±«Óãtv

Do you know your arias from your ariosos? As part of ±«Óãtv Cardiff Singer of the World's 30th anniversary celebrations, vocal coach Mary King gives some advice on how to sing opera.

Mary can teach most people to sing. In the past 30 years she has taught opera, pop and amateur singers.

Mary tells us that natural talent alone is not enough to become a successful opera singer. "Commitment, drive and an inner hunger to continually improve are essential. Opera singers need to acquire a lot of musical knowledge and perform in various different languages. They perform without the aid of a microphone, over the top of a large orchestra, in large spaces. The investment of time is one of the crucial things. Amateur singers can be very, very good, but won't be as consistent as a professional who trains between five to seven years - the same as an architect, a doctor or a dentist".

In this clip, Mary shows Kevin Myers, who runs the ±«Óãtv staff choir, the art of breathing correctly.