My Voice My Life

MUSIC: O Fortuna 16,000 people

will soon fill this stadium.

All eyes will be on me

as I share what I like best in the world.

I love opera. I'm opera mad!

It's my dream to become an opera singer.

And one day I would like to sing in that building.

But some people don't think I can do it.

Someone said, "Your voice sounds like...WARBLING...like that."

I even doubt myself.

I was off key on one point. I hated it.

But can I prove them wrong?

I'm going to be out there soon.

SHE WHIMPERS I'm so scared.

Time to find out about

my life, and My Voice.

Hi, my names Persia, and this is where I live.

Come on in!

I was born in Leeds and I've lived

here for 11¾ years.

Right, this might sound weird, but my bedroom's downstairs,

so come on.

We are in the basement of the house, and I don't have a window,

so I've got a fake, rusty old one...

and it's changeable!

This is the daytime one,

and this...

is the night-time one.

I love drawing, I love watching TV,

and I love reading.

And being a mermaid.

Ta-da! I'm a mermaid.

I live here with my mum and our cat Voodoo.

When I can find her, that is.

Hiya!

I've got her, I've got her! Oh, no, no, no!

She just...

No! No!

Mum, get her!

This is my mum...

She's mad.

She drinks green smoothies

that look like snot.

Do you want some?

SHE GAGS

'She's a character.'

It's nice!

Full of life, full of energy.

She drives me nuts sometimes.

-Come here, Persia.

-PERSIA WHIMPERS

It's just been the two of us since I was...

two, nearly three.

We've got an amazing relationship.

# Panis angelicus... #

Some kids are crazy about football,

some kids are crazy about ballet, tap, dance...

I'm just crazy about opera.

I'm mad about it.

# Dat panis coelicus

# Figuris terminum... #

Singing makes me feel, you know, on top of the world and really happy.

# Mirabilis Manducat... #

It's something that just touches you,

and it makes all your emotions just spread out everywhere.

# La boheme... #

The first time I fell in love with opera was when I went to see

La Boheme with my mum when I was about seven.

SHE SINGS ARIA FROM LA BOHEME

I was totally mesmerised all the way through it.

If you don't know what mesmerised means,

It means, you know, like, really, like...

SHE SINGS ARIA FROM LA BOHEME

When I came home, I was like,

"I love opera. I'm opera mad!"

# L'amour est... #

An opera is a story told entirely through song,

and the first one was sung in Italy

almost 400 years ago.

CARTOON PERSIA SINGS

Opera is full-on singing.

Musicals is just a few songs and talking.

So there's a big difference.

MUSIC: Habanera from Carmen

It's quite emotional sometimes.

You'll think, "Wow, this is a really happy bit,"

and then, all of a sudden, "Oh, hang on."

It's all gone really angry and fighty.

This is cool.

CARTOON PERSIA TRILLS

APPLAUSE

I don't think I'd be able to live without it.

When I'm older I want to be an opera singer, definitely,

so I'd better get cracking.

SHE LAUGHS

SHE PLAYS PIANO

In my school no-one is like me.

I'm the only one in the whole school who wants to be an opera singer,

and the only one who loves opera

so, so, so, so much.

Some people think I'm different and strange and weird.

Sometimes it just makes me want to cry.

I'm not weird, I'm just me.

SHE SINGS SCALES For the last four years,

I've been training.

Being a singer is like an athlete, because,

you know, with athletes, you have to go to the gym

to be strong and sturdy,

and with singing, you...

Your voice has to be strong and sturdy, as well.

-SUE SINGS HIGH NOTES

-There, OK?

I have weekly lessons with Sue,

an opera singer who has performed all over the world.

-Good - now, that was a top A.

-Sorry, my voice is a bit...

dodgy.

'When I first heard Persia sing,'

it was very surprising,

and it did sort of make me tingle.

SUE MOUTHS, PERSIA SINGS

'It is an amazing sound for an 11-year-old.

-Right, let's have a look at Panis Angelicus.

-Oh, OK.

'It's practice, practice, practice for me,

'cos I've got a special performance coming up.'

# Panis angelicus... #

'She's going to face one of the biggest challenges she'll have,'

because she's now going to be singing with a really,

really well-known orchestra.

# Panis coelicus... #

'I've never ever, ever sung with an orchestra before.

It's just going to be me, on my own,

with an orchestra,

and I just... I just hope

I can pull this off.

-It's going too low.

-SUE SINGS NOTE

-Get that...

-PERSIA SINGS NOTE

'There's nerves and nerves.'

There's nerves that destroy you,

and there's nerves that are good for you.

I know all about nerves.

I was seven when I got my first chance to sing live on the radio.

So I went on Chris Evans' Breakfast Show and sang for him.

-Hello, Persia from Leeds.

-Hello.

Hello, Persia. Seven years old -

what did you do for the first time ever yesterday?

I sang and I did opera.

But it was so embarrassing because I kept on making loads of mistakes.

SHE SINGS SINGLE NOTE

Oh, I've forgotten it now.

SHE SINGS SCALES

As soon as I went, "Bye," I went, "Bye... Ugh!

"Hang up the phone! Hang up the phone!"

OK? Fine. That was a really good lesson, and I'm really...

I'm just petrified. I am scared to the bone.

I just really hope I can do this.

Really well done.

Sue has been a huge help building my confidence for the performance,

but this will be one of our last lessons together.

We're moving to London in a few weeks and I'm really excited.

So...yeah, and it's going to be a big change for me.

-Come on, let's take the boxes downstairs into your room.

-OK.

This is going to just make accessibility to

the world of opera much easier for her.

Right, Mum, can I start with my books?

Hopefully, when I'm in London my opera singing will improve

and improve and improve.

If Persia wants to be a singer, I couldn't back her more.

My hope is that she achieves everything she wants to do.

No-o-o-o!

Leaving Leeds is going to be hard.

All my close family are here.

My uncle lives next door,

and my nana has a house nearby,

but she's in hospital.

It's going to be a massive change.

I'm really going to miss all my friends and family,

which is going to be really, really upsetting.

This is probably going to be the biggest change

in Persia's entire life.

She was born here,

and now...everything's going to be uprooted.

Come on, then, monkey, tell me -

how do you feel about moving to London?

I just feel a bit nervous, cos it's a brand-new life,

and...

I don't really know anyone there.

-But you're OK about it?

-Yeah.

-OK.

I just feel a bit, you know, worried about school -

high school and stuff like that - and school at the moment, so...

That's all right. We'll deal with it together.

Cos you and me are what?

-Thunder and lightning.

-Thunder and lightning?

SHE IMITATES CRACKLING

There's a couple of weeks left until we move down to London.

But before then, I've got to pull off my biggest performance yet.

Come on, it's your big day.

SHE SQUEALS Voodoo...

I'm off to the studios in MediaCity

to make a recording with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

I really want to leave on a high before I say

goodbye to the north and head down to London.

So we have just arrived in Manchester

and it is a very sunny day, and I am so excited!

I've never sung with an orchestra before,

so today is a massive challenge.

I am very nervous - I'm petrified.

I've got, like, butterflies in my tummy, and I'm, like,

"Ah-h-h!"

I'm, like, "Am I going to do this properly?

"Am I going to forget the words?"

-Persia, is this all for you?

-Oh, my God!

-PERSIA GIGGLES

-That's amazing.

My biggest worry is that I'll faint...

Or trump or burp.

You're going to be performing.

-With them.

-Oh, my God!

I just can't let my nerves get the better of me today.

If this goes well, I can take a recording of my performance

to London, to show people what I can do.

-Hi, Persia. Michael Francis, very nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-I hear you have a fabulous voice.

-Thank you.

Good. Well, this is the BBC Philharmonic.

We're delighted to be doing this with you. Let's go to work.

So, Persia, what might be a really good idea is, now,

just start to do some breathing. Get your breath...

I think might have to. I think I'm going to faint!

OK. Let's hope I don't forget the words.

You'll remember it. You'll remember it.

The challenge is trying to keep up with the orchestra sometimes.

I went a bit slow, so I need to try and speed that up a bit.

I felt like I went a bit flat at some points,

and on the last note

I didn't feel as strong as I should have been.

I was like jelly, I was, like, "Uhhh!"

Oh, no.

I going...I bet I'm going to collapse any minute,

my legs are just going to go...

Over 200 people have come to the studio to hear me sing.

-How are you, Persia?

-I'm all right.

-Good, all set?

-I'm petrified!

-Don't be!

Listen, it's the same song, it's only music. You sung it so well.

Yeah, I'm petrified, and really excited.

Don't be petrified. You can relax, I've got you all the way.

You can just relax and sing. There's nothing to worry about,

it's going to be marvellous.

APPLAUSE

# Panis angelicus

# Fit panis hominum

# Dat panis coelicus

# Figuris terminus... #

As soon as she walked into the room, I was like jelly.

I was really nervous. Everyone was rooting for her,

and she just, she just went for it.

# Manducat dominum... #

She sings in tune, and she sings musically,

and you can tell her instincts are very good.

To handle this pressure, it's something that you can't teach.

You just have to see how someone does,

and she did very well.

# ..humilis

# Pauper, pauper

# Servus et humilis. #

I loved singing with the orchestra!

But listening back to the recording,

I was disappointed with my performance.

Whenever I listen to my own voice I don't,

I don't like listening to it.

I was off key on one point! I hated it.

APPLAUSE

I sounded awful! I was off pitch!

I was off key all the time.

Sometimes I think my voice is rubbish when I listen to it.

I just, you know, doubt myself.

Lots of people think that it's a really special talent,

but some people think I shouldn't have that talent.

Someone said, who used to bully me, "Your voice is rubbish, it's awful.

"I don't think you should really sing.

"Your voice sounds like... WARBLING...like that.

"And you should never sing again, it's that bad."

When this person said that to me,

I felt like giving up on myself.

All I am is, I'm just a bit different, that's all.

I have a group of great friends who I turn to when things get tough.

I would say that my best friends have definitely been really

supportive in my singing.

Helping me to, um, be brave.

You know, we've been best friends ever since

we were three months old, I think.

Persia means so much to me. As does Jack and Sal.

And we've always been there for each other

People think, you know, well, she's an opera singer, so she's weird.

How does this make you feel?

It just really hurts and...even if they're jealous,

they shouldn't really be doing it, and it really hurts my feelings.

-Just ignore it.

-Hmm.

-And if you...if it does...

I do that, but it just carries on.

No, if you react, they will get a kick out of it.

And they will, you know...

They get under your skin, then you start feeling upset,

then they see you getting upset

and they make fun of that as well.

Don't give up on your singing.

You have a lovely voice and someday you will be professional.

I just love you so much, and I just, you know,

I'm really going to miss you when I move to London.

ALL: Friends forever!

Our flat is almost packed up, and we're nearly ready for the big move.

Now my seven years of primary school are coming to an end,

and it's time to say goodbye to all my classmates.

The reason that we're doing our autograph books is because

we are all leaving primary school and year six.

Look behind you, look what Georgia wrote.

-"Persia is moving to London." And then I wrote a sad face.

-Awww!

Persia has been through some hard times,

and she overcome it by being with her friends and talking to everyone.

I put here, "Remember, believe in yourself

"and be proud of who you are."

And I know you've got the strength in you to be who you are.

And sometimes you won't be like everybody else,

and that doesn't matter because you are you.

I know she'll be others' inspiration.

And she's going to be my inspiration, definitely.

Bye, guys!

Bye, guys!

'I'm going to miss them so much.'

Definitely.

I'm going to start crying now, but I don't want to.

It is moving day today.

I can't wait to move to London.

I'm just so excited to move.

To see my bedroom.

It feels really weird, because my whole life is packed up.

Leeds is coming to an end and London is just the beginning.

I'm going to miss her loads.

I've known her so long that we just... She's like family to me.

I felt really upset when I had to say goodbye to Cat.

I'm really going to miss you, Persia.

I'll miss her probably more than anyone else in the whole world,

because she really means a lot to me.

I'm never really going to see my friends again.

OK.

ALL: Bye! Bye!

-You all right, darling?

-I'm quite upset.

But we're moving on to a new stage, though,

and I'm really excited about that.

-New adventure, we're going to have a new adventure, aren't we?

-Yeah.

CAT MEOWS

-Let's go. Bye, Leeds!

-Come on, Voodoo!

CAT MEOWS

Three hours later, I've cheered up as me,

Mum and Voodoo arrive in London to start our new life together.

I'm really upset that I had to leave Leeds, but now I'm

so excited, and I thought I wouldn't be this excited, but I am.

I'm going to see my bedroom for the first time! Come on!

I wanted a window,

and instead of having one window I've got two!

And I've got a window seat, so that's, like, my dream,

the bestest dream ever, come true, nearly.

This is the home of opera in the UK, and this is why I moved to London.

It's magnificent!

One day, I would like to sing in that building!

That's why we left everyone behind.

But it's not going to be easy.

Are you looking forward to your new school?

Yeah, I'm really, really excited.

Yeah, the thing I'm nervous about is,

you know, being, you know, called names and being, being bullied.

-But I just hope I'll be, like, really popular in school.

-'Persia,

'as long as you keep acting the way the way you're a friend to me,

'you will make loads of friends.'

I've just come back from school and I have had the best day ever!

The thing that I really like about high school

is that there are loads more friends to make.

The main reason that we came to London was for my singing.

And guess what? The recording that I made with

the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra has been sent to some London agents!

Shall I tell you who's heard you sing

when you sang for the Philharmonic?

-Yeah.

-Laura Wright.

-What? Really?!

-Yeah. And do you know what?

-What?

She has invited you to come and meet her.

# ..heart and her soul... #

Laura is an amazing soprano singer, and I'm probably her biggest fan.

Like me, Laura wanted to be a singer when she was young,

and won her first big singing competition when she was 15.

-Hello!

-Hi!

-Good to meet you.

-Good to meet you too.

She loves you and she only just found out a few hours ago

that she was going to meet you, so...

-It's all a big surprise.

-Yeah.

Laura wants to show me her singing secrets.

OK, so you're just going to get everything you're worried about

and you're just going to go like this...WOOO-WOO!

WOO-WOO!

-BRRR!

-BRRR!

-EEE!

-EEE!

-OOOO!

-OOOO!

-BOTH:

-WOOO!

That's it! Beautiful!

But its not quite what I was expecting!

Laura is helping me with one of my favourite opera songs

by Puccini - O Mio Babbino Caro.

# Mi piace, e bello bello. #

Perfect,

but I want you to think about making the whole phrase, so that the words

join up, so that it sounds, instead of sounding a bit disjointed,

it's one phrase together.

# Si, si... #

'Persia has a beautiful voice. She's obviously very talented.'

Change my mind.

# E se l'amassi indarno. #

'She needs to gain as much experience

'as she can with different people,

'which is why I wanted her to come and meet me today,'

to see what it's like behind the scenes.

See that it's a lot of hard work, but also lots of fun too.

# Morei Mor... #

Remember that "morir", that last word.

'Her voice is very developed for someone of her age.'

Quite jealous, to be honest!

-It's been amazing to meet you.

-Thank you.

-You're incredibly talented.

-Thank you.

I'll maybe see you on stage one day, too.

Laura's taught me that you're never too young to start singing.

She's made my hopes higher,

she's made my dreams bigger.

I would love to do what she does.

Laura has really inspired me.

I've had a few auditions, and have now landed my first gig.

And would you believe it? It's back home in Leeds.

I've just been asked to sing for rugby for Leeds Rhinos

in front of 16,000 people!

Oh, my gosh, look at the stadium!

Oh, wow.

You are going to be just up there.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-Facing this way.

-Right in the centre.

I feel absolutely petrified.

I feel this big.

I feel like I'm a flea!

I'm petrified.

This is just a gigantic stadium.

I mean... am I really going to do it?

Tonight, I'll be singing the opera song I rehearsed with Laura.

I have to sing in a foreign language, which is in Italian.

Um, so I have to remember a lot of Italian words,

and I'm so worried that I'm going to mess up.

It's a mega day for Persia. I'm terrified for her!

I just hope I'm going to do Leeds proud.

It definitely does feel like I'm coming home. It's very emotional.

I mean, I cried when I saw my old school yesterday.

And I just wish that, you know, my friends could see me.

I'm so happy that I'm seeing her again.

I can't wait until I see her soon.

It's pretty much all she's wanted to do.

Just sing in front of large numbers of people,

and she's brilliant at it.

I'm really excited.

I know she'll do great, though.

Guys, come on! Squish in!

I'm actually doing it!

Go, Persia!

SHE WARMS UP

MOBILE RINGS

-'Hi, Persia, how are you?'

-I'm all right, Laura.

'I just wanted to say, have a think about

'all those things we talked about in our lesson.'

-Yeah.

-'And you will be absolutely wonderful, I have no doubts.

-'I've got absolute faith in you.'

-Thank you!

Here I go!

I'm going to be out there Soon. I'm so scared.

Hugs, quickly, hugs! Bye!

-ANNOUNCER:

-Persia is an 11-year-old singer from our home turf.

She has big dreams of being an opera star one day,

and tonight she's going to sing in front of the biggest crowd

of her life, so let's hear it for Persia!

APPLAUSE

# O mio babbino caro

# E se l'amassi indarno

# Mi struggo e mi tormento!

# O dio

# Babbo, pieta, pieta! #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

That felt just unbelievably amazing.

I really want to do this for the rest of my life. I just love it.

I am so proud of her, because

she's gone out on that stage and just blown everyone away.

Her voice sounded like an angel

and like a bird, but mixed together,

and it was just amazing. I was just going to cry

This was the absolute best day of my life. Definitely.