Bounce Magazine 76

FEATURE
FEBRUARY JANUARY 2019 2019 FEBRUARY | | ISSUE 2019 #75 #75 | ISSUE | | KATHERINE RAMIN #76 KARIMLOO JENKINS
UK’s most versatile orchestras, The London
Concert Orchestra, under Musical Director
Anthony Inglis for the majority of the tour.
The orchestra can be heard regularly at the
Barbican, Royal Festival Hall and The Royal
Albert Hall, providing audiences with an
eclectic repertoire from popular classics and
opera, to hits from films and musicals. The
London Concert Orchestra has worked with
Katherine for the last two years in her series of
hugely popular Christmas concerts.
The Ulster Orchestra will be accompanying
Katherine for the two Irish dates of the 2019
tour. Based in Belfast, The Ulster Orchestra is
Northern Ireland’s flagship arts organisation
and its players comprise the only professional
symphony orchestra in the region.
The Orchestra performs regularly for
BBC Radio 3 and Radio Ulster, including
participating in the annual BBC Proms in the
Park celebrations.
Rachel Ducker catches up with Katherine to
have a chat about her new album and UK
tour stopping by us in Cambridge and Ipswich
in May.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED ON THE PATH
OF CLASSICAL MUSIC?
I learned to sing in St David’s church in Neath
as a chorister when I was seven and through
my choral singing I fell in love with church
music.
I started having singing lessons, at which point
my singing teacher suggested I start with a
classical piece of music because of my choral
training. It immediately clicked and I knew that
was what I wanted to sing.
WHO HAS MUSICALLY INSPIRED YOU?
I didn’t really hear classical music until I started
having singing lessons. At home, my family
used to play all the big voices - like Barbra
Streisand, Dame Shirley Bassey and my mum
used to show me black and white films of Judy
Garland and Julie Andrews. I really think it
was those kinds of women that inspired me.
It wasn’t until later when I heard Maria Callas,
that she became my operatic inspiration, but
it’s definitely always been strong females.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE
DOING NOW IF YOU HADN’T CHOSEN THE
MUSICAL ROUTE?
Well because I’ve been singing since I was
four, I don’t really know any other route that
doesn’t involve music, but if I hadn’t become
a performer, I think I would have continued on
with teaching.
When I was studying at the Royal Academy of
Music I became a singing teacher for a couple
of years, and then I got my record deal and
obviously my life changed. I really enjoyed my
teaching and I’m still in touch with some of my
students. I’ve always said it’s something i’d like
to do later
on in life.
YOUR NEW ALBUM IS OUT NOW, WHAT
WERE YOUR INTENTIONS WHEN YOU FIRST
STARTED MAKING GUIDING LIGHT?
Well it’s been four years since my last album
came out and my life has changed so much in
that time.
I’ve got married, I’ve had two children, I’m very
settled and happy, and I felt that was a nice
mood to take into the studio and create an
album that summarised how I was feeling.
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT CHOOSING THE
SONGS THAT YOU COVER ON THE ALBUM?
I wanted it to be a very spiritual, emotional,
intimate album, so it was songs that touched
my heart and it wasn’t about hitting all the
high notes and how loud I could sing, it was
really about trying to connect and move the
listener in the way that these songs touched
my heart.
25