I got myself a bike, as my lessons were in Bath, at Bath Spa University on the edge of the city. My teacher was Ian Comboy, a former principal bass with English National Opera and various other international opera companies. I immediately got on well with Ian, who told me that I had an innate ability to take onboard what I was told. He was not only a good teacher, but also a great source of advice about my singing career. Ian was someone who appeared to admire my determination to succeed. He had sung with all the major opera companies in the UK, and encouraged me to have confidence in my voice, telling me that I was an extremely quick learner. Being on national television didn’t open a huge amount of doors, although I did perform “Nessun Dorma” at a few expenses-only gigs. The biggest opportunity I received was from a promoter in Kent. He was putting on a show with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra to raise money for the cancer care ward at Margate’s Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital.
