ARTS: New singing academy opens in Mayo

Growing local vocal talent


Anne Marie Gibbons, a native of Louisburgh, and her Australian husband, Hugh Francis, first met on stage in a production of a Tchaikovsky opera, ‘The Queen of Spades’. Mezzo-soprano Anne Marie was a student at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester at the time, and Hugh, a former student of the college and professional tenor, was drafted in to sing the lead role in the show.
Seven years on, they are returning to Anne Marie’s roots in Mayo to set up the Mayo Vocal Academy, where they plan to tutor singers of every age in both Castlebar and Westport, offering both one-to-one and group lessons.
Anne Marie and Hugh may have travelled the world with their voices, but a move to the West has been on the cards for quite some time. “This is something we have always wanted to do – it’s a question of giving something back to the community.” explains Anne Marie, who considers herself very fortunate to have been guided through local primary and secondary schools by teachers who recognised her talent and helped her on her way.          
So will the Mayo Vocal Academy focus on operatic singing? Not at all, says Anne Marie: “We are aiming to make the academy as all-encompassing as possible – anyone can get in touch for a singing lesson, regardless of their ability and preferred musical style – trad, jazz, pop, musicals or opera.
“There may be people who sing in choirs and want a little extra tuition either on an individual basis or indeed in a group format; Junior and Leaving Certificate students who are studying music and singing for the practical side of their examination; those who might ultimately want to pursue a singing career, or indeed people who want to do it for fun because it is ‘something they always wanted to do’ or they’ve been asked to sing solo in church or at a wedding/party on occasion.” Local schools, choirs and musical societies are also welcome to get in touch if they feel they could benefit from extra coaching on productions or principal parts/roles.
Anne Marie herself did not take the most direct road to the world of singing. She studied psychology at University College Dublin, and, after graduating, worked in AIB while studying singing part-time at the DIT Conservatory of Music & Drama in Dublin.
She eventually decided to take a career break to figure out if it was singing or banking that was for her. She opted for the former and has never looked back, going on to perform in a range of operatic productions and concerts on the international stage.
Similarly, Hugh took a circuitous route to the stage. Before studying music, he was worked in sales, marketing and PR in the airline industry. His singing career started with performances with smaller UK opera companies.
After completing an acting course at the London Centre for Theatrical Studies, he joined the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, full time in 2002, where he remained for two years. Freelance engagements since then have taken him as far afield as Palermo, Paris and Toronto.
Before deciding to set up in Mayo, Anne Marie and Hugh decided to give teaching here a trial run. “We put ‘the toe in the water’ as it were and started teaching on July 3 last in Castlebar.  The response was great, and the level of talent was fantastic.”
Although excited by the success, the couple had to return to London, as they had opera commitments to fulfil – Anne Marie was booked to perform title roles in two Handel operas with The English Touring Opera, while Hugh was booked to sing in Alben Berg’s opera ‘Wozzeck’ with the Welsh National Opera.
Anne Marie and Hugh counted down the months ’til they could return to Mayo, and now they’re back and are really looking forward to starting up again.           
The Mayo Vocal Academy will open at the end of this month.

For more information on on the Mayo Vocal Academy, call 087 6798748 or email mayovocalacademy@aol.com .