It often happens in music that as a band becomes more successful, so some of the individuals in it seek to spread their wings and pursue a solo career.
But Lesley Garrett, one of Britain’s most celebrated soprano singers, has done things the other way: she’s formed a group – and a supergroup at that.
On Sunday, The Trio – Garrett, clarinettist Emma Johnson and pianist Andrew West – come to the Rose Theatre for a concert featuring interpretations of some of the world’s greatest composers.
Garrett, with her characteristic Yorkshire warmth, says she’s looking forward to it.
“The Rose is a little jewel of a theatre,” she says. “I can see it’s going to be fabulous.
“It’s possible to give a really intimate and warm performance where you can chat to the audience and explain the music you’ve chosen.
“In Emma and Andrew I have found colleagues who are just as keen as I am for the communication aspect of performance.
“Communication is so important. People can be informed and get even more pleasure from a concert by understanding the choices and reason behind them.” The Trio came into being after performing together at the Harrogate Festival in 2011 alongside Julian Lloyd Webber.
“Emma and I got on so well together we thought why didn’t we do a few concerts together.
“We’re yet to find a name to be honest, so at the moment we’re just called The Trio.
“We discovered there was an awful lot of music actually written for soprano and clarinet.
“But I also found that Emma is a wonderful arranger and has been arranging pieces that weren’t originally meant for clarinet.
“We’re able to sing a really wide range of music, from Bach to Gershwin and Bernstein.
“What’s fantastic is the way Emma almost sings when she’s playing the clarinet. It’s like having two voices, although she jokes that she struggles to get the diction right.”
Lesley Garrett is looking forward to her perfomrance at The Rose
The smaller, more intimate setting of venues like The Rose also excite Garrett.
“That’s the benefits of doing chamber music. The work I’m doing in The Trio is part of a conscious decision by myself to move into chamber music.
“What’s great about working with The Trio is we can find these fantastic smaller, more intimate venues with very good acoustics where you don’t need so many microphones. “It’s a fantastic feeling for me having performed solo for so many years, to be part of a small ensemble.
“It’s a great joy and a wonderful creative experience. We’re having a fantastic time.”
The Trio, Rose Theatre, High Street, Kingston. Sunday, November 10, 7.30pm. Tickets £12 to £25. Call 08444 821 556 or rosetheatrekingston.org
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