Barbara finds that singing can be good for your health
THERE were several years when Barbara Middlebrook was unable to perform until she says, somewhat cryptically: "Due to unusual circumstances living with my illness, I got worse, but it enabled me to sing again."
Before all that for around 30 years since playing Magnolia Hawks in Show Boat at the age of 17 at the Lyceum (in pre-refurbishment days), any am-dram company in Sheffield wanting a lead soprano sought out Barbara.
Her longest stints were at Sheffield Amateurs, Sheffield Teachers and Woodseats and she could easily have turned professional but she didn't want to leave two young sons: one of them, Chris, going on to have a professional singing career.
Then 16 years ago at the age of 50, Barbara dropped off the scene, having being diagnosed with Parkinson's six years earlier.
She says: "It started to show on stage and robbed me of my confidence. All I could think about was hiding the tremor, not what I was doing. So I realised then it was time to pack it in."
So that was it, except for coming out of "retirement" to make a record for the Parkinson's Disease Society with Chris, until about six years ago when she discovered she had osteoporosis.
"I didn't know I'd got it, but I broke ribs and bones and my right side broke down, so I couldn't stand upright. I was also more shaky then, whereas I do shake a little now, but it's mainly rigidity."
More or less confined to a wheelchair because of the bone disease, she says: "I found that sitting down in a wheelchair I could still sing. If I was propped up with cushions, my diaphragm was straight.
"I knew before that I could still sing, but I hadn't been able to stand up straight" – the diaphragm is crucial to breath and voice 'support' in singing and cannot function properly if bent.
"So it's the circumstances of the illness that have guided me back to singing, really."
News got round and soon Barbara was being asked to sing: "'Oh no,' I said. 'I don't think I can.' They said 'you can, you can do it.' So I did and it went well, better than I expected.
"The biggest concert I did was when Pauline Coopland and Jill Hepple asked me to sing with them at a concert in aid of the Parkinson's Disease Society at Upper Chapel, four years ago at Christmas.
"It was wonderful, a wonderful night and went down really well."
Another more recent concert that went down very well was with Andrew Nimmo, her leading man in three shows in years past, who is now suffering with lymphoma.
"He's not in good health but is so cheerful, you'd never know. He's on crutches and really needs to sit down. When we did this concert we were both sitting down and felt more confident together singing than we do on our own.
"It's given us a new lease of life. We've been rehearsing for this next big concert and have worked something out to incorporate a lot of different songs."
The concert, at Holy Trinity Church, Millhouses on Sunday, is a charity event of mainly operetta and musical theatre and includes John Savournin among the other performers.
Barbara and Andrew's contribution to the concert's first half is a dramatised scene in which, as Sarah and Carl (courtesy of Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet), they meet in a restaurant after many years and reminisce in songs: The Land of Smiles, Desert Song, New Moon and others.
In the second half, with Jo Savournin chipping in, they offer a selection of Noel Coward and Ivor Novello and Andrew sings Offenbach's Bold Gendarmes with Alf Bailey.
Ivor Novello was always Barbara's speciality.
"Yes, I have an affinity with Ivor Novello's music. I feel I belong to it somehow. I've sung it all my life and it's a special thing to me," says the singer who appeared in two of his shows, at the Lyceum when she 21 and at the City Hall when she was 41.
Sunday's concert is also setting out to show that music can be therapeutic, particularly singing, which says Barbara, "is very good for your health. You forget everything.
"It's helped me in two ways. Physically, because it's kept my diaphragm going and strong. Without that I don't know where I'd be!
"Also spiritually it's kept me going. People want me to come and sing for them, at my age!"
Apparently her voice is still in fine shape?
"I hope so. I hope I would know if it was going."
BUY ONLINE: The Sheffield Telegraph and Property Guide are now out every Thursday. To sign up on line click here.
MORE:
Local News
Local Sport
Arts Guide
Community News
Listings Guide
Restaurant Guide
Letters
Email to a friend
Print this page- Katie shines as burns unit opens
- New TV prison drama does time in Sheffield
- MATCH REPORT: Sheffield Wednesday 0 Blackpool 3
- Snow Patrol chats to The Star ahead of their Sheffield gig tonight- LISTEN TO AUDIO INTERVIEW
- SNOW LATEST: Airport reopens as South Yorkshire returns to normal - but wrap up Monday
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
