‘My husband worries about my mental health if I stop singing’
OperaThe soprano Lesley Garrett, 70 in April, has been contemplating retirement on the How To Be 60 podcast:
‘My husband says I’m only at my happiest when I’m singing. He says he worries about my mental health if I stop singing.
‘He says I’m at my most energetic and positive when I’m involved in singing. But there are other aspects; there are other things that start to go, like memory. Any kind of singing is about remembering huge tracts of text and suddenly you’ll not be able to remember a word.
‘You can’t do that on a stage in front of 2,000 people. You don’t want people to be leaving the auditorium saying, ‘well, you know, she’s not as good as she was.’ I would hate that.’
Yes, she has the right idea. Lesley has done so much bringing music to people who otherwise would have found it all stuffy. Like a sports person, there is a time to go as a singer and best whilst you can still sing with integrity. Too many go on into their seventies, particularly women thinking that 70 is the new 50 and sustain it all – well, it’s not! Well said, Lesley.
At the age of 70, no singer will be “as good as they were”. The impressive thing at that age is if they are still reasonably competent.
Great singer.
But I know there are also husbands who worry about their singing wives mental health WHILE they are singing.
Quitting while you are ahead is difficult, but wise. Experiencing the “… not as good as I used to be” is very sad.