Opera singer Sarah Brightman training 16 hours a day for space concert

Opera singer Sarah Brightman has revealed she is training 16 hours a day as part of her mission to perform in space. The English-born soprano is enduring the gruelling regime, which includes four hours a day of Russian lessons, at Star City, the top space training facility in Moscow Oblast. Failure is not an option for Ms Brightman, who is tested once a week in a verbal exam on topics ranging from what happens on a Soyuz control panel to the life support system alarms.

It’s like conducting an orchestra or performing a show. If you are conducting an orchestra you can’t just understand a bit of it and a few notes here and there. You have to understand the whole thing from A-Z.

Sarah Brightman, in an interview with The Sunday Times

Ms Brightman is expected to take part in a tourist flight to the International Space Station later this year. The Cats and Phantom of the Opera star said Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has emailed her tips on singing in space. Col Hadfield became a viral sensation in 2013 after performing David Bowie’s Space Oddity from the International Space Station. She said her training as a dancer and singer left her well prepared for the physical challenges of living in space.

Entertainment