May 2013
AROUND 90,000 people in the stadium, millions around the world watching on TV and yet it’s still not the biggest gig of Victoria Gray’s career.
On Saturday, the 26-year-old from Bilsthorpe will be singing with her opera group Amore at the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
“I’m really excited about it, especially because we have strong links to football in the group,” says Victoria, who was once of member of Mansfield’s all girl choir Cantamus.
“When Dave was younger he had trials for Plymouth, Monica’s dad is a sports journalist in Scotland and I’m marrying into a footballing family.”
She got engaged last year to Sam Ogrizovic and the couple plan to marry next September.
“His uncle won the FA Cup with Coventry City the year I was born, so doing this is giving me a bit of street cred with the future in-laws,” she jokes.
Amore will be performing two songs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra before the game between Manchester City and Wigan Athletic.
“We’re doing Abide With Me and the National Anthem which should be an amazing moment,” says Victoria, who formed the group while at the Royal College of Music in London.
They signed to the Warner label last year and have since appeared on This Morning, The National Lottery and Sky News and been featured in OK! Magazine.
“We’ll get to the ground at about 11am and have a rehearsal and soundcheck with the orchestra,” she says.
“Then we’ll get ready. I’ll be putting on a glam frock. We are having a meeting about what we’ll be wearing this week. We do get a bit of a say in it.”
She adds with a laugh: “I think I’ll go on in a football shirt.”
If she was allowed it would be a Forest shirt, having seen a few games at the City Ground when she was younger with her dad, a Reds fan.
“It was when there was that guy was playing who they said had a pineapple on his head,” she laughs.
Jason Lee?
“That’s him. I remember the song ‘he’s got a pineapple on his head’.”
Victoria is no football expert.
“I did the blondest thing watching a football match in a pub one time. I think it was an England games and I was trying my best to show I knew what was going on. The opposition score and everyone was shouting and kicking up a fuss. Then a few seconds later they scored again. So, I stood up shouting ‘oh I can’t believe it!’. But no-one else was reacting. It was the replay,” she laughs.
“I still haven’t lived that down with family.”
Although the FA Cup Final will be a huge occasion, her biggest gig to date was performing for the Queen last summer at the Jubilee celebrations.
“It was an immense day although we looked like drowned rats because it was raining all day.
“We were on a boat on the Thames from nine o’clock in the morning. We were all a bit hysterical because we were so cold and so wet.
“We sang Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem in the rain so we were soaked by the time it came to sing the National Anthem to the Queen. Mascara was running down our faces and my hair was a mess. We looked like we’d just stepped out of the shower.”
As well as dates with Katherine Jenkins this summer, Amore will be supporting Russell Watson at Clumber Park on August 18.
The FA Cup Final is on Saturday on ITV1. Kick-off is at 5.15pm.
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