybe Musetta in Bohemia. I can see you singing Musetta. Yeah. And also La Boheme is such a beautiful opera and a classic and, you know, just to be a part of it all. And I don't think I would sing Mimi, but just to watch Mimi would be, you know, to watch whoever it may be. Singing that role would be an experience as well. Absolutely. All right. And if you have to remember, you know, at all that was really, really difficult and that she really struggled and that you don't want to sing again if that's the case. Do you have one? A nightmare role? I don't think anything I've sang, I wouldn't want to sing again. I know that when I sang Semele, the lead role in Handel, Semele whilst I was in college and it was a co production with Mid Wales Operas, it was a touring opera company we have in Wales. And when I first started learning the role, I know I found it very difficult. There's a lot of color tour and a lot of notes, and I think it's just the stamina you need for that particular role, which I had to build up to. That's what I was struggling with to start with, probably because she has two of her biggest arias, you know, towards the end of the opera, Myself I Shall Adore, which has crazy coloratura. And then another one towards the end is no, no, I'll take no less. And it's just full of coloratura passages and runs. And by that point, you're kind of the opera. You feel like you've been singing for three hours by then anyway. And then you have to find the energy and stamina to get through it because. But, but I, you know, I find, remember finding it difficult in the beginning, but I wouldn't say that I wouldn't want to sing it again. In fact, I'd love to sing it again now that I've, you know, worked up to it in a way. I can't think of anything that I've sang really, that I said, oh, gosh, I'd never do that again. Which is quite fortunate, I guess. That was very good. Yeah, absolutely. Well, I remember in my career I had to put together some programs where there were some pieces that I really didn't like, but. Because you couldn't, you know, the. The opera, in a way, the complete Opera, without putting that piece in it. Yeah. It would not be incomplete. So I had to do it. But personally, for example, I didn't like them one bit. And there are some concertos, for example, that are absolutely gorgeous piano concertos, where you get the first movement that is sublime, or the second movement is to die for. And then the third movement, you think, why? Why do I have to play this? So it does happen. Yes. And when you're listening to these on itunes, for example, you can skip past that movement. But it wouldn't feel right to do that in a concert. Exactly, exactly. Now, if you had to remember an audience, a theater that was particularly not the audience, but the theater, you know, the stage one, is particularly intimidating. Do you remember any intimidating? I know that when I sang at the Royal Albert hall, the whole journey down, I took the train in the morning, and the whole journey down I was filled with dread. I just was really, really anxious and nervous about singing there. And I think I'd looked at pictures online from the stage view, and maybe they were taken with like a wide angle lens or something, but I built it up in my head that it was so much bigger and more intimidating than it is. And I remember being in the dressing room still feeling anxious because I hadn't been on the stage yet. And you know, I've been to watch the Proms and things in the Royal and being the other side of the stage, you know, it's such an amazing building. But I was just intimidated by the thought of being on the stage side. But actually once I did walk on the stage, you know, I felt silly for being nervous because all of those feelings just dropped away. It was just such a beautiful, amazing place, you know, historic place to sing. But I think you can do that sometimes when you don't know a venue, you know, look at Google images or something and sometimes they are taken from with a wide angle lens and daunting than they are. Well, you know, if you've been in the audience and if you've been, you know, I've been sitting everywhere. I've been sitting on the very top and I've been sitting down in the circle. I did standing once and that was just impossible. I can't stand it for so long. I only did it once and never again. But it's a great opportunity. I mean, because the Proms normally they're like sold out and you're queuing that day and you still manage. And also the energy is a bit like a rock concert. Standing in the arena watching the performance. But it is big. I mean, even if you. It is very big, there is a lot of people there watching you. Because normally all the concerts. I've not seen one concert at Royal Alberto that wasn't sold out. Did you? No. Actually, when you think about it. No, I guess. No. So, yeah, so it is impressive. But you're right, I mean, you get the support from the audience and that somehow is elevating you and helping you carry on with your, with your duty in that very moment. Yes, exactly. I think there's an element of like some sort of fear or unknown whenever you sing somewhere new that maybe you haven't been even as an audience member. I think there's always that, oh, you know, I always feel a little bit more relaxed as soon as I've seen the stage and I've been in the building and everything. I think once you, you know, if you book a concert where you haven't sang before, you're excited, you look forward to it. But I think there's. I always get a feeling of unknown and unsettling kind of feeling until I see it, until I. No, it's you know, it's all. Okay. This is brilliant. It's wonderful. So I have a question that I never asked anyone, actually, as a pianist. When you're sitting down, somehow the nervous system is making you. Your legs to tremble. So does that have it happen to you? You are standing, so it's actually worse. There is nothing supporting you. I didn't know that. So that's something kind of physical that happens, is it once. Yeah, yeah. I mean, all us pianists, we all experience that somehow you're playing, you. You have to push the pedal so your legs are in tension for a long. For a full hour or even more. And sometimes the tension goes too much. And so your. Your leg is actually you. You can see your knee moving and. And of course, from inside it feels three times more evident. And then for the audience. So the audience normally doesn't really notice that. But we all have happened to you as a singer, to have your legs trampling. No, I'm not saying it never happened at all. It's definitely happened, but I don't. I'm not sure if it's to do with nerves or if it's maybe that you. I mean, you might be holding some tension. You kind of. I remember it happening and it's more of an annoyance and you think, why is that happening? You need it to stop and then it does go away. I thought it was something to do with high heels or, you know. All right, well, let's listen now to Sea Song. Is this inspired by your grandma? Because you were telling me before that your grandma was singing this beautiful sea song in Welsh. Yes. So this is one of my favorite Welsh folk songs, which it was in the same concert that I put May It Be In. I was looking for a few songs from Wales as well. And it. Actually, this isn't one my grandmother sang. It's not a particularly well known folk song. Actually, over the summer, I found myself reorganizing my music library and they found out that actually I have over 600 Welsh folk songs. Wow. In various books, because I've collected them over the years and, you know, I love going through them and they're all. You find a lot of beautiful gems in there that you might not have known about, including this one, which has become one of my favorites. And over the summer, I think it was last September, and it was certainly much warmer than it is now, I went and filmed a music video to this on the beautiful coastline in Wales. But, yes, I hope people, your listeners, enjoy it. And it's a traditional Welsh folk Song called Sea Song. And let's dream about the sea. While the soul dwell in mercy undiving it will bless me my heart within me be. Your love will sure possess me. You each day will Pharisee all love in me grow stronger for his dear sake who made you fall. O spite you plague me longer. While the salt within the sea and I fill me to bless me while the heart waver, your love will show. Possess me. Each day I face thee. O loving me grow stronger for his discipline who made you far. O spear. How beautiful. Really, really beautiful. Actually, you can see the mermaid singing in this song in the sea, I think is really special. What does it say? I was just thinking of your comment then. I think that's made all the more apparent. And you can hear the waves as well in the accompaniment. So this was actually recorded for me over the summer by a wonderful Welsh composer, Ranger pianist David Harrington. And I'm grateful to have him as a friend and colleague. Colleague because he's. He's fantastic and I'm looking forward to working more with him as soon as we. As soon as we can get out of lockdown. But the song itself, it's. It's a love song, really. She's, you know, the person singing it is thinking of an infatuation or a love that might not be returned. So it's, you know, passionate. All right. Beautiful, Beautiful. Well, now, you know, we're on the last leg of our interview and, as you know, is the time for the fun question. So I don't know if you remember from our previous interview, but that was quite some time ago. Well, let's see. During the lockdown, did your routine before performing a live concert, for example, on screen, changed? Do you have a new routine or still the same? Do you still go through the same way of relaxing and before the performance? I think I need to definitely find a better way of being able to relax before the performance is because I never leave enough time, I think, because there's so many technical things to check and, you know, do your own sound check. Sometimes I call. Call my mum, maybe on Skype, and I say, can you just check the volumes for me before I go live? You know, and it's just, I think having the extra stress of the technical aspect, which you'd never really. You'd never be in charge of in real. In a concert, in person situation. I think it is more stressful and I probably need to leave more time because I always think I leave enough time and I inevitably never have time to, you know, make myself A cup of tea or a sit down before the concert. I do a long sound check and then check. All the pieces are there, ready to go. And my phone is working, the laptop is working, the camera switched on and then, and then I have to join the meeting, you know? Yeah, I know. Well, do you. It's weird as well not to perform from your own house somehow, you know, it's not the stage. You don't have the same type of concentration that comes with the theater. I think with the whole environment where you are when you have to perform, it is a strange feeling. I mean, I've done a few kind of community and outreach performances as well and those are done kind of over zoom or Skype or some sort of meeting. And I think normally everybody watching will tend to switch off their microphone so that the sound is the other end. But then of course when you see people clapping, you don't hear it. So I actually ask people if they can to switch the microphone off and on because I just love having that communication, you know, open and, and if people want to talk to me or say something about the song or ask a question or share an experience, then it's a more intimate setting. So I'd like people to be able to do that. So it's just, you know, as a performer and the audience, we all have to get used to technology and pressing the mic on and off and you know, my end just making sure that all the tracks are in place. So I actually put any backing tracks or accompaniments on my phone so that I can press play quickly on my phone while I use my computer to, you know, to join whatever meeting or press live. And it's, yeah, it's been a huge learning curve this year because I mean, this is something that I'm sure, well, the vast majority of us didn't do before this year. Yes, now we didn't. We all had to become so technological, isn't it? I had to buy a microphone to be able to do the, the interview anyway on the radio and, and, and then also performing. I mean you, at least you're lucky you have your own instrument and that's always the top of the top. But at home when you practice as a pianist, you don't have the concert grand that you would have in the big concert hall. So the sounds that come out from it is different. And also, of course, you don't have a room that is as big, big as a concert hall. I'm sure you miss playing in those wonderful concert halls in the grand awfully soon Again, hopefully, you know. But anyway, now, if you have to remember to tell us actually to share a funny moment that happened. Do you have any funny one that might have happened during these concerts in remote. Oh, gosh, I really don't know. They all go in such a blur because I have to concentrate so much more on, you know, making sure the sound is right and pressing the next button. And then on top of just singing nicely and not forgetting the words and, you know, this, I think everything kind of goes into a blur. Can I think of anything that's. I don't think anything's gone terribly wrong, you know, so far, because. Because. Very good. I think the worst thing I do, to be honest, is forget to switch my microphone on. And I start talking and people say, we can't hear you. Can you switch your microphone on? Oh, yeah. And it's funny, I don't know if you ever looked at yourself in those things so that they are recorded. And then you can see your face just looking through the camera and like, what's wrong with my computer? Well, I know. I think, you know, it's dangerous how much time all of us have spent spent looking at seeing your own face on the computer screen this year, because I've never looked in the mirror as much as I've been on zoom and seen my face there. And you can't help seeing it, can you? So it's probably, you know, it'll be a good thing to get back to normality. I totally agree. Now, the last song of today is gonna be a sleep song again that was live in concert. Would you like to tell us when and how? Yes. So this was for a concert for Classical Crossover Magazine in New York, and I wanted to showcase, you know, the songs that make Me Me. And even songs from Ireland, as I included May It Be, are kind of the songs I grew up listening to as well, so. As well as Welsh folk songs. So this is a. It's an Irish lullaby, and it was first sang by the Celtic duo Secret Garden. And I think it's been sung also by Celtic Woman and a few other artists. And it's one that I included on my EP Skylark, back in 2014 or 2015. I know I started working on it in 2014 at least. And actually, this is my mother playing the harp on the track. So it's lovely to have been able to revisit this song again, because I think when you sing it, you know, that that was many years ago. It feels like I'm a different singer now. And especially as a young soprano. Your voice will mature and change so much during your twenties that it's nice to revisit it and sing it how I sing it now. And you know you can bring different things and emotions to the music. So I've enjoyed revisiting it and my mother enjoyed hearing it again and it reminded her of us recording it in the studio together, which was a lovely memory and a lovely day. Beautiful. Let's listen then Sleep Song with Ellen Williams. Back to the years of Holy Lil and a singular to sing and a savior tomorrow Bless you with love for the the road that you go. May you sail back to the forefield of fortune with diamonds and blood at your head and your feet and may deliver to banish this fortune. May you find kindness in all that you live. Ra. Amen. And of your D Now for sleep I'm not meaning to keep you I'll just sit for Olympic J. And with this wonderful song, we're finishing our beautiful interview with Ellen Williams. This was Lip Song live in concert. If you have any questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our Future Classic Women Awards, please email presenters at Women's or Tweet us @WomensRadiostn. A big thanks again to our guest, wonderful soprano Ellen Williams for the great chat and the beautiful music played today. Thank you very much. Stephanie. It's been lovely to speak to you again. Lovely to have you again on Future Classic Women Awards on women's radio station Live every day at 10am and 10pm London time. If you want to listen to it again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to my presenter page. Stefania Passamonte Future Classic Women Awards on womensradiostation.com thank you for listening.