-Singing moves us... -Oh, God.

-...entertains us... ...uplifts us.

-That was fantastic.

[ Laughs ] -And more than that, singing improves both mental and physical health.

-How does it feel?

-Brilliant.

Oh, my God.

-Promoting the life-enhancing benefits of singing is the English National Opera, who want to show that singing is for all of us.

[ Singers vocalizing ] And that anyone can sing.

♪♪ ♪♪ The ENO is on a mission to give six non-singers the skills and confidence to perform on stage in just three months.

-When I sing, people just walk out the room.

-I will sing in the car.

Oh!

[ Whistles ] But then whoever's in the car with me will tell me that it's awful.

-Their final goal is to sing at the London Coliseum in front of an audience of thousands.

-It is amazing and scary.

-Oh, God.

Yeah.

-Ahead of them lie weeks of intensive voice lessons.

-E, A.

-They may not understand how much work they're actually going to have to do.

-[ Vocalizing ] -It's like climbing a mountain when all you do is walk on the flat.

-And the singers will be tested to the limit in a series of vocal challenges.

-This whole journey is like a musical SAS.

It's not an everyday experience.

How was that?

-Panicky.

[ Laughs ] -[ Whistles ] I'm absolutely bricking it.

♪♪ -29-year-old entrepreneur Luke lives in Cheltenham with his partner, George, and their dogs.

Five years ago, doctors found a growth in his brain and it changed his life forever.

-I haven't always had T-T-T-T-T-T-Tourette's.

I never used to t-t-t-tic.

It literally tu-turned my whole life upside d-d-d-d-down.

And that's a hard pill to sw-sw-swallow, that, like [whistles] your old life's g-g-gone.

Oh!

Through no fault of your own.

-You're so good.

Well done.

-Oh, and look at you being good as w-well.

It's emotionally draining as w-w-w-well.

All it takes is for one person to stare at me, and then I'm at h-home after thinking, "God, I wonder what that person was th-thinking."

Like, maybe this process will give me the confidence boost I need to not care what people th-th-th-think.

Sing opera.

More confident.

[ Whistles ] Oh.

-To succeed as singers, Luke and the others will have to learn to perform in front of other people.

Their first challenge will be to sing in front of each other.

Preparing Luke for this task is ENO voice coach Michael Harper.

-Specifically for Luke, because of the Tourette syndrome, I'm watching every moment to see what brings him into his center, what helps him to understand what he needs to do in his body to sing better.

So you see this skeleton here, and you see your shoulders up there, and you hold your shoulders quite stiff, don't you?

-Yeah.

So I'm so used to holding everything.

-So the holding in -- -Because I think if I let it go, it would... -Yeah.

You might hit somebody.

-I'd probably take off.

-Also I liked that movement.

Can you do that again?

I liked that.

And remember we said no holding in.

And even here no holding in.

What does that feel like, Luke?

-C-Calm.

-Yeah.

-Even m-m-my shoulders feel... ...more relaxed as well.

-That's because you're allowing yourself to be held up and you're not holding yourself together.

-Yeah.

-So there's something that people with Tourette's do that is called holding.

And so they hold everything in.

And what I want to discourage is his holding but then to focus his energy into his singing.

And when he does, strangely enough, the singing comes more easily and it's better.

So when you have this all free, it's much, much better for you, Luke.

Let's do, um... [ Vocalizing ] -[ Vocalizing ] -Good.

So you feel that in a much more closed space that when you try to go wide at the top, it's not going to be easy for you.

Okay?

Let's see.

[ Vocalizing ] [ Piano notes play ] -[ Vocalizing ] -Good.

Do that again.

I want you to really be -- really be determined and focused about it.

Put your finger there in front of you.

-[ Vocalizing ] -Excellent, excellent.

-That was the break.

-Yeah.

That's good, that's good.

Do it again.

I want you to be more convincing about it.

I want you to be more convincing about it.

-Just go all out?

-[ Vocalizes ] Just go for it.

-[ Vocalizing ] -That's better.

You see it?

-Oh, that was good.

-Yeah.

[ Laughs ] If you have to say so yourself.

[ Both laugh ] -Oh!

-Great.

And even when you're speaking, can you speak more with that energy that we find when we sing?

So just say yes.

-Yes.

-Exactly.

[ Both laugh ] So even in your daily life, if you find that kind of strength in your voice, people will respond to you differently.

Luke and I got to a very good place with breathing and with relaxation.

I mean, that was -- that's really where I want to get -- get him to, and I think the most exciting thing is that we got him to make a big sound.

And I think that's a big thing for him.

Because of the Tourette's, he tries to hide himself, so he's not seen.

And I think if he can allow himself to be seen, he can allow himself to be heard.

-Overall, it was really enj-j-joyable.

And the one kind of part that I cracked through it, I kind of f-f-feel like I've got an extra confidence boost.

[ Woman singing in a global language ] ♪♪ -Embarking on the challenge alongside Luke is pioneering priest and the first female dean of King's College London, Ellen.

♪♪ -I was ordained in the first group of women the first year back in 1994.

So quite a lot of places I've been the first woman priest that they've had.

-Preparing Ellen for the vocal challenge ahead is Scottish tenor Nicky Spence.

-Ellen is so interesting because she uses her voice on a daily basis as a priest, but she feels as if something is lacking.

So even if we can begin the love affair with herself of her voice, then we've done the job.

Hello.

-Welcome to the chapel.

-Madam.

-They do say that people who sing pray twice -- that you're using the words and you're also using your body and giving that to God.

So it would be for me a source of joy to be able to do that, rather than what it is I offer at the moment when I sing.

-Now give me chilled Ellen, so your eyes are switched on but your face is just on holiday.

Okay.

Say hello!

-Hello!

-Hello!

-Hello!

-Hello!

-Hello!

-Wonderful.

Now our next challenge is to try and put melody to this.

-Yes.

-[ Vocalizing ] I'll come and stand next to you.

Okay.

-[ Vocalizing ] -Good.

Now, Dr.

Ellen... -Yeah.

-Would we describe ourselves as a cerebral person?

-Yes.

-Okay.

Now, singing -- When we think too much, we sing the wrong pitch.

When we don't think very much, our primal instinct matches the pitch and you sing perfectly.

-Yeah.

-Okay?

-Yeah.

-Let's put this into practice.

Release and... [ Vocalizing ] Go.

-[ Vocalizing ] -Lovely.

Ellen cannot currently match pitch, which is a huge issue.

She's been so good at everything she's done.

But to be a singer, you have to strip that away.

It's about being vulnerable to be able to feel that making bad noises is not a terrible thing and that actually it is the beginning to moving into something where we're more into a more tuneful land.

So we're going to do the English translation of "Vissi d'arte."

"Love and Music."

So here's the melody.

Murray, could we just hear it?

[ Piano playing ] -The singers are being taught "Love and Music" from Puccini's "Tosca."

It's what they will sing together in their first challenge, and it's been selected as an easy introduction to opera and arranged for the singers by ENO's music supervisor, Murray Hipkin.

-Okay, so let's just go... ♪ Love and music ♪ -♪ Love and music ♪ -Cool.

Here we go.

And... -♪ Love and music ♪ -When we speak it, we have Ellen on top of a mountain.

And when we sing it, we have little churchmouse Ellen.

-Yes.

-So what happens?

-I think just my body goes into remembering that I can't sing and so it doesn't want people to hear me.

-We've got to say au revoir to that narrative.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Let's go ♪ Love and music, love and music ♪ Can you just play it a few times and then we'll join in?

[ Piano playing ] Let's just feel it.

♪ Love and music, love and music ♪ ♪ Love and music, love and music ♪ ♪ Love and music, love and music ♪ -Lovely.

Let's just feel that.

When it's going at that speed, you don't think about it as much.

-No.

That's right.

-And we stay in key.

-Yeah.

-Okay.

-Yeah.

-So now we have that in our bodies.

Let's try and do it slowly.

-♪ Love and music ♪ -Yes!

That was wonderful.

Well done, well done.

I think what we need to work on for next time... -Yes.

-...is getting Ellen's head out of the way.

So go around the house humming ♪ Love and music, love and music ♪ So we get used to what it feels like singing without any consequence.

-I think all of us have places where we feel vulnerable, and for me, a lot of that has been around singing, being told that I can't sing, that sort of nobody wants to hear my voice.

And so it's really hard to get to a place where that doesn't feel true anymore.

-Supporting Ellen in her musical transformation is her husband of 28 years and fellow priest, Jeremy.

-How's it feeling?

-I still feel like I'm not hitting the note that I'm expected to most of the time.

But it's getting easier to not worry about that and just sort of let it go.

-And I also just wonder if there was a bit of that extra pressure because one of the first women priests, you know, you were representative of all women.

Whereas if I make a mistake, it's just me messing up.

-And there was that sense that if you did do something stupid, then people would think women priests are stupid as opposed to Ellen is stupid.

-Yep.

-And you're about the only person that I will sing in front of and not worry about the noise I'm making because I know you love me, however bad I sound.

-This is true.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

But it would be nice if we could sound good together.

-It would be nice if we could sound good together.

That's right.

-Yeah.

♪♪ ♪♪ -Our six singers are at the start of a life-changing musical journey and are preparing for their first challenge.

-♪ Always ♪ -They've each been given an individual line from a Puccini aria to practice, which they will have to perform to each other.

-♪ This hour of torment ♪ ♪ Oh, why, oh, why ♪ Oh.

[ Clears throat ] -They're also finding out that opera singing is a whole body experience.

-That was really hard-core, actually.

Just kind of felt much more like a full body workout.

-In West London, life coach Shirley is determined to overcome her difficulties walking and learn to sing.

-♪ Laaaaa ♪ [ Laughs ] -Encouraging her in her musical transformation is her grandson, Darnell.

-Why don't you like my singing?

-So what did you actually learn at the first lesson?

-I learned to breathe.

-[ Laughing ] Okay.

-[ Laughs ] -I learned to breathe.

-Could you elaborate?

-I learned to breathe, to stand, and be a diva.

Carry myself.

She told me to be -- Well, um... She noticed that I was always looking down because I was always looking at where I was going to walk rather than walking with the confidence of... -Up.

-Of being up.

So that's fundamentally the best thing that I -- that I learned was to breathe and -- and loosen.

-I didn't know opera was on your bucket list.

-It's singing.

I've always admired people who can sing and make beautiful noises.

And I'm a dreamer.

So I could be Beyoncé.

I could be, you know -- [ Both laugh ] No, I don't think I could be Bey-- Aretha Franklin.

Aretha Franklin.

-Yeah.

♪♪ -Guiding Shirley on her singing journey is mezzo soprano and professor of singing at London's Guildhall, Sarah Pring.

-The first thing one has to do is to learn to use the whole body.

I can teach you about your jaw and your throat and everything else.

It's irrelevant if you're not using from your toes right up to the top of your body.

Does that make sense?

-Yeah.

-So first of all, if you stand up for me, please, you look very strong.

-Mm-hmm.

-Does it feel strong?

-Yes.

-Do you feel stable enough to walk with the rhythm?

♪ Love and music ♪ Can you try that for me?

-♪ Love and music ♪ -Listen to that sound!

Listen to it.

Honest.

In tune on your body.

-Was it?

[ Laughs ] -Am I lying?

Do it again.

-♪ Love and music ♪ -Okay.

Now go back and do the next phrase.

-♪ These I have lived for ♪ -It's beautiful.

It's beautiful!

Head sound, in tune.

Isn't it, Murray?

-Absolutely.

Very good.

-Can you hear that's in tune?

-It did sound nice.

[ Laughs ] It sounded like something tuneful.

-Yes.

Now we're going to exaggerate the movement.

♪ Love and ♪ Because you wouldn't have done that for a long time.

-No.

[ Laughs ] -Here we go.

-♪ Love and music ♪ -Okay.

How does it feel?

-Brilliant.

Oh, my God.

-You're already walking better.

-I know.

I felt it there.

I just felt it there.

-It was like you weren't thinking about it at that time.

What your body is beginning to do is to work for you.

-Get alive again.

Get alive.

-Yeah.

So -- Sorry.

Murray, you can play the first note.

[ Note plays ] ♪ Aaaah ♪ Just sing it.

♪ Aaaaaaaaah ♪ Was I meant to be an opera singer?

[ Laughs ] Maybe I missed my calling.

The lesson with Sarah is amazing because she's getting my body moving.

And that, to me, is, like, miraculous.

It's -- It's making such a difference to me.

I didn't expect that to be happening with singing lessons.

-Shirley is not the only one of Sarah's pupils to have a physical barrier to their singing.

-Come in.

-For electrician Rico, his tight shoulders and lazy tongue are proving something of a problem too.

-I'm going to reprise from the beginning.

You're in a column.

-Yeah.

-No, that's exactly what I don't want you to do, is lift that up.

-Lift the shoulders up.

No shoulders.

-Imagine you had a bra strap.

You only breathe below that.

Take a breath.

And then just do this.

[ Exhales sharply ] -[ Exhales ] -Because what we're hoping to see is the diaphragm relax, the lungs fall there, and then you... [ Exhales deeply ] You release it.

The problem is, because your muscles are so tense, that can be an issue.

-Okay.

-See if you can do it.

-♪ Ahhhhh ♪ -No, no, I want you to start here.

♪ Aaah ♪ -♪ Aaaaah ♪ -Pull it in.

Good, good, good, good, good, good, good.

-[ Laughs ] -Does that make sense?

-Yeah, it does make sense.

-Now go "grrrrazie."

-Grazie.

-But that sounds tense, doesn't it?

-Gr-Grazie.

-Has to happen with air.

-Grrrazie.

-Grazie.

-Do it again.

-Grazie.

-It's amazing how tense.

Why are you fighting that?

-I don't know, it just feels like it's been trapped on my top half.

Grazie.

-No, that's -- You're using your shoulders to do it.

Those bloody shoulders, man.

Look in the mirror.

Grrrazie.

-Grazie.

-Good lad.

You're muscle-laden.

We know that.

What we've got to do is get you to use those muscles in a different way.

There needs to be flexibility and fluidity.

-Yeah.

♪♪ -All the singers need their bodies to be more relaxed and flexible to support their singing.

So the voice coaches have asked choreographer Lukas Hunt, who's worked with both Nicky and Sarah, to give them a dance class.

-As opera singers, we dance all the time.

It doesn't matter what age you are, what role you're doing, dance is part of that whole thing.

But from a technical point of view, to be able to use your body and for your body to be free is half the battle when we learn how to sing.

We don't sing from here.

We sing from our feet upwards.

-There's such a connection, I think, between music and dance.

They're very much married together.

So the same way you can express through music, I want you to think of that through the dance.

I want you to start finding your inner sassy selves.

I want you to step out of our comfort zones a bit.

The more you feel uncomfortable, the more you're pushing yourself.

So we're going to do three steps.

We have a one, two together, one, two together.

Fantastic.

♪♪ -I'm not a natural dancer.

I would say I'm quite an under-confident person.

I'm, like, very, like, body-conscious and, like, worried about my image a lot of the time.

You won't see me dancing just for fun.

♪♪ -I have a love-hate relationship with dancing.

I used to joke that I'm probably the only Black person who can't dance and can't sing.

-Here we go.

Rico, let's start with you, my man.

Step, click, step, click, kick-step, stamp.

Nice.

Stamp, stamp.

Nice, nice.

-So, Rico -- his shoulders have become more fluid.

He's breathing more deeply.

Absolutely fantastic.

-Four, five, seven, eight.

Yeah.

-Yay!

-I do feel I need to loosen up.

And I think this was the perfect thing to make me loosen up my shoulders and just be more relaxed.

And Sarah keeps on saying that singing comes from the bottom of you.

So you need to start thinking that.

-♪ I'm gonna live forever ♪ -Fabulous.

Fabulous, honestly.

-♪ I'm gonna learn how to fly high ♪ ♪ I felt it coming together ♪ -Nice!

Four, two, three, four, step.

Clap.

Yes!

Nice one!

Go on, bro.

Smashed it.

Well done, well done.

-He's really light on his feet.

He's really light on his feet.

-Swap it, swap it, swap it.

Fabulous.

-♪ Remember, remember, remember, remember ♪ -Smashed it!

Fabulous!

Look at those hips.

-I felt really out of my comfort zone, but I, like, enjoyed it.

I think it's definitely going to help me with my lessons with Michael because he's always said that I hold a lot of tension in.

-Shirley.

Shirley.

Shirley.

What, what?

Exactly what!

Exactly!

Fabulous.

Good on you.

Good on you.

You've done well.

You've done well.

-Oh, Shirley!

[ Laughs ] I bet you never thought you'd do that.

-♪ Fame ♪ ♪ I'm gonna live forever ♪ -Hello!

-There he is!

[ Laughter ] There he is.

-How's it going?

-It's been wondrous.

All of them have achieved more.

Come on.

You've all achieved more than you thought, yes?

-100%.

-Those hips, sweetheart.

If you ever thought that you were shy, forget it, love.

-Yes.

Shall we do some more dancing?

-Yeah.

Fantastic.

♪♪ The class was a joy for very specific reasons -- physical relaxation, use of the whole body, use of breath.

-Yes, Shirley.

There she is.

Exactly.

-Yes, yes.

-And you said you couldn't.

It's all in your head.

You see that?

-♪ Ooh, ah ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ -Although it was an enormous fun, probably the most fun we've had so far on our journey, actually, the result is that we've gained so much towards their singing.

Remember your first lesson?

You didn't stand up without a stick.

It's completely different, isn't it?

You've got natural rhythm.

Yeah!

Yeah, of course you have.

Of course you have.

-The session was such fun, and you could see everybody's self-consciousness just falling away.

-Nice one!

-At home, I'm like a drama queen.

But, like, around people who I don't know, I'm generally not like that.

So now that I feel like I'm starting to know everyone and I just feel like a lot more relaxed.

-I'm just starting to be myself.

And I think everybody's starting to be their self as well.

And it's good to see that.

-For me, dance isn't a phobia in the same way singing is.

So I'm hoping that I can apply that same looseness, that same sense of being in my body to my singing as well.

I'm not sure I'm going to get there, but I really hope I can.

♪♪ ♪♪ -To prepare for their "Love and Music" challenge, the singers are watching ENO's own production of "Tosca."

For some of them, it's their first time at the opera.

-♪ You're jealous ♪ -♪ Yes, I know it ♪ ♪ I torment you night and morning ♪ -With a couple of lessons behind them, the singers are starting to explore their own vocal ranges and discover their own voice types.

-♪ You're so jealous ♪ -♪ Yes, I'm certain you would forgive me ♪ -Like the singer playing Tosca, Khadijah is a soprano.

♪♪ -If you knew the pain of my love ♪ -♪ My Tosca ♪ -And Luke and Rico have tenor voices like the singer playing her lover, Cavaradossi.

-♪ I love you ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Don't be jealous ♪ ♪ For my love is only for you ♪ -I reckon we got quite a long journey to go on.

-I reckon we've got a very long journey.

[ Laughter ] -Before we can hit that one.

But, yeah, I mean, yeah, we could do that.

-Yeah, of course we could.

Yeah.

-Easy, easy.

-Us two with Murray and Nicky.

-Yeah.

No problem at all.

-Yeah.

Of course.

Yeah.

-No problem at all.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah.

Very exciting though.

[ Banjo playing ] -For all the participants, this is the ultimate crash course in opera, especially for TFL manager Chris, whose playlist has been an opera-free zone till now.

-I don't think I like opera.

No, that's not true.

I hate it when people write off genres.

I've done this with opera, I think, so let's give it a go.

Let's open it up a bit.

I'd like to learn to sing.

I can't sing, and this is an incredible opportunity to do something completely out of my comfort zone and completely off the scale.

♪♪ -Nicky is teaching Chris his designated line from Puccini's "Love and Music" and working on his breathing technique.

-♪ My humble prayers ♪ ♪ I have offered in the chapel of the Lord ♪ -Great.

Beautiful.

That was so much better.

So with this, "my humble prayers," at the moment it's going a bit ♪ my humble prayers ♪ And we want it to be more normal.

So just say it normally to me.

-♪ My humble prayers ♪ -Is that how you speak?

-No.

My humble prayers.

-No.

Let's go for human, human, human, human.

-My humble prayers I have offered in the chapel of the Lord.

-Okay, so I think that we need to think of that as one.

My humble prayers I have offered in the chapel of the Lord.

So it's got a little zhoop and a zhoop.

Okay, go again.

-My humble prayers I have offered in the chapel of the Lord.

-Sing.

-♪ My humble prayers ♪ ♪ I have offered in the chapel of the Lord ♪ -Yes!

Awesome!

That was great.

Well, how did it feel for you?

How was it different?

-It felt more natural actually.

-Yeah.

-Because I've made it really unnatural in my head.

-Exactly.

[ Stilted ] ♪ The chapel of the Lord ♪ Chris needs to understand his breath.

At the moment, his breath doesn't always begin at the beginning of the phrase, and I think it's because he feels frightened of it.

So if we can get his body working for him, then I think we'll be laughing.

If you sing with a "mm-mm" on the -- on the body... ♪ M-My humble ♪ -♪ M-My humble prayers ♪ -Good!

That's a voice.

-Okay.

-Did you feel the difference?

-Yeah.

-And it was as if the air was already traveling.

I think that for you is a takeaway today.

-I found it really hard in the belly area because I'm just -- I've been trying to practice bringing the breath up from the bottom and keeping it moving, but it was a lot harder than I kind of imagined it would be.

I don't know why, but yeah, it's feeling better and better by the day.

So yeah, we'll see where we get to.

♪♪ -For 25-year-old civil servant Khadijah, who lives in Wales with her fiancé, learning to sing opera is a chance for her to show the world what she's really made of.

-People underestimate me all the time because they probably think, "Oh, she's just a girly girl.

She's probably an airhead."

And then I tell them I've got a master's degree, and I tell them I'm still studying and they are quite shocked.

[ Woman singing in Italian ] I think this will definitely show people that there's more to me than meets the eye.

I don't want to be average.

I want to stand out, and I want to be able to look back on my life when I'm like 80 years old and wrinkly and be like, "Ooh, look at what I did."

-So good morning, Khadijah.

How are you?

-Morning.

I'm good.

Thank you.

You?

-Khadijah does suffer from a lack of confidence, and I don't know what that's about.

Um, but we're getting there.

Okay, now, I'll do this for me.

[ Exhaling and vocalizing ] -[ Exhaling and vocalizing ] -We've been working on her noticing what she's doing, things where we're getting her to breathe low and to stay low in her body so that she has a connection that doesn't require her neck to tighten in order for her to sing.

Good.

Tell me about that.

-Um, it feels a lot breathier.

Like, I can feel the fact that I'm, like, pushing out a lot more breath.

-Good.

So it probably means that you're just using the breath more efficiently.

-Yeah.

-So you're not blowing air.

I think getting them to notice is a big thing because people mostly don't notice what they're doing in their bodies.

-Michael wants me to stop being so in my shell.

I think he sees that I'm, like, holding back a little bit, and he knows that I am.

And I think he just wants me to just be more open.

Oh.

My book fell off.

-That means your alignment is out, so you need to put your fingers there.

Mm-hmm.

-Mm-hmm.

-Eee!

-Eee!

-Eee-bah-gohm!

-[ Laughing ] Where did you get that from, Michael?

You've been hanging out with monks too much.

I think it's coming along okay.

I think it's a little bit like going to the gym so you don't actually see the progress, but everyone else sees it around you.

Oh.

But I'm feeling a bit more confident than my first lesson.

Definitely.

So that's an improvement.

♪♪ -It's two weeks since their first singing lessons, and our singers are meeting in South London for their first challenge and are catching up on what they've learnt so far.

-So what does everyone have to work on?

-Mine's breath so far, just kind of thinking I've got enough breath in me.

-Okay.

Expanding your diaphragm and getting used to it.

-Yeah.

I can get the power down in the bottom.

But it's just all that -- The breath seems -- I don't know, it's not really -- -The breathing.

-Yeah.

-I'm finding it hard to control my face.

-Okay.

-I think I hold it too stiff.

-Murray and Nicky both keep saying to me, you know, the stakes are low.

Nobody's going to die if you sing bad.

[ Laughter ] But still the stakes feel quite high.

-Yeah, yeah, of course.

-Yeah, absolutely.

♪♪ -The singers have been getting to grips with their lines from Puccini's "Tosca."

And the time is drawing near when they will sing them in front of each other.

They've come to the Crystal Palace Bowl, where "Tosca" is being performed, for their "Love and Music" challenge.

-Now, you might wonder what we're doing on this fantastic stage.

This is going to be the setting of our "Tosca" workshop today, and this is going to be the opportunity for us all to sing to one another for the first time.

Okay?

So, "Tosca," we have love, loss, sacrifice, murder, execution.

So, you know, we've all been there.

[ Laughter ] But we cannot do any of this without a heroine of an opera.

So it gives me great pleasure to introduce Miss Natalya Romaniw, Tosca herself.

-Hello.

[ Laughs ] [ Applause ] Nice to meet you all.

-Lovely to see you.

-So, Natalya is going to give us a wee taste of "Vissi d'arte."

"Love and Music."

-♪ Love and music ♪ ♪ These I have lived for ♪ ♪ I never did harm to one living creature ♪ ♪ Often in secret ♪ [ Singing operatically ] ♪♪ -Hey!

-Fantastic.

Thank you so much, Tals.

-You're welcome.

-Glorious to have you with us.

We feel inspired, don't we, gang?

[ Laughter ] -That's one word.

-So now your turn.

-Oh, God.

-Okay?

♪♪ -The singers have gathered on the stage at Crystal Palace Bowl for a vocal workshop.

They've been having singing lessons for just two short weeks, and one of the first hurdles they must overcome is their anxiety about singing in front of an audience.

So their first test is to sing in front of each other.

-For some people, they love performing.

For others, if it's as terrifying for them as it is for me, it's terrifying.

-I've never actually sung in front of anyone.

So, uh, yeah, this is going to be quite scary, actually.

-Now, what's most important about this is that we know that we can trust one another.

We've all learned our lines.

We're singing together for the first time.

And I want us really to feel as if we're like a pack and we're all looking after one another.

Okay?

So to do that, I want to just us all to focus a second.

I want us all to hold hands.

And we're just going to hum and close your eyes.

[ Keyboard playing, all humming ] I'm going to come and tap you on the shoulder.

And when I do, I want you to just say how feeling -- how it feels to sing "Tosca" in front of people for the first time.

♪♪ -It feels amazing.

I feel energetic, feel ready to go.

-Terrifying and overwhelming.

♪♪ -Exciting and terrifying.

[ Chuckles ] ♪♪ -Challenging.

-Open your eyes.

Excellent.

So let's go from the top and we'll see how far we get.

And... [ Note plays ] -♪ Love and music ♪ ♪ These I have lived for ♪ ♪ I never did harm to one living creature ♪ -Glorious.

Excellent.

Now let's just do a little bit of analysis.

At the moment I'm getting love and "muzi."

Love and muesli, perhaps.

[ Laughter ] But for my deaf granny at the end -- -♪ Mus-ick ♪ -Yes, yes, Ellen.

What -- And where do we sing our "kuh" from?

-We sing it from down here, from our engine room.

-So can I ask you all just to let this hang down here?

Okay.

And we're just going to go... Kuh-kuh.

-Kuh-kuh.

Kuh-kuh.

-Okay.

Rico, explain how it feels.

-It feels from the back -- From the bottom, it feels like a different voice.

-Yes.

-Like [ Laughs deeply ] Like that.

Like very deep.

-Excellent.

Now, can you put ♪ mus-ick ♪ -♪ Mus-ick ♪ -Let's sing it again from the top with this in mind.

And I think we're ready to go into the solos with Shirley.

-Mind's gone blank.

Mind's gone blank.

-You can do this, Shirley.

-You've got "always, always with true devotion."

-♪ Always with ♪ [ Laughter ] -You are.

Good.

-Nerves are so interesting.

Sadly, they never leave, however good or accomplished you get.

I do think if you've done the work and you're prepared, then there's not as much to be nervous about.

Here we go from the top.

[ Keyboard playing ] -♪ Love and music ♪ ♪ These I have lived for ♪ ♪ I never did harm to one living creature ♪ -Good.

Here we go.

♪♪ -♪ Always with true devotion ♪ -♪ My humble prayers ♪ ♪ I have offered in the chapel of the Lord ♪ -♪ I always pray sincerely ♪ -♪ Oh, bring flowers with my prayers ♪ -♪ Now in my hour of torment ♪ ♪ Oh, why, oh, why, signore?

♪ -♪ Why do you reward my faith like this?

♪ -Yes!

Yes!

Wonderful!

Wonderful!

You're all so blooming brave and tremendous.

Tell me how it felt, Shirley.

-Felt good that time.

-Yes?

Yeah?

-Doable.

-Ellen, how was that?

-It was fine.

It felt flat, but -- So I was overthinking and judging myself as I sang, which I know I shouldn't.

-Yes.

So when we get to your line, Ellen, what are we not going to do?

-We're not going to think.

-Yes, because what do we know that singing is?

-Free and basic and not up here, but down here.

-Exactly.

So, Luke, before we sing, I feel you gearing up.

We're going, "Right, here we go.

We're going to do it."

Okay?

And I want you to be much more... -Chill.

-...chill because you know what happens, happens.

-Yeah.

-So let's go for this.

I want you to lean against me.

Alright?

-Lean?

-Yeah.

-Oh, my God.

[ Laughter ] -Okay, here we go.

♪♪ -♪ Offering flowers with my prayers ♪ [ Applause ] -That was awesome.

Talk me through that.

-I think I just kind of let it come out like I didn't think about what I was s-s-s-singing.

-Yes.

-I just let it go.

-And you were physically breathing like a singer.

-That's good.

-Yeah.

-I felt amazing because I tend to, like, lean forward a bit, and I'll go in on myself.

And when he pulled my arms out, like, I don't know, it's like -- it must be like a psychological thing as well because you're making yourself a b-bit bigger.

Like, everybody can see you.

So it felt fr-- oh, oh -- It felt freeing to do.

-Well done, my love.

Excellent.

Okay, Rico.

Now, I think you look so spiritual when you shut your eyes, yes.

[ Laughter ] But what do you do when you're in a performance and you're playing a character who doesn't shut his eyes every time he sings?

-Okay.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-What we're going to do is Natalya is going to go here.

-Yeah.

-And, Rico, I want you to implore to Natalya.

You're begging her.

Okay, so here we go.

Cue, Murray.

♪♪ -♪ Now, in my hour of torment ♪ ♪ Oh, why, oh, why, signore?

♪ -Yeah.

-Yeah!

-Beautiful.

Oh!

-Yes!

-Yeah, normally I close my eyes because I'm trying to focus into what I'm trying to, like, produce.

But he said just forget about trying to sing.

Just let it out and be comfortable.

And that's what I'd done.

-Okay, Khadijah, my darling.

How was that?

-Panicky.

[ Laughter ] -A bit panicky.

What's your line?

-"Oh, why do you reward my faith like this?"

-Okay.

Ask Murray.

Why?

-Why do you reward my faith like this?

-Okay.

Are you convinced?

No.

Ask him.

-Oh, why do you reward my faith like this?

-One more time.

-Oh, why do you reward my faith like this?

-Sing it.

-♪ Oh, why do you reward my faith like this?

♪ -Yes!

[ Applause ] Awesome!

You are like an onion.

[ Laughter ] There is layers and layers.

There's more in there.

It's really, really exciting.

-I'm not a singer in front of other people.

Like, I just can't do that usually.

Um, so I was quite nervous, but it was so nice that we actually were able to come together in a circle.

I felt more relaxed as the day kind of went on.

So the experience on stage actually helped me see that I can actually do it in front of people.

-So to finish today we're going to do a guts and glory "Royal Variety Performance," so just enjoy it.

Okay?

Here we go.

♪♪ -♪ Always with true devotion ♪ -I was so heartened at their bravery because it's literally having your soul out there for everybody to see.

These emotions and these physical sensations are completely new to them, so to be able to bear them in public is just triumphant.

I can see some potential now.

-♪ Offering flowers with my prayers ♪ -Singing in front of everybody e-e-e-e-lse was a huge, like, hurdle.

So now I just think whatever's coming, like, I'm ready for.

If I've done this, I can do that.

-♪ Why do you reward my faith like this?

♪ -It's fabulous to be on stage with everybody for the first time actually hearing everybody sing, hearing what we all sound like and what we sound like together.

Yeah, that was cool, and also being on stage with a full-on opera singer, God, that was metal.

[ Laughs ] Loved it.

-♪ ...Madonna's mantle ♪ ♪ I gave my singing ♪ ♪ To glorify the angels up in heaven ♪ -It was really good listening to everyone else and seeing what issues people are having.

When you're by yourself, you just think, "Oh, is it just me?"

But then you realize, no, it's ever-- we're all on the same journey.

♪♪ -It's wonderful in a way because it's great to hear them and also it sort of puts the pressure on because you don't want to be the person who's letting this whole group down.

-♪ ...reward...♪ -I'm excited to see to see where they go as well as seeing where I go too.

-♪ Like this ♪ -How would you feel if I brought along 40 of my friends to be your backing group?

-My God.

-I'm right up for opera now.

Love it.

-What I want you to do is to imagine that you're singing to the person in the very top, at the back row.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪