7:00am Monday 12th April 2010
By Harriet Marsh
A MUM of three from Sturminster Marshall has a Proms in the Park performance within her reach.
Opera singer Julie Vivienne is down to the final ten of BBC Radio 2’s Kiri Prize, offering a duet with Dame Kiri Te Kawana at this summer’s concert and attending her opera school in Italy.
Just one more stage of auditions in London on April 13, and singing live on Radio 2 show Friday Night is Music Night stand between Julie and joining the world-famous soprano on stage.
The 42-year-old, of Newton Road, said: “It would be amazing, an absolute privilege.
“I was in the gym the other day, and some friends were laughing at me saying ‘Oh Julie, your jogging bottoms have been inside out for your whole workout.’ “I said they were lucky I’d got any on at all, as I’m in such a dream at the moment.”
Over 700 singers sent in CDs to enter the competition, and 100 were slimmed down to ten in Cardiff.
Royal Academy of Music-trained Julie teaches singing and piano at Yarrells Preparatory School, in Upton, and runs pre-school group Tuneful Tots at Sturminster Marshall Memorial Hall.
She also set up a singing club at Sturminster Marshall First School, where youngest daughter Harmony, seven, attends.
Chantal, 14, is a Queen Elizabeth School pupil, while Sophie-Joy, nine, goes to St Michael’s First.
She said: “As a kid I had a huge voice, which was not always cool.
“Singing itself is such a wonderful feeling for me, whatever comes of this is an added bonus.”
Dame Kiri Te Kawana, opera singer Anne Howells and conductor Robin Stapleton form the London panel narrowing the hopefuls down to five, after listening to two arias.
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