For a while it was hard for me to say no to work.

Everybody's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress. I mean, I've never arrived. I'm still learning all the time.

While it's a fact that a voice begins with natural talent, any talent must be nurtured, cajoled, wrestled with pampered, challenged, and, at every turn, examined.

Every singer eventually gets around to a Christmas disc.

I want to get out of the major opera houses.

I would love to do more private concerts.

At this stage in my career, I don't have to take any big risks. You want to take a calculated risk, not one that leads to people saying 'yes, but there was that one time when she made that big mistake.' It's always a shame when that happens, especially if you've gotten by for decades without anything hugely tragic.