Upwey’s Sam Albert is getting ready to take centre stage later this year in the
By Tania Martin
SAM Albert has taken his passion for singing to the opera.
The 16-year-old Upwey boy is set for the role of a lifetime in the Victorian Youth Opera.
The Knox School student was shocked when he was recently named as part of the chorus in the opera, The Little Sweep.
Composed by Benjamin Britten, the opera is ironically about a boy named Sam, who attempts to escape from Iken Hall, and his cruel master and dangerous trade.
But Sam admits he’s no tenor.
He never dreamt he would one day be singing in the opera.
Sam auditioned for the chorus after his singing teacher told him to give it a go.
“At the time I thought it was quite funny because I can’t do opera at all,” he said.
“I am part of the chorus and changing parts to suit the story line and that’s all I really know,” he said.
“It took a while to sink in … it was like ‘I’m in the opera’.
Sam said his friends thought it was pretty ‘cool’ but also questioned how he got into the opera.
“I normally perform songs from musical theatre, rock or ballards,” he said.
Singing and music has always part of Sam’s life.
“It’s just one of those things … I love getting up in front of a crowd because it entertains people,” he said.
He was first introduced to music at the age of four, when he started playing the violin.
But Sam recently had to give up the string instrument due to neck issues.
“It turns out the violin was the worst instrument I could have been playing,” he said.
He’s also an aspiring pianist.
But Sam’s true love is singing. He hopes his passion for music will one day translate into a career on stage.
But Sam understands it may be a long-shot and is working on other options.
“Not everyone makes it, so I am thinking of going into teaching as a back-up,” he said.
Sam admitted that his idol was Elvis Presley.
“I know it sounds dorky, but he’s just so good and I love listening to him … he was such a phenomenon,” he said.
“I also like AC/DC…I just love the way they perform and their intensity.”
Sam is now excited about his first opera, with rehearsals starting in September.
“I don’t know what I am doing but I will give it a shot,” he said.
The opera will take centre stage from 2 to 4 October at the Victorian Arts Centre.
