Sing from your heart and you can sing anything

From music to life in Britain, well-known Sri Lankan singer Gayathrie Pieris shares her views

Gayathrie Pieris has been a familiar figure on the Sri Lankan music scene since she was a teenager. While still a schoolgirl, she wowed audiences with her soaring voice, effortless musicality and sparkling personality and now belongs to a select group of respected and well-loved Sri Lankan musicians abroad, which includes Rohan and Druvi de Saram, Sujeeva Hapugalle and Rohan de Silva.

Behind the long list of accomplishments is an attractive and bubbly woman, who invites further interest by her warmth and openness.

Brought up in Panadura, Gayathrie was educated at Panadura Balika and then at Holy Family Convent, Colombo, where her exceptional singing talent first came to light, as she starred in one school production after another. She had her early musical training under Mary Anne David, and became a familiar face in the latter's lavish musical spectaculars at the Lionel Wendt. A string of shows (Annie, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, West Side Story, South Pacific, Oliver!, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady) showcased not only Gayathrie's singing, but also her natural dramatic ability and talent as a dancer. Few people know that she has not only sung with Lylie Godridge and Prashanthi Navaratnam and acted alongside Andrew David, Jerome de Silva and Jith Peiris, but also danced with Channa and Upuli, and, of course, the Chitrasena School of Dance. So serious was she about Kandyan dancing at one time, that she actually contemplated making it her career.

Her other passion was ballet, which she learned under “Aunty Oosha”. However, in 1991, having decided to make her way in the world of opera, she left for London, to study at the Royal Academy - where she acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Music - and then went on to further her operatic training at the Mayer Lisman Opera Centre. This involved studying piano as her second instrument and learning the three major languages in which Western opera is sung - Italian, French and German. In 1994, she won the "International Young Singer of the Year" award at the prestigious Llangollen International Music Eisteddfodd, in North Wales. Since then, she has performed in Sri Lanka, UK, Australia, Austria and Spain, singing a range of operatic roles, which include Orfeo (Orfeo ed Euridice), Dorabella (Cosi fan Tutte), Suzuki (Madam Butterfly), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Carmen (Carmen) and Dido (Dido and Aeneas). She has won first place in 32 competitions affiliated to the British Federation of Music, for Opera, Recital and Lieder.

She currently carries out a hectic schedule of concerts and solo performances all over the UK and abroad, spending 3-4 months each year in Sri Lanka and Australia ("to get away from the English winter!") Her husband William (Bill) Patrick accompanies her, in every sense of the word, being himself an accomplished musician. They first met when he attended one of her concerts while he was on holiday in Sri Lanka. Since she moved to the UK, he has become the cornerstone of her musical (and, of course, private) life, in his unswerving support - both moral and logistical - for her operatic career. They have a great musical and personal rapport.

Any of the arias from Carmen - perhaps "The Gypsy Song”. It’s a wonderful opera: very entertaining, even though it has a tragic end. The music has a great vocal line, and is rousing and fiery. I tend to be more of a dramatic soprano, so this appeals to me - also the fact that Carmen is a dancer. I love the gypsy costume as well - especially the hoop earrings! I have a major "thing" for earrings; I can't walk past an earring shop and not go in…

There is also a sentimental reason - I made my debut on the opera stage with "Carmen”. I was playing the role of Mercedes for the AAC Opera in North London and suddenly had to step into the role of Carmen at a week's notice!

It has to be "You Raise Me Up”. It can be so many different things - religious, or deeply personal, but always meaningful; it makes things fall into place.

Probably the "Meditation" from Thaïs. I love its stillness and calmness - it puts me in a good mood. The melody is simple, but exposed. The violin is a beautiful instrument, so close to the human voice.

Which do you prefer - classical music or popular music (which covers a very broad range, I know)?

I enjoy both. I think that good popular singers are equally good at what they do, and have incredible technique. I am in awe of people like Barbara Streisand and Whitney Houston. Jazz singers, too, are very musical and have great mastery of harmony and technique, to be able to improvise on the spot. I like to perform both kinds of music in a concert. Some people aren't too keen on my doing this, but the majority of people praise me for it.

An audience which responds with feeling to the music. On the whole, I am not affected by the audience, or by its size. I can sing for eight people in a church and be happy; I won’t hold back or sing any differently from the way I would if there were hundreds there. And if they are not interested, it doesn't matter. I enjoy singing, and when I sing, I create my own world.

Who is your favourite musician? Placido Domingo. He is the most rounded performer I know, in terms of attitude, precision in his singing, acting ability and balancing technique with emotion. I have seen him perform at Covent Garden in Otello (Verdi) and Samson and Delilah (Saint-Saens). All the performers came out to sing at a special open air concert in the piazza, and he went right past me - I could have reached out and touched his hand! I am also a big fan of Bryn Terfel and Renée Fleming.

Amongst performers, I would say Maria Callas. She is the most stimulating soprano I have ever heard, with a truly amazing voice and personality. She sang with such conviction!

My teacher Mary Anne David was also a huge source of inspiration - she puts her heart and soul into her work. She is one of the best teachers I have come across. I owe so much to her, and, of course, to my mother, who is very musical. She is really into singing and drama and produced many musicals and concerts for Panadura Balika. She is responsible for my growing up in an environment in which there was always music.

I think it was winning the International Young Singer of the Year title at the Llangollen International Eisteddfodd in Wales. It confirmed that I had made the right choice. I had won all-island singing competitions in Sri Lanka when I was 18 and 19, but it took a while to decide to make singing my career. It was a difficult decision to make; it was quite a plunge. I tried other things for a while - teaching word processing, teaching musical sport to young kids, a bit of ballet and Kandyan dancing. At the start, all my A-Levels were in Science subjects, but I changed to the Arts stream because I couldn't really give 100% to my Science subjects with all the music I was doing.

(Here she let out a giggle as she remembered something- how during an experiment with hydrogen peroxide, the chemical had suddenly spluttered out of the test tube and burned her right eyebrow. She had to tweeze her left eyebrow to match, and they have never grown back. So now we know that her elegant, pencil-slim eyebrows have a history!)

Is there a particular ritual you have before a performance - rather like cricketers adjusting their helmets or straightening their gloves before every shot?

I drink a cup of Dilmah tea! We carry teabags and a flask of tea in the car. It rehydrates me and peps me up. I get withdrawal symptoms if I don't have my cuppa. I make it about half an hour before performing and sip it until I go on. Other than that, I'm not very superstitious.

Yes - Bill! He goes everywhere with me.

Walking in the countryside. We live in Northamptonshire, where Bill is able to go fishing, which he loves. In fact, he has a 15-foot boat in Sri Lanka which he shared with two friends, called "MoBiDick" - "Mo" for Maurice, "Bi" for Bill, and "Dick", after Dick, obviously. In Sri Lanka he once caught a 3-foot barramundi - and I was able to film the occasion, because while he fishes, I go along and amuse myself with my video camera! Photographing wild life is one of my hobbies. Reading is another.

I try not to dwell on what I miss and what I like as I firmly believe that 'home' is where you make it! Bill and I try to make the best of things, wherever we are. Of course, we miss our families and friends, but we do try to see them as often as possible. Life is so unpredictable and we don't really want to have any regrets!

The opportunities and scope it provides for my career. And, of course, all the friends I have made here.

Love what you do - enjoyment is the most important thing. Be resilient in the face of criticism. Be organised, responsible and considerate - don't be late, arrive without music, or without part of your equipment. Understand what you are singing; if necessary, learn the language you are singing in - it's crucial for expression, colouring and emphasis. Know what you can and can’t sing - some arias are for mature singers; otherwise it's like trying to have children while you are still too young.