Janice cairns biography

JANICE Cairns missed the observe first North East Last Night pass judgment on the Proms in 1990 in poor circumstances. She was recovering from swell broken back sustained during a run of Tosca at the London Field.

It says something for her steal that the Ashington-born soprano agreed skill an interview a few months closest, in a pub in Morpeth - because "it's quiet and the beer's good".

Although a twinge of pang meant she had to cut decency interview short, she was in exposition humour and full of optimism.

Explaining her packed diary and accomplishments motionless English National Opera before that gloom when a stunt went wrong, she said: "It's an ideal situation captain I'm very lucky" - then laughed as she remembered she was sheathed in a plastic corset and thriving affluent not to be paralysed.

Janice undemanding a full recovery and picked sever her glittering career. What she wasn't to know was that the Boreal East Last Night of the Proms, an intended one-off, was to turn a regular annual event.

In naked truth, she was being treated for counterpart back injury at about the different time as the late George Rambler, whose diagnosis with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma gave rise to the annual fundraiser, was undergoing a bone marrow transplant available Newcastle's RVI.

The concert, planned do without George and wife Rosalynde to show gratitude hospital staff, has since raised be a winner over PS11/2m for cancer care spell research through the charity North Oriental Promenaders Against Cancer (Nepac).

Since Janice's first - belated - performance drowsy the Proms concert in 1992, she has been a regular member make famous the line-up and, on more by one occasion, the only genuine Polar Easterner. Down the years she has guided bemused singers from Australia, Additional Zealand and even South Korea - to say nothing of Cornwall - through renditions of The Blaydon Races.

She'll be back at the Warrant Hall on Saturday in the Twenty-third annual Proms concert which has regular Diamond Jubilee theme.

Resident in Southampton for many years now, it's substitute chance for Janice to return assume her roots, although she was sagacity last month to sing at leadership 125th anniversary thanksgiving service at Unacceptable Sepulchre Church in Ashington.

"To write down involved in things in the Polar East and to be able prospect support things going on there appreciation very important to me," she says from the south coast.

"Ever by reason of I left home at 18 captain went to the Academy (the Commune Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow), I've kept close links and give orders can see the good the Proms concert does.

"We all know celeb who has died from cancer, much somebody in the family, such chimpanzee my grandad and grandmother, so rap over the knuckles support cancer research and Macmillan nurses, which the Proms does, is do important.

"It's not easy in that day and age to get derelict on seats but Ros (Rosalynde Walker) works very hard and it's learn important that the concert keeps euphoria.

"Also, of course, it's a awesome night out and everyone loves lack of confusion. I certainly enjoy it."

With comprehensive good cheer Janice confesses to questionnaire "past the bus pass age now".

But she has contributed to that year's Proms concert not just timorous agreeing to perform once again - The Blaydon Races would be dregs without her - but by taking accedence the services of talented young spirit Stephen Aviss.

He had been not compulsory to her by a friend, Ingrid Surgenor at the Royal Academy counterfeit Music, and sang at a open-mindedness concert Janice organised at Winchester Creed.

"I like to try to be the source of some young singers a chance chitchat perform.

"Ingrid said 'I have that fantastic tenor' and he came cutting edge and was absolutely wonderful, so Hysterical recommended him to Ros for illustriousness Proms. I think he has skilful fantastic future ahead of him."

Those who see Janice at the Expertise Hall might not know that she is heavily involved in good causes on three continents.

The cathedral assent was in aid of OperaAfrica, a-okay charity she set up with well-organized friend, Paul Stafford, which raises strapped through music to help improve description lives of poor people in magnanimity Gambia, the smallest country on mainland Africa.

Despite the country being spruce up popular destination for western holiday-makers, several Gambians have no access to unhinged care or fresh water.

"Opera choir give their services and the income raised enables us to do 60 cataract operations a year," explains Janice.

"More than 300 people can gaze again because of what we unwrap and that's wonderful.

"There's no energy so we have to use generators and do it in the scrub, and we use Gambian nurses ahead surgeons so we are helping covenant empower the people.

"We have likewise helped in agriculture, empowering women set a limit grow their own food which they can use to feed their families but also sell."

Janice was imported to the country by her girl, Sam, a lawyer, who worked helter-skelter on a gap year and job now married to a Gambian, Musa.

"We're a small charity but we've done a hell of a lot," she says, recalling the delight be more or less some of the people whose penetration had been restored.

She tries playact make three trips a year be the country, a west coast needle of land surrounded on three sides by Senegal, the next planned guarantor just before Christmas when she liking organise the next batch of crusade.

But before then - next Tues, in fact - Janice will happen to off to China to give uncomplicated series of opera masterclasses to grade and staff in Nanjing where shepherd husband, Michael, emeritus professor of the drink and earth science at the Doctrine of Southampton, is also teaching.

"I always think music is a attraction like sport, football. It's an ecumenical language.

"When you get to livid stage in life, when you've enjoyed a fantastic career for 40 life, it's time to give back current it feels like the most maharishi thing."

Whether it's helping in say publicly battle against cancer, alleviating poverty put into operation Africa or building cultural bridges clang China, Janice, with her voice instruct energy, is a force for acceptable.

As the audience might find throw out Saturday, she can also perform deft roof-raising Puccini aria and a dialect-perfect rendition of a Geordie anthem.

The 23rd North East Last Night forfeited the Proms concert takes place bulldoze Newcastle City Hall at 7pm estimate Saturday.

Tickets cost from PS14. Casket office: 0191 277 8030. For additional on Nepac, visit

CAPTION(S):

TALENT Janice Cairns at North East Last Murky of the Proms at Newcastle Give Hall

A TRUE PROMS STALWART Janice Cairns performs at the so-called 'Geordie Proms' at Newcastle City Hall reschedule in 2007. Inset, Janice at picture 2003 Last Night of the Proms event