Cara O'Sullivan, singing at the RTÉ Farmleigh Proms on Tuesday evening
When Cara O'Sullivan meets anyone who says they saw her sing on the pitch in Cardiff at the last Heineken Cup Final in May she tells them: "I know. I heard you." The voices of more than 60,000 Munster fans singing Stand up and Fight drowned her out during one of the most exciting gigs of her career.
The Cork soprano expects to hear a few more audience members singing along when she takes to the stage on Tuesday night for the RTÉ Farmleigh Proms. More than 10,000 members of the public will watch performances over seven nights, including two children's concerts, in a marquee in a field at Farmleigh, the state guesthouse, next to the Phoenix Park.
The logistics are impressive. Three orchestras, a big band and various artists will all appear in the gigantic marquee over the week. Then there are the instruments, the tuxes and frocks, food and water for the crew and performers during rehearsals and performances and Cara O'Sullivan's own specially-purchased stash of sushi.
"In terms of preparation you try not to sing too much before the night and keep it for the performance. You have to fuel up at the right time. I can't eat at six or seven because the adrenalin kicks in, and adrenalin and dinner don't mix. I adore sushi and around three or four o'clock I'll eat a plate of it to keep me going."
The event is "organised chaos", she says. "The audience always has great expectations. It's a unique venue. It can be damp and humid and it's not great for singers because of the grass." But performing in a field makes for a different experience than a concert hall. "We're effectively singing outdoors. The enthusiasm of the audience is enormous and that's very infectious. It makes for a lovely atmosphere." And the frock? "I'll be wearing Munster red," she says. Catherine Cleary
Cara O'Sullivan sings golden melodies from opera and operetta with bass-baritone John Molloy and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at Farmleigh on July 25th at 8pm. All tickets for the concerts have been allocated by public lottery.