Talented singer Hannah Mason carves a glittering career in opera

The evening was to change her life.

“They were short of boys for the Leeds Youth Opera production and my brother, who sung in Leeds Parish Church Choir, took part,” she says. “I went to see him in it - there were children aged from about ten to people in their mid-twenties singing. It is a funny piece, by the brilliant Leonard Bernstein, and very accessible. It was amazing, and it was then that I thought opera singing was what I wanted to do.”

Hannah never lost sight of that goal and five years ago she completed her training at English National Opera (ENO) in London.

Since then she has sung with ENO in productions including The Magic Flute, Norma and the Pearl Fishers.

In 2017 the talented lyric mezzo sporano joined the chorus of The Royal Opera House Covent Garden in their production of Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg and sang with Opera North in their concert performance of Turandot.

She also toured the UK as a guest soloist with soprano Lesley Garrett.

This year Hannah, who lives in Saltaire with her eight-year-old son Oliver, returned to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden to sing in The Chichester Psalms for their Bernstein Centenary with the Royal Ballet.

Leeds-born Hannah’s singing ability first came to light when, aged 11, she joined a church choir run by her father, an organist and choirmaster.

“He needed children to join the church choir at St Pauls’ in Ireland Wood, Leeds. My brother already sung for Leeds Parish Church Choir, so my dad roped me in,” she recalls.“That was when he first became aware that I could sing.”

Hannah was already a competent musician. “We were a musical family, so at home there was always music. I play the recorder, piano and flute. I had a good musical ear and could read music.”

She began singing lessons. “The teacher realised that I had a talent and I started at grade four,” she says.

After seeing Candide, Hannah went along to audition to sing with Leeds Youth Opera. “I took one of my arias, that I sung in my lessons,” she says, “But I was told they had no spaces available.”

She still auditioned, however, and was accepted. Between the ages of 14 and 18 she had a main role in each of the company’s productions. “The training was incredible,” she says. “I absolutely loved it - I don’t think I missed a single rehearsal and made a lot of friends which I still have.”

At the time Hannah was a soprano - a type of classical female singer with the highest vocal range of all voice types.

Hannah credits the head of music at Lawnswood School in Leeds, Lynn Hudson, with helping her to carve out a career in music.

“It was she who suggested I go to the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, for weekend lessons,” she says. “She came with me and mum for the audition.”

She adds: “My parents had season tickets for Opera North so we went to a lot of their shows. I loved Gloriana by Benjamin Britten. Josephine Barstow was the queen. It was amazing, I saw it about five times.”

Hannah, who also plays piano and flute, was determined to become an opera singer. “In sixth form I said that that was what I wanted to do, and I stuck to that even when teachers kept saying I should keep my options open. I was very single-minded.”

She was later awarded a scholarship to study for a music degree with a singing specialism, at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Now a mezzo-soprano, the second highest female voice type, Hannah also teaches singing. “It is amazing how many people say things like ‘I want to be Beyonce’ and don’t realise that you need such a lot of training.”

She adds: “You can teach anyone to use their ‘instrument’ - their voice - even if they are tone deaf. It is just oral training. When you sing, you have to think, it is just you, there is no instrument to hide behind. For some the intonation and tuning is not great, and they may not end up on stage, but they will be able to sing.

“A lot of adults come to me and say ‘I can’t sing, or I have not sung for 30 years. Some have lovely voices, they just need unlocking. It is often just about breathing and confidence.”

She recently visited her son’s primary school as part of a lesson. “When I sang to the children they all looked up at me, amazed. It is a real passion of mine to encourage children to enjoy singing. It is so rewarding.”

In 2015 Hannah sang in The Mastersingers of Nuremberg at English National Opera, going on to make her Opera North debut covering the role of Mother in Jonathan Dove’s Swanhunter.

In performances, no amplification is used, she says. “It just our voices, which we project,” she says.

Staying healthy is important. “If you get laryngitis it can be awful,” says Hannah. “You just have to be sensible. You can sing with a cold, but if it goes to your chest it is terrible. Keeping your voice in shape demands constant work.”

Hannah works mainly at the Royal Opera House and English National Opera. The many wonderful locations at which she has sung include Bradford Cathedral, Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, London’s National Portrait Gallery and Saltaire’s United Reformed Church.

“The United Reformed Church is a lovely venue, and I like Holy Trinity Church in York where we sung carols by candlelight,” she says. “I also like the more unusual venues such as the Crypt at Christ Church in Skipton.”

She also regularly works with Bradford Festival Choral Society. Hannah’s work abroad includes a three-month tour of the USA. “That was straight after I left college - it was great fun.”

As part of the ENO's Opera Works hannah was chosen to study the roles of Carmen, Juno in Handel's Semele and Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Other operatic roles have included the title role in La Cenerentola, Mercedes in Carmen and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly.

She is an experienced recitalist and concert performer. Education workshops include Dido with the Skipton Camerata, Carmen with Opera North amd Olga with Lakeland Opera.

Hannah remains passionate about her job. “It is a good thing my career worked out, because it was all I ever wanted to do. I love the discipline of the singing, and the acting. To get paid to dress up and prance around on stage - who would not love that?”