On 4 July the legendary Jamaica-born operatic bass-baritone will perform in William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast at Bath Abbey, a joint concert by Bath and Bury Bach Choirs with Southern Sinfonia. Image above: Bass-baritone Sir Willard White performing
How well do you know Bath? Have you performed here before?
I don’t know Bath very well, but I’ve been here at least four times in my professional life. I love the whole atmosphere of the city and I’m looking forward to returning. Walton’s Belshazzar is a piece I really love performing, and with two choirs and orchestra it will almost be like re-enacting the biblical story. To have been invited to perform it at Bath Abbey is really inspiring to me and I look forward to it with great relish and anticipation.
You’ve performed in many great concert halls and opera houses in your career. Do you always feel the same sense of excitement when stepping on stage?
I wouldn’t say it’s exactly the same. No matter how much you rehearse a piece, I’ve learned that I cannot repeat a song the same way. So every moment is the gift of a new experience; but there is always stimulation, excitement, anticipation and the unpredictability of the response. These things allow for a certain productive tension, and I enjoy that.
What continues to inspire you creatively after such an accomplished career?
I find inspiration in this gift that I have been blessed with. Every day I reappraise my vocal mechanism, which is connected to how I’ve slept, what I’ve eaten, my state of mind. And for me, it’s very important to honour what I am still discovering. I’m a spiritual being, utilising my physical body to share my feelings, and to explore and participate in the enjoyment of music. It’s a continual learning experience for me.
How important has singing been to you in your life?
Without a doubt, singing has transformed the course of my life and continues to be an inspiration. The dreams I had as a young man have been realised through the gift of singing, and through the opportunity of expressing myself before others in a performance. Breathing in, and connecting with one’s emotions and the words, enables something to come to life. So singing has given voice to my being, clarified who I want to be.
Is there a piece of music you rarely tire of listening to?
There are Bach variations which I can listen to over and over. The opening bars of the St Matthew Passion; the music of Beethoven such as Fidelio, Verdi’s Rigoletto, many pieces. Ben Webster’s interpretation of Blue Moon and also Danny Boy. I listen to a variety of music that continues to inspire me.
Do you come from a musical family?
In short, I would say no. The only access to music that I had in my early years was the radio. And I would actually imitate a lot of pop singers, and then on Sunday afternoons there was classical music that I listened to but without any great attention.
How challenging was the experience of playing Othello on stage for the RSC in a non-musical role, compared to performing in choral works and opera?
For me it was enormously challenging. I thought I would be embracing the freedom of not having a conductor and a tune to follow, and that I would be free to interpret the phrases myself, but this was no easy task. With the help of a colleague, I discovered how to use Shakespeare’s pentameter formation to take me from one line to the next and it was an unforgettable learning experience. In choral works, a drama is similarly being presented, but music has a map to follow for its expression; so you are more limited, but the limitation is also a guide. It’s a different experience, but the intent of the drama requires the same focus as a Shakespeare play.
How can choral and classical music succeed in attracting new, younger audiences?
I think this comes down to education and how children are inspired to understand. I know of an outreach programme where professional musicians go into schools and engage students in understanding how something has become classical because it has stood the test of time. It’s about introducing them to the drama involved, to the fact that the psychological impact of music is not old-fashioned; histories and the libretto are as valid today as they were 100, 200 years ago. We need to inspire children to learn; even to relearn ourselves how to reach out to others.
If there was one role or performance that you would like to be remembered for, what would it be?
It’s not my quest to be remembered. My quest is to be as good as I can be. But if anything, I would say the role of Mephistopheles in Berlioz’s Damnation of Faust, which I’ve sung many times. He is a very interesting character, a demonic figure in disguise, and his role demonstrates the power of taking responsibility for the trajectory of our lives. I love that, and if there is a chance of being remembered, it would be for the clarity and integrity of enacting a role that depicts the human journey and the power of personal choice.
Unreserved seats for Belshazzar’s Feast at Bath Abbey on 4 July are still available through Bath Box Office: bathboxoffice.org.uk