My Life with Gheorghe Palcu: 'When I'm not working in Spar I am rehearsing for operas'

Gheorghe Palcu works in Spar by Day, Opera Singer by night, on MacCurtain Street, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan

For the most part I am just like any other convenience store worker, with the exception of one detail customers might find surprising.

During my 11 years in Spar on MacCurtain St in Cork city, I have served thousands of people. What the majority of them don’t realise is that I moonlight as an opera singer. People might ask what has kept me in Spar for such a long time. The truth is, as a multilingual speaker, there are plenty of other jobs available to me. However, my boss, Willie O’Brien, is really supportive and gives me the flexibility I need to pursue my dream.

Being a full-time singer is something I have craved from childhood. I come from a humble family who weren’t able to afford to send me to music school as a child.

Growing up in Romania, my teacher was one of the first people to notice I had a talent for singing. At five years old, I was imitating the singers of the day in Romania. Nobody ever imagined back then that this path would lead me to opera.

At around 17, I benefited from professional training where I learned about the tools required to excel in the industry, including the correct breathing techniques. I was lucky to have a really good teacher.

I moved to Italy as an adult to pursue music while learning another language. At 35, I was devastated to learn that I had been ill-advised about my career path. A music teacher had told me I was a tenor when my voice was more suited to that of a bass-baritone. It meant I had to start from the very beginning again.

Gheorghe Palcu works in Spar by Day, Opera Singer by night, on MacCurtain Street, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan

After moving to Ireland to learn English, I applied to work in Spar. My manager, Willie, knew about my passion for opera, but it was only later on that he came to realise how serious I was about this dream.

My first operatic role in Cork was in the chorus of Faust, starring Cara O’Sullivan, who has since passed away. It was staged in the Everyman Theatre, which is only across the road from the Spar shop I work in.

Willie allows me enough holiday time to accept the gigs I secure abroad. Since beginning work in Willie’s shop, I have performed all over Europe. I relish any opportunities that come my way. No challenge is insurmountable. I even performed an opera in Maltese despite not speaking the language.

My roles have included Leporello in Don Giovanni at Baugé Opera Festival in France, Don Pasquale from Don Pasquale in Luxembourg, the Lord of the Garden from The Rest Is Dust at Agatha’s Auditorium in Rabat, Malta, and Seneca from The Coronation of Poppea at the Cockpit and Arcola theatres in London, to name but a few.

Willie also introduced me to the conductor of East Cork Choral Society, Colin Nicholls, who opened a lot of doors for me in Cork.

When I’m not working in Spar or on stage, I am rehearsing at home.

I have to plan my days very carefully because I also need to rest a little bit after work. Whether I’m working in the morning or in the afternoon, I’ll always try to allocate at least two hours to singing.

The neighbours have been great. One tells me she doesn’t care about hearing me sing because she loves my voice so much. The other insists she never hears me, so I don’t have to worry.

I never start before 9am because it’s not fair on the neighbours and it’s bad for the body.

A lot of people fail to realise the level of training that goes into opera. I once had a colleague from Chile who wanted to learn how to sing. When I showed them the techniques, they couldn’t believe how difficult it is. The truth is, it requires as much stamina as any sport.

Going from one job to the other requires a certain kind of mentality. In my job in Spar, you are dealing with certain situations that you have to leave behind when performing. I have difficult days, for sure.

The starkest example of this was being assaulted at work. A customer came in drunk and threw a bottle at me. I turned around as somebody called my name, so the bottle only hit my back. It was a very frightening experience that left me shaking uncontrollably.

Gheorghe Palcu works in Spar by Day, Opera Singer by night, on MacCurtain Street, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan

It doesn’t matter what happens because the show must go on, and I still perform.

The good thing about being a bass-baritone is I never have to give up on my dream. I can keep singing until I’m 80 or 90. One of the more famous roles is the father in Rossini’s Cinderella, which is a popular Italian comic opera.

He is one of a number of characters who really have no age limit. I have seen colleagues in Spar who went on to achieve their dreams because our manager, Willie, has given them the freedom to do that.

I can only hope this perseverance will one day pay off for me too.