British soprano Felicity Lott has announced that she is living with terminal cancer, nearly a year after first learning of the illness. The news was revealed in an interview with The Observer published on Sunday, in which the singer spoke openly — and characteristically humorously — about her diagnosis, her career, and her plans for the future.
Lott explained that she discovered she was ill shortly after organizing a charity sale of gowns from her stage wardrobe to raise funds for hospice care in Sussex. “It’s quite ironic, really,” she told The Observer. “When I didn’t know that I was ill, I got in touch with the wonderful chief fundraiser… I thought maybe we could auction them in aid of the hospices. Then, blow me, you get signed up to the hospice yourself.”
The soprano said she still plans to go ahead with the sale, scheduled for October, which will include dresses by Givenchy and Bruce Oldfield collected throughout her career. According to the interview, treatment with steroids has helped her maintain her energy and spirits. “I’m just so happy at the moment. I don’t want anybody to be sad because I’m having a ball,” she said.
Speaking to broadcaster John Wilson for BBC Radio 4’s This Cultural Life, Lott reflected on the unexpected path that led her from a shy childhood in Cheltenham to the world’s leading opera houses.
“It has been amazing,” she said. “I’ve known about being ill for almost a year and, my goodness, it was a shock. But here I am for a bit longer, and I’ve had time to look back and think, ‘Golly, you lucky thing… You’ve met all these wonderful people and had a wonderful life. You’ve been all over the world.’”
Lott, who turned 79 on 8 May, was widely admired for her interpretations of French repertoire, as well as the works of Mozart, Strauss, and German song. After her breakthrough as Pamina in The Magic Flute at the London Coliseum in 1975, she built an international career that included appearances at major opera houses and festivals across Europe.
In 1996, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She also received France’s Légion d’honneur, one of the country’s highest distinctions, in recognition of her contribution to French music and culture.
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