Clare Presland sings the role of Lucretia in English Touring Opera’s new production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, opening at London’s Hackney Empire on 4 October before touring across the country: https://englishtouringopera.org.uk/productions/the-rape-of-lucretia
David Truslove talks to Clare about her career and her upcoming involvement in the title character of Britten’s first chamber opera.
I gather you grew up in Suffolk and had an early enthusiasm for the stage, initiallyto act, until a teacher at your school in Bury St Edmunds heard you sing. Subsequently, you headed to The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
1) Was your singing voice an unexpected discovery for you, and with whom did you have vocal lessons?
My voice really was an unexpected discovery. I initially wanted to be an actress, and I thought it would be sensible to have a few singing lessons—just in case I was ever asked to sing in an audition. I was about 14 when I asked for some lessons as a Christmas present, and I started working with Birgitta Kenyon, who ran the Voice Squad in my hometown of Bury St Edmunds. She was amazing. I vividly remember doing a few vocal exercises with her and then asking, “Can I sing?” That was really the beginning. From there, I went on to the Junior Royal Academy of Music, where I discovered opera. The idea of being able to sing and act at the same time just clicked for me – it felt like the best of both worlds. And from that point on, the path was clear!
After joining English National Opera’s training scheme, you made your professional debut in 2012 with John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer. Two years later you won the Susan Chilcott award.
Clare Presland
2) With its publicity, did your success properly launch your career?
Absolutely. I had quite a different path from many of my colleagues—I didn’t go down the route of doing an opera course at college or joining a full-time young artists programme. Instead, I took part in the English National Opera’s ENO Works programme, which was a part-time course running one weekend a month.
That experience was hugely formative. After the programme, I was incredibly fortunate to be given a number of opportunities at ENO, where I learned so much simply by being around such experienced and generous colleagues. It also allowed me to build a strong mezzo-soprano CV from early on.
Winning the Susan Chilcott Award in 2014 was another key moment. It gave me not just recognition and some financial support, but also a real boost in confidence – and that’s just as important in this industry.
In addition to recent performances at the Royal Opera House (Festen), Opéra National de Lyon (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) and the Staatsoper Hamburg (Salome), you appear to have made your mark in three of Benjamin Britten’s operas: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as Hermia, The Turn of the Screw as Miss Jessel and Peter Grimes as the busybody Mrs Sedley.
3) Given your Suffolk roots do you have an affinity with Britten or is this merely coincidence?
A bit of both! I absolutely adore Britten’s work – his music is so atmospheric, rich and dramatically layered, which makes it incredibly rewarding to perform.
Growing up in Suffolk, I was naturally aware of Britten from an early age. There’s something quite special about performing music that feels rooted in the same landscape you grew up in. So, while casting in his operas wasn’t purely because of that connection, I do think there’s a natural affinity there.
Playing characters like Hermia, Miss Jessel, Auntie and Mrs. Sedley has been a real privilege – they’re all so different, and Britten writes women with such nuance and complexity – I’m always thrilled when his music comes into my life.
Your upcoming performances with English Touring Opera will be your debut as Lucretia in Britten’s first chamber opera The Rape of Lucretia. William Mann of The Times once described the work as “the stiffest, least winning, however compassionate, of all his works”, while Paul Griffiths suggested the opera “offers the most severe obstacles to success”.
4) How would you respond to those observations?
Mmm, this is a tough one to answer! The Rape of Lucretia is a difficult piece. It deals with harrowing subject matter and does so in a stark, restrained way that doesn’t offer easy emotional resolution. It’s not an opera that tries to charm or entertain in a conventional sense.
But I also think that’s what gives it its power. Britten wasn’t afraid to tackle uncomfortable truths or explore the darker sides of human experience, and Lucretia is a prime example of that. There’s a raw emotional honesty in the music, and the chamber setting creates an intensity, which is profoundly affecting.
A handful of renowned singers have been associated with Lucretia, including Kathleen Ferrier, Janet Baker and Sarah Connolly.
5) Is there one voice you particularly admire in this role?
Gosh, yes – and what amazing singing actresses they all are! Of course, Kathleen Ferrier, Janet Baker, and Sarah Connolly have each brought such extraordinary depth to Lucretia. I’d also add Jean Rigby and Christine Rice to that list – they’ve both offered incredibly powerful interpretations. But honestly, I couldn’t possibly single anyone out. Each of them brings something unique to the role: vocally, dramatically, and emotionally. Their portrayals are all iconic.
The role is unusually high for a contralto and a little lower than usual for a mezzo.
6) Why do you think Britten extends the range for the singer and how does this affect the way you approach the role?
I think Britten does this so that we hear the singer at the extremities of their voice during key dramatic moments – it adds an extra layer of emotional and psychological intensity. By pushing the voice beyond its comfortable centre, he steers the drama in a very visceral way to reflect Lucretia’s inner turmoil.
For me, it means approaching the role with real technical care, but also with a willingness to let the voice become more exposed when the drama calls for it. It’s not about producing a perfect sound all the time but about finding the expressive truth in those vocal extremes. That’s both the challenge and the gift of the role.
The role encompasses passages of ensemble singing, such as Act One’s sewing scene (with Bianca, Female Chorus and Lucia) and Act Two’s episodes of dramatic and expressive solo singing such as her first encounter with Tarquinius. Then there’s the Flower Song and Lucretia’s confession to Collatinus.
7) What advice would you give to a singer taking on this role for the first time?
My main advice would be to always return to the text and think about how you would say it in conversation – that is your emotional starting point and it’s so important we hear all the text too! Once you have that foundation, vocally it’s about embracing the full range of colours that the role demands. Britten gives you such a wide spectrum -from the ensemble passages, where you need to blend and find a collective sound, to the intensely expressive solo moments, where the voice has to carry the weight of the drama. Sometimes you’re singing fortissimo stratospheric passages, and sometimes pianissimo passages with long phrases that hover on the same note.
To really honour the text and the emotional depth of the character, it’s crucial to stay flexible with your voice. You need to find the right balance to bring out the shifts in Lucretia’s journey – each scene requires something different, whether it’s subtlety or power.
And pacing is key. It’s a complex role, both vocally and emotionally, so maintaining control while allowing your voice to remain expressive is absolutely essential.
Lucretia must present several vocal and emotional challenges, including the need to sing much of the time with a quiet, almost reined-in, but well-projected tone.
8) How would you define these challenges for yourself?
So much of it is about daring to truly go there – in every respect. It’s not just about singing the notes; it’s about having the courage to fully embody and express Lucretia’s emotional complexity. Britten’s writing demands a constant balance: the ability to project with intensity and to shift seamlessly from quiet vulnerability to moments of overwhelming emotional force. It’s a delicate, internal journey that has to be communicated outward with total conviction. Britten is such an extraordinary composer – his scores are full of nuance and detail. It requires constant attention and ongoing exploration. The homework never ends, but that’s part of what makes it so compelling!
Some commentators have argued that the work fails to involve the audience in Lucretia’s tragedy.
9) Have you and the Director Robin Norton-Hale decided on how Lucretia is portrayed and made any attempt to suggest she is not just a symbol of virtue but a woman of flesh and blood?
Absolutely. From the very beginning, Robin and I were clear that Lucretia must be portrayed as a real, breathing woman. Her tragedy is profoundly human. She is not simply an emblem of virtue, but a woman caught in impossible circumstances -wrestling with guilt, shame, love, and dignity. Our aim has been to uncover and express those emotional layers so that the audience connects with her not as a symbol, but as a person.
A critic once wondered if the opera should more properly be called The Seduction of Lucretia.
10) Is this something you and the director have considered?
We have, and it’s an absolute no from both of us!
Top Image: The Rape of Lucretia by Luca Giordano (1663) [Source: WikiArt]
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Clare Presland & The Rape of Lucretia with English Touring Opera
Clare Presland sings the role of Lucretia in English Touring Opera’s new production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, opening at London’s Hackney Empire on 4 October before touring across the country: https://englishtouringopera.org.uk/productions/the-rape-of-lucretia
David Truslove talks to Clare about her career and her upcoming involvement in the title character of Britten’s first chamber opera.
I gather you grew up in Suffolk and had an early enthusiasm for the stage, initially to act, until a teacher at your school in Bury St Edmunds heard you sing. Subsequently, you headed to The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
1) Was your singing voice an unexpected discovery for you, and with whom did you have vocal lessons?
My voice really was an unexpected discovery. I initially wanted to be an actress, and I thought it would be sensible to have a few singing lessons—just in case I was ever asked to sing in an audition. I was about 14 when I asked for some lessons as a Christmas present, and I started working with Birgitta Kenyon, who ran the Voice Squad in my hometown of Bury St Edmunds. She was amazing. I vividly remember doing a few vocal exercises with her and then asking, “Can I sing?” That was really the beginning. From there, I went on to the Junior Royal Academy of Music, where I discovered opera. The idea of being able to sing and act at the same time just clicked for me – it felt like the best of both worlds. And from that point on, the path was clear!
After joining English National Opera’s training scheme, you made your professional debut in 2012 with John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer. Two years later you won the Susan Chilcott award.
2) With its publicity, did your success properly launch your career?
Absolutely. I had quite a different path from many of my colleagues—I didn’t go down the route of doing an opera course at college or joining a full-time young artists programme. Instead, I took part in the English National Opera’s ENO Works programme, which was a part-time course running one weekend a month.
That experience was hugely formative. After the programme, I was incredibly fortunate to be given a number of opportunities at ENO, where I learned so much simply by being around such experienced and generous colleagues. It also allowed me to build a strong mezzo-soprano CV from early on.
Winning the Susan Chilcott Award in 2014 was another key moment. It gave me not just recognition and some financial support, but also a real boost in confidence – and that’s just as important in this industry.
In addition to recent performances at the Royal Opera House (Festen), Opéra National de Lyon (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) and the Staatsoper Hamburg (Salome), you appear to have made your mark in three of Benjamin Britten’s operas: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as Hermia, The Turn of the Screw as Miss Jessel and Peter Grimes as the busybody Mrs Sedley.
3) Given your Suffolk roots do you have an affinity with Britten or is this merely coincidence?
A bit of both! I absolutely adore Britten’s work – his music is so atmospheric, rich and dramatically layered, which makes it incredibly rewarding to perform.
Growing up in Suffolk, I was naturally aware of Britten from an early age. There’s something quite special about performing music that feels rooted in the same landscape you grew up in. So, while casting in his operas wasn’t purely because of that connection, I do think there’s a natural affinity there.
Playing characters like Hermia, Miss Jessel, Auntie and Mrs. Sedley has been a real privilege – they’re all so different, and Britten writes women with such nuance and complexity – I’m always thrilled when his music comes into my life.
Your upcoming performances with English Touring Opera will be your debut as Lucretia in Britten’s first chamber opera The Rape of Lucretia. William Mann of The Times once described the work as “the stiffest, least winning, however compassionate, of all his works”, while Paul Griffiths suggested the opera “offers the most severe obstacles to success”.
4) How would you respond to those observations?
Mmm, this is a tough one to answer! The Rape of Lucretia is a difficult piece. It deals with harrowing subject matter and does so in a stark, restrained way that doesn’t offer easy emotional resolution. It’s not an opera that tries to charm or entertain in a conventional sense.
But I also think that’s what gives it its power. Britten wasn’t afraid to tackle uncomfortable truths or explore the darker sides of human experience, and Lucretia is a prime example of that. There’s a raw emotional honesty in the music, and the chamber setting creates an intensity, which is profoundly affecting.
A handful of renowned singers have been associated with Lucretia, including Kathleen Ferrier, Janet Baker and Sarah Connolly.
5) Is there one voice you particularly admire in this role?
Gosh, yes – and what amazing singing actresses they all are! Of course, Kathleen Ferrier, Janet Baker, and Sarah Connolly have each brought such extraordinary depth to Lucretia. I’d also add Jean Rigby and Christine Rice to that list – they’ve both offered incredibly powerful interpretations. But honestly, I couldn’t possibly single anyone out. Each of them brings something unique to the role: vocally, dramatically, and emotionally. Their portrayals are all iconic.
The role is unusually high for a contralto and a little lower than usual for a mezzo.
6) Why do you think Britten extends the range for the singer and how does this affect the way you approach the role?
I think Britten does this so that we hear the singer at the extremities of their voice during key dramatic moments – it adds an extra layer of emotional and psychological intensity. By pushing the voice beyond its comfortable centre, he steers the drama in a very visceral way to reflect Lucretia’s inner turmoil.
For me, it means approaching the role with real technical care, but also with a willingness to let the voice become more exposed when the drama calls for it. It’s not about producing a perfect sound all the time but about finding the expressive truth in those vocal extremes. That’s both the challenge and the gift of the role.
The role encompasses passages of ensemble singing, such as Act One’s sewing scene (with Bianca, Female Chorus and Lucia) and Act Two’s episodes of dramatic and expressive solo singing such as her first encounter with Tarquinius. Then there’s the Flower Song and Lucretia’s confession to Collatinus.
7) What advice would you give to a singer taking on this role for the first time?
My main advice would be to always return to the text and think about how you would say it in conversation – that is your emotional starting point and it’s so important we hear all the text too! Once you have that foundation, vocally it’s about embracing the full range of colours that the role demands. Britten gives you such a wide spectrum -from the ensemble passages, where you need to blend and find a collective sound, to the intensely expressive solo moments, where the voice has to carry the weight of the drama. Sometimes you’re singing fortissimo stratospheric passages, and sometimes pianissimo passages with long phrases that hover on the same note.
To really honour the text and the emotional depth of the character, it’s crucial to stay flexible with your voice. You need to find the right balance to bring out the shifts in Lucretia’s journey – each scene requires something different, whether it’s subtlety or power.
And pacing is key. It’s a complex role, both vocally and emotionally, so maintaining control while allowing your voice to remain expressive is absolutely essential.
Lucretia must present several vocal and emotional challenges, including the need to sing much of the time with a quiet, almost reined-in, but well-projected tone.
8) How would you define these challenges for yourself?
So much of it is about daring to truly go there – in every respect. It’s not just about singing the notes; it’s about having the courage to fully embody and express Lucretia’s emotional complexity. Britten’s writing demands a constant balance: the ability to project with intensity and to shift seamlessly from quiet vulnerability to moments of overwhelming emotional force. It’s a delicate, internal journey that has to be communicated outward with total conviction. Britten is such an extraordinary composer – his scores are full of nuance and detail. It requires constant attention and ongoing exploration. The homework never ends, but that’s part of what makes it so compelling!
Some commentators have argued that the work fails to involve the audience in Lucretia’s tragedy.
9) Have you and the Director Robin Norton-Hale decided on how Lucretia is portrayed and made any attempt to suggest she is not just a symbol of virtue but a woman of flesh and blood?
Absolutely. From the very beginning, Robin and I were clear that Lucretia must be portrayed as a real, breathing woman. Her tragedy is profoundly human. She is not simply an emblem of virtue, but a woman caught in impossible circumstances -wrestling with guilt, shame, love, and dignity. Our aim has been to uncover and express those emotional layers so that the audience connects with her not as a symbol, but as a person.
A critic once wondered if the opera should more properly be called The Seduction of Lucretia.
10) Is this something you and the director have considered?
We have, and it’s an absolute no from both of us!
Top Image: The Rape of Lucretia by Luca Giordano (1663) [Source: WikiArt]