'They’re so enthusiastic' - World class singer living in Laois joins forces with Portarlington choir

Internationally acclaimed conductor, vocal coach and opera singer Anthony Norton has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, now living in Portlaoise he dedicates much of his time to local projects.

Recently he has taken on a project with Portarlingon Community Choir, helping members discover and improve their own voice.

One of the reasons he was drawn to the project was his belief that singing should be accessible to everyone.

“I believe strongly that every human being has the right to sing and to sing together,” he said. “When I get the opportunity to make that happen, that's what I do.”

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The choir is still relatively new, and Anthony first became involved when he was invited to lead a series of workshops.

“They asked me to come in and do a series of workshops and it all went very well, we decided to carry on working together.”

The group meets weekly, with Anthony helping with their vocal technique and confidence.

The next step for Anthony was always to get the choir in front of an audience.

“We had to get in front of an audience, I thought there’s no point doing all this work unless it’s actually appreciated by people,” he said.

The result was a choral soirée that took place in Portarlington at the weekend. This event was significant for many members of the choir.

“For a lot of people it’s the very first time they’ve ever stood up and sung in a choir and in front of an audience, so it’s really quite significant,” Anthony explained.

He believes the benefits of singing the community stretches far beyond just music.

“There are so many mental health benefits of singing,” he said. “It goes across so many different generations and it brings the whole community together.”

Anthony has been particularly impressed by the enthusiasm he has encountered in Portarlington.

“Portarlington is an amazing place. It’s bustling and it’s growing,” he said.

“They have a fabulous new cultural centre that they’ve invested a lot of money in, so we use that to rehearse in. They’re so enthusiastic and it’s a brilliant opportunity to bring people together.”

He added that choir members leave rehearsals with a sense of positivity.

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While he is now a familiar face in the Midlands music scene, Anthony’s music journey began many miles away.

“As a child I was always interested in music,” he said. That passion led him to study voice and conducting at Trinity College of Music in London before embarking on a professional singing career.

He went on to perform with various operas and eventually became a house tenor at the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

After several successful years in opera, he moved to Ireland and continued to perform internationally as a freelance singer.

“I worked freelance around the world, which was lovely. I sang with the Three Irish Tenors and as a freelance opera singer.”

In more recent years, his focus has shifted towards conducting, directing and music education.

“Now I am at that age where I would like to stop packing my suitcases and jumping on airplanes, I work more at home.”

Today, he is Head of Musical Theatre at American College Dublin, where he works with students from across the globe.

Alongside his teaching role, he continues to direct stage productions, conduct choirs and support vocal development.

“I’ve got three significant aspects to my work and I love them all.”

Despite his international reputation, Anthony says community projects remain some of the most meaningful.

“It’s all very well working with the exigencies of really high standards and professional quality productions, but it’s also great to give the same sort of instruction to anybody in any community.”

“I believe strongly that every human being has the right to sing and sing together”, he said.

His connection to the area is also very personal, his wife is from Portlaoise and he says working close to home is something he values greatly.

“Living in Portlaoise has become such a blessing,” he explained.

As the Portarlington choir continues to grow, Anthony hopes more people from the area will consider joining.

“Whether you’ve got experience or not, it makes no difference whatsoever,” he said.

“If your from the area make yourself free on a Tuesday night, it’s a wonderful thing to do and they’re a lovely bunch of people who are very excited about what they’re doing.”