A question of taste: Mary Hegarty

Mary Hegarty is an opera singer from Ballinlough in Cork. She will be performing at the Clonmel ‘Finding a Voice’ (March 8-11) festival with Capella Lyrica. the choir from CIT Cork School of Music. She also lectures in vocal studies on the degree programmes at the college.
How to be Human by Ruby Wax — I love her funny accessible style and practical suggestions for mindfulness exercises. I find myself laughing out loud.
Has to be The Young Offenders.
Sweeney Todd at English National Opera with Bryn Terfel, Emma Thompson, and my student Molly Lynch. Fantastic music and a masterclass in performance from Emma T.
‘Four Last Songs’ by Richard Strauss, sung by Renee Fleming.
‘La Traviata’ on the record-player at home with Dad, following the musical score. His knowledge and enthusiasm rubbed off on me as I began to understand the emotional power of opera.
A toss up between Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera with Renee fleming in New York and Count Basie in a small jazz club in San Francisco.
Again, it has to be The Young Offenders. Also, Dara O’Briain’s Mock the Week is a regular favourite, wildlife and animal rescue and, recently, a couple of Netflix murder series.
RTÉ 1 and Lyric FM, John Creedon definitely. What are podcasts?
Mozart, Frank Sinatra, and Renee Fleming.
Paul McCartney, I was singing at the Gramaphone Awards in London. We chatted about his Liverpool Oratorio that I had recently premiered in Dublin.
Vienna, the last quarter of the 18th century, great music and opera and I just love the style, fashion, and chocolate torte.
My siblings, we have two sets of twins and a single, Jim. For many years we had a family band named DOUBLE UNIT that played the local dancehall circuit. We had great fun playing support for acts such as Chips, Horslips, the Miami and, dare I say, Gary Glitter!
I really admire the fantastic day-to-day work done by the Cope Foundation for Cork’s special needs community. The arts therapy activities are particularly joyous.
Universal free state healthcare. If I got a second wish it would be to revamp the education system along the Scandinavian model, with no homework or exams!