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07
Mar
Bilton man to sing national anthem at England Six Nations match
A Harrogate tenor will sing the English national anthem ahead of the country’s Six Nations match against Italy today (March 7).
Joseph Spratt will perform in front of a crowd of up to 70,000 people at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and to millions more watching on TV or online.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret yesterday (March 6), Mr Spratt said:
I'm feeling fine. To me, it doesn't matter if the crowd is 10 people or 30 million. I have a job to do and I'll do it to the best of my ability. Being chilled out about it is probably the best thing for the nerves. A relaxed mindset is the best way to succeed, although that's easier said than done. I imagine the nerves might start to creep in shortly beforehand, though.
Being very prepared is one way to cope with the nerves. Luckily it won't be too hard to remember the lyrics! I'll probably do a few notes an hour or two before I go out, and maybe have a cup of tea beforehand.
Mr Spratt, from Bilton, began studying operatic singing at the age of 21 – relatively late for a singer.
He had to overcome a spell of extreme physical illness on his journey to becoming a tenor, but now spends most of his days in Italy, where he sings at the year-round Puccini festival in Lucca.
It was here that he was scouted to sing at the rugby match — he said someone approached him after hearing him at a performance.
It isn’t just his voice that’s strong – Mr Spratt is also a keen weightlifter and has posted videos of himself deadlifting 260kg and squatting 220kg on his social media pages.
Mr Spratt returns to Harrogate when he can, and even performed with the Fisher Singers, which his mum sings for, in December.
England vs Italy will be available to watch on ITV1 today, with coverage beginning at 3.35pm.
Kick off is at 4.40pm.
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