Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
When he's not tracking the economy, Gyles Beckford is most likely listening to an aria or three.
Wellington Opera is about to stage Puccini's Tosca, Beckford's favourite.
In anticipation of the performance (featuring New Zealand opera stars Madeleine Pierard, Jared Holt and Teddy Tahu Rhodes) and also an eye towards its annual Settling the Score survey of classical favourites, RNZ Concert invited Beckford across from the radio station next door to share the love.
He spoke with Bryan Crump about his early exposure to classical music (despite one of his first records being a recording of the Coronation Street TV theme), entering into a rich tradition of school singing as he grew up in Liverpool, and being taken away from all that at the age of twelve when his mother moved to small-city New Zealand with her two sons after the death of his father.
Despite that, Beckford chose to remain in New Zealand once he was old enough to leave.
Thanks to the wonders of recording technology, you don't have to move to the northern hemisphere to enjoy a good sing.
Beckford chose three of his favourite recordings to play on RNZ Concert to help put his case for Tosca being the world's best opera.
First "Vissi d'arte", Tosca's big number as sung by Maria Callas (she puts her whole body into it). Madelaine Pierard will sing this in the Wellington Opera production.
Beckford loves the German tenor Jonas Kaufmann's version of "E Lucevan le stelle", sung by Tosca's love interest, Cavaradossi. Jared Holt will sing this in Wellington.
And Beckford can't go past Bryn Terfel's portrayal of the ultimate bad guy Scarpia, in the thundering "Te Deum" that rounds off the opera's first act. In Wellington, it'll be Teddy Tahu Rhodes who gets to sing "Tosca, you make me forget God".
Tosca possibly makes Beckford forget economics.
Does Beckford still sing? What happened after his voice broke? Beckford replies he has a bass-baritone that goes down well in the shower.
And despite having happily settled for life in New Zealand, does Beckford take advantage of those overseas business trips to nip across to Covent Garden, or Bayreuth?
Well, Beckford's not such a Wagner fan. And anyway, he prefers to make his opera pilgrimages much closer to home. The annual singing school at the Whanganui Opera House does just nicely, well worth a trip from his base in Wellington.
He might also nip up to Auckland for NZ Opera's production of Verdi's Rigoletto later this month.
Gyles Beckford may not be a professional musician, but he certainly knows the score. On the "day job" with a sextet of fellow journalists pouring over the Panama Papers. Photo: RNZ / Jeremy Brick
Because these days, the standard of singing in Aotearoa is pretty good anyway.
Wellington Opera is putting on three performances of Tosca on 11, 13 and 15 September.
Beckford has already booked his seats.
