Norah King, soprano
What was your best holiday?
My best holiday was a family trip to New York in 2008. We had a jam-packed week that included the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, incredible views from the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center, and strolls through Central Park. To top it all off, I went to see my favourite opera, La Bohème, in the Met Opera House. My brother wasn’t into opera so everyone else went to Madison Square Garden while I was at the Met. Another great holiday was when I worked in Japan. I visited the ancient city of Kyoto where I saw the most jaw-dropping temples and ate the most delicious food.
What was your worst holiday?
Getting ill on holidays can turn it into the worst. On holiday in France, I ended up staying in a house with cats. I sometimes suffer from allergies to cats. This time I had a very bad reaction, the worst fit of sneezing and wheezing I ever had, and I couldn’t even eat. Thankfully I didn’t have to stay there long and I didn’t have to sing. I couldn’t have sung a note with all the sneezing.
If budget or work were not a restriction, what would be your dream holiday?A dream holiday would be to stay in a luxury villa in the Caribbean island of Martinique. I'd relax on the beach, drink rum cocktails, and visit the island's fabulous adventure parks; that would be paradise.
If you had your pick, who would you bring on holiday with you?
It would have to be my fiance Romain, who is from Paris. I’ve had many great holidays with him in France. He’s really passionate about food and wine so whenever he is around I know I will eat and drink well.
What’s your favourite place in Ireland?
I have great memories of holidays in Killarney and Dingle, where I found the food and hospitality wonderful and the natural landscape was beautiful. I brought Romain to the Ring of Kerry to show him a bit of Ireland and we had a great holiday.
Your recommended holiday reading?
I really like a good page-turner on holidays, such as Rosamund Lupton’s novel Sister or Emma Donoghue’s novel Room.
Where will you go to next?
After my performance in Loughcrew I hope to stay on there a couple of days to unwind and take lots of walks in the gardens. I’ll also visit the neolithic cairns nearby which I have heard about.
Soprano Norah King appears in The Marriage of Figaro at the Loughcrew Opera Festival, Oldcastle, Co Meath, which takes place on July 20th and 21st