THEY are responsible for putting the pop into opera.

Making opera accessible to the masses has been the major aim of The Opera Boys.

And it has clearly worked. Described as a powerhouse of vocal harmony they have performed more than 1,000 concerts to tens of thousands around the globe.

The Opera Boys combine beautiful, powerful and emotional music with funny, engaging and light-hearted entertainment.

Between them they have performed lead roles on West End and Broadway stages. They have been backing vocalists to some of the world’s biggest superstars including Russell Watson, Robbie Williams, Tom Jones and Elton John.

They have performed at a number of prestigious events including the 10th Anniversary of the world’s most famous cruise ship, Cunard’s superliner Queen Mary 2, and the inaugural voyage of P&O’s largest cruise ship Britannia, launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Now The Opera Boys will be spreading more of their popular brand of opera as they set off on a UK tour which includes The Concorde, Eastleigh (February 2) and Ferneham Hall, Fareham (May 24).

Before they hit the road The Opera Boys – Colin Bryce, Robert Cherry, Richard Colvin and Michael Storrs – spoke to Duncan Eaton.

Q: When did the story of Opera Boys begin and how did you all get together?

A: Two of us worked on a show in 2011 and decided to do something together. We had friends from The Royal Academy of Music and The Royal Welsh College of Music and so we kind of called the best people we knew and built the show around them.

Q: How many countries have you performed in and are there any favourites?

A: We have performed all over the world, but it's always nice to come home and perform in the UK.

Q: What sort of venues do you prefer?

A: Full ones!

Q: Is is difficult to popularise opera and should it be made more accessible to the masses?

A: The classical genre is probably the most demanding genre which does make it difficult, but we try and take the conceived "stuffiness" away from it and have a bit of fun with it. We only tend to perform the well known stuff... A lot of people probably wouldn't want to sit and watch the full opera Turandot but Nessun Dorma, which comes from that opera, is the most famous aria in the world and most people love to listen to it.

Q: Would you like to see more live venues for opera and are schools doing enough to promote this genre of music?

A: We're very lucky that there are a huge number of classical venues around the UK. One of Richard's first jobs after graduating was touring in schools opera where 20 primary schools from around the country learnt the chorus parts for a new opera written by Mervyn Birch and then performed it with the visiting company, so there are opportunities to get involved with opera at a young age.

Q: What are the age group of your audiences?

A: It tends to be 30 and over, but the show is suitable for all ages. We perform everything from well known operatic arias and classical music, to West End numbers and modern day pop so there really is something for everyone.

Q: Where did you train and did you always want to be opera singers?

A: Between us we have trained at The Royal Academy of Music in London and The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, as well as a lot of private tuition for singing and various musical instruments. I'm not sure the goal was necessarily to be opera singers but certainly to have a career within the industry and be able to make a living from performing. Although we're all classically trained, we have worked in many different aspects of the business and performed a wide variety of genres.

Q: Which musicians have inspired you?

A: I think the big one has to be Pavarotti. He was really the person responsible for popularising opera and making it accessible to the general public. Without him I don't think there would be Opera Boys.

Q: Do you enjoy being on the road?

A: We do have a lot of fun touring together. We get on very well together all of the time... well most of the time... I mean, at least some of the time...!!!

Q: How do you relax when you are not on tour?

A: Generally the same way most people do. Some of us are married and have children so family time is always important... and sleep!

Q: What do you think you would have been if you had not been opera singers?

Rob: Maybe an accountant - I like numbers!

Michael: Probably a lawyer like my brother.

Colin: I worked as a cocktail barman in a very high class hotel while I was training and I really enjoyed that. I would love to have my own cocktail bar.

Richard: Prime Minister.

Q: Any ambitions?

A: The real ambition is to carry on making a living doing what we love doing. We're really very lucky to do what we do!

Concorde tickets: 023 8061 3989 or theconcordeclub.com, Ferneham Hall tickets 01329 231942 or fernehamhall.co.uk