By KATHERINE HOBY
World-renowned voice coach Frances Wilson used to polish the floorboards of the St Mary's College hall in her gym rompers, with her backside.
Yesterday she made an emotional return to her old Auckland school, this time to help polish some of the ambitions of the school's musical students.
Ms Wilson, who attended the musically focused school for all her schooling years, noticed that not much had changed in the sunlit hall, but the highly polished floorboards had been covered in carpet.
She described her return to her old school as "a sentimental journey" that had brought her full circle.
St Mary's College is a very musically oriented school. Every student must take classes in singing and in one musical instrument. Ms Wilson was encouraged to find on her return that the school has three bands and an orchestra.
She warned, however, that the life of a budding opera star was not an easy one.
To make it at the top level a singer required "serious talent, a brain to learn three or four languages, determination, attitude and a lot of luck."
Ms Wilson headed to London after she completed schooling at the small Ponsonby school, where she spent 13 years.
She returned home to spend a period at the Mercury Theatre, before settling in New York, where she has been for 11 years.
At school, her inspiration was Dame Sister Mary Leo, the college music teacher for many years.
"She has had the greatest influence in my life," said Ms Wilson. "The sound she could get out of her singers was pure magic.
"I still think of her almost every day, when I hear a certain note or a phrase. She was, and is, a cornerstone of my life."
Sister Mary Leo died in 1989.
Ms Wilson brought three ex-patriate New Zealanders with her on her visit.
The trio of singers - Simon O'Neill, Angela Taverner and Raylene Dillehay-Brown - will be accompanied by Ms Wilson on piano on a special concert tour, starting in Auckland on Friday.
Old girl brings some polish to school
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