YOU know you have hit interview gold when Ollie Baines from Blake starts singing down the phone to you the words ‘Everybody needs a badger’ to the Neighbours theme tune.

It doesn’t happen every day but today was when the sun shone and the lad from Wiltshire recalled the first time he sang to an audience while at pre-prep school.

He was singing a song written by his music teacher as it was a musical adaptation of Wind in the Willows.

This memorable moment was the launch pad for Ollie Baines who very quickly found himself singing as a chorister at New College Oxford and Winchester Cathedral.

The rest as they say is history.

Recalling this game changing moment, Ollie said: “It was one of the first times I had sung in public.

“It was a pre-prep school and it was a musical of Wind in the Willows written by my then music teacher.

“I think I was playing a fox or a badger and had to sing the song ‘Everybody needs a badger’ to the Neighbours theme tune.

“After it was all over I was asked to stay behind and I thought something was wrong. My sister who was at the same school remembers me singing as the windows in her classroom rattled.

“After that I become a chorister for four years which was very intensive as it had to be combined with rehearsing, singing at the Cathedral and school work.”

Somerset County Gazette:

And Ollie’s story is moving forward as Blake, the multi-platinum, BRIT award winning classical trio, (he is one third of) is celebrating 10 years in showbusiness and will be appearing at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil on May 5.

The classical trio of Ollie Baines, Stephen Bowman and Humphrey Berney will be at the theatre for a concert called ‘Songs of Stage & Screen’ which will include songs such as She, Nessun Dorma, Maria from the musical West Side Story, songs from Phantom of the Opera and a real cross section of other songs to please both young and old.

Speaking about coming to the theatre he said: “The Octagon really is a fun place.

“It is quirky as it is half in the round and we have always had a good time at concerts in Somerset.

“The theatre is always full and the audience is good and we have never had a bad concert there and when I come off stage it makes me realise how much I enjoy what I do.

“I have been singing as a man and a boy and it [singing] means a huge amount to me.

“It is what I do and I really love what I do. For me it is not a job it is a passion.

“It is very important you enjoy what you do.

“To be an entertainer you have to be entertaining otherwise people will see right through you.

“You have to give it all you have and take the audience along with you on the journey.”

  • Tickets for Blake: Songs from Stage & Screen on May 5, are available now, priced at £21.50 and concessions: £20.50.

To book, call the box office on 01935 422884.