OperaMetro (OM) had the privilege of interviewing soprano Ann Toomey (AT), who will perform the role of Lady Billows in Benjamin Britten’s opera Albert Herring at the Princeton Festival in mid-June. We gathered together yesterday on the lush campus of Princeton University, pleasant day, sunshine, soft breeze…beautiful, just beautiful!

OM: Very nice of you to consent to this interview!

AT: My pleasure!

OM: Britten’s Albert Herring is a rarely performed opera. Had you performed in Albert Herring as Lady Billows before (or in any other role in the opera)?

AT: This is my first time performing Lady Billows. I had not seen the opera nor studied it before, but I am enjoying myself immensely. It is a wonderful piece!

OM: How about any of the other Britten operas?

**Ann Toomey as Lady Billows in Benjamin Brittens’ *Albert Herring* at Princeton Festival**

AT: Well, parts of them, yes. When the pandemic hit and live opera houses shut down and, consequently, opportunities for live performances dwindled, I and many of my musical friends, other singers, conductors, composers, vocal coaches, etc. would get together via Zoom. It was a way to stay in touch, stay involved in our work, but also a way to stay sane!

OM: We all had to find our own way, for sure!

AT: We’d often go through a score, take it apart and discuss it. We started with Britten’s Peter Grimes. It’s such a powerful opera! I like the way Britten writes for his characters. Ellen Orford is dramatically more complex than Lady Billows, but then Peter Grimes the opera is more emotionally complex. I look forward to performing Ellen Orford some day.

OM: Peter Grimes is one of my favorites. The Princeton Festival staged it back in 2016. I reviewed it. Absolutely first rate! But back to Albert Herring and Lady Billows: what are her strengths or weaknesses?

AT: Lady Billows represents the powerful and rigid culture of the Victorian Era. Albert Herring tells of one manifestation of that culture, namely the celebration of May Day and the crowning of the Queen of the May. Virtue is a prized characteristic, strongly encouraged for young women. But Lady Billows has suspicions, which are made real when, at every suggestion for this year’s Queen by the assembled town committee, Florence Pike, Lady Billows’ housekeeper and ‘advisor,’ comes up with a good reason why the suggestion is a bad one, each time lamenting the fallen morals of the young women in the village.

OM: Florence Pike is a strong presence in Lady Billows’ household.

AT: Absolutely! Billows is of course disappointed, but not really surprised by the corruption. It justifies her righteousness. She’s about to cancel the whole Queen of the May celebration, but Superintendent Budd interrupts to suggest that a King of the May might do…he goes on to name Albert Herring, a virtuous young adult, as the perfect candidate. The Vicar strongly supports this in a little solo about virtue. To her credit, Lady Billows acquiesces. At least someone in the village is virtuous! The show must go on!

OM: Albert’s crowning as King of the May takes place, all well and good, but toward the end of the opera Albert escapes the crushing control of Mum, his mother, drinks a little too much, and just disappears. All are searching for the lad, Lady Billows get hysterical, call in the police! call in the detectives! etc. But all are sad, fearing the worst…until Albert reappears. What is Lady Billows’ reaction?

AT: She is most concerned about her legacy, probably it’s what fueled her efforts all along. But now she finds a drunken King of the May flirting with the girls…scandalous! She is furious! She storms out after hurling a curse at Albert and all the others of his sex; she is followed by the town committee members and Albert’s vicious mother.

OM: I think we’ve given a sufficient introduction to Albert Herring from Lady Billows’ perspective. Tell me, Ann, about your voice, about other recent roles, about your path for the next few years…

AT: Happy to! I’m a soprano. I’m building a resume of roles and performances. Lately I’ve tackled two of Puccini’s roles, Tosca and Suor Angelica, the latter is a big plus in that it was in Berlin and an exciting European debut. The more I study Puccini I very much love how he uses music to communicate both the drama and the emotions of the character. In this way he’s a lot like Benjamin Britten. But I also am attracted to American composers like Carlisle Floyd, specifically Susannah, and Tobias Picker’s Emmeline. Both roles are coming up for me. Susannah this August with Wolf Trap Opera and Emmeline at Tulsa Opera next season in May!

OM: I saw Susanna at the Met years ago; Picker I know from the Met’s premiere staging of An American Tragedy in 2005 but I’m not familiar with Emmeline.

AT: It is a spectacular work! Tobias has an incredible way of orchestrating. His music really stays with you. You must try to see it if you can!

OM: Last question, I promise. You have rehearsal later today. When you are not singing or rehearsing, what do you do to wind down, take a break, chill?

AT: Oh, lots of things. Working in opera means that I’m traveling a lot, which is fine because I get to know exciting new cities and colleagues. Eye-opening, really. I love exploring the outdoors, hiking, camping…together with my family I did this all through my growing up. I really enjoy cooking and baking, trying out new cuisines with friends and family.

OM: Thank you, Ann, for your time, your insights into Lady Billows! I’m wishing you and the other members of the cast a successful set of performances.

Britten’s Albert Herring is performed at the Princeton Festival on Friday, June 17th and Sunday, June 19th. Please go to the Princeton Festival’s website for ticket availability and for information about the many other events at the Festival this season.

All the best to you, gentle readers. Enjoy Albert Herring…not often one gets the chance to see it! OM