The tale that best sums up how tricky it has been for a dyslexic, English-speaking guy to master the art of opera arose before an England football match.

New kid on the opera block Tony Henry was in the nerve-racking position of delivering a version of the Croatian anthem to Wembley before kick-off in 2008.

He should have sung ‘Mila kuda si planina’ (which roughly means ‘You know my dear how we love your mountains’).

But he instead sang ‘Mila kura si planina’ which can be interpreted as ‘My dear, my penis is a mountain’.

“I didn’t know Croatian, and a slight syllable changed the meaning,” remembers Tony, a working class Brit who grafted as a barman, on building sites and even as a stuntman to fund the stage education which ultimately led to his voice being talent-spotted for opera.

Fortunately the Croatians thought the gaffe hilarious, and their supporters believed it relaxed their players enough to go on to win the match 3-2.

“Croatian fans were calling to embrace me as a mascot!” adds Tony.

Hard-working Tony isn’t likely to make any such mispronunciations again though. Since being picked out of the career he forged in musical theatre on the basis of his particular talent for opera, he has spent eight years honing his voice and education in the genre.

“It took eight years of investing time in opera training. I had to learn the languages – Italian, French, German, Latin, and there are even some arias in Russian – and I am dyslexic!

“But it is so important to me that I must express the lyrics and get that emotion across, so that the audience can enjoy it. You will always have people in the audience who know the language,” says the 53-year-old.

When Tony brings his concert to Chatham’s Britannia Theatre this weekend he hopes to see a mix of opera fans, his own fans and even those who are just curious, coming from all walks of life.

“My background has been anything but privilege, but that teaches you to be resourceful. I am a product of hard work,” says Tony, who has sung at the Royal Albert Hall in renowned classical music promoter Raymond Gubbay’s productions.

Tony adds: “At Sunday’s concert I will be singing pieces people will know, and I hope to earn their respect. I hope they will relax and enjoy two hours of freedom.

Tony will be joined on stage in Medway this weekend by soprano Renée Salewski and classical pianist and singer Paul Eastham.

Renee is a Canadian soprano whose performance experience includes roles with the English Touring Opera, The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, Opera Brava and others. No stranger to Kent, Renee has also lectured in voice and stagecraft at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Paul was classically trained by an ancestor of Beethoven and has shared the bill with the likes of Bryan Adams, Duffy, The Kaiser Chiefs, and Alphabeat.

DETAILS

Tony Henry is at Chatham’s Britannia Theatre on Sunday, August 17 at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £29.95 for the show plus a three-course meal from 7pm, or £15 for the show alone. Visit www.thebritanniakent.com or call 0844 858 6656.