Fran Gregory, 28
Tom and I are both on the opera course at the Royal Academy of Music, in London. One of our most vivid early encounters was when our drama teacher made us walk into the middle of a circle of our peers and act as if we were about to kiss.
It was an exercise that was supposed to break down boundaries and I suppose it did – even if we were absolutely petrified. Music has bonded us ever since.
Tom was looking for a new place when my old housemate moved out, and as we have so much in common, I thought: we’ll live together. Our taste in classical music is reasonably similar and we both love musicals. His current thing is listening to the soundtrack of Lin‑Manuel Miranda’s Mary Poppins film on repeat. We also listen to a lot of Michael Bublé . We sing along together and I harmonise.
Tom Bennett, 28
We do like to sing together in the flat. I started singing Oliver! recently; I put it on Spotify and we hummed along while we were pottering around getting ready.
We usually like the same music – including trashy 90s pop – but I have slightly freaked Fran out with my enjoyment of unusual contemporary composers.
We both understand what life as a vocalist is all about – for example, the significance of getting a cold, and the fact that evening rehearsals mean arriving home late every night.
Before last Christmas, Fran and I were both auditioning for various things and got a few rejections. It’s really helpful to live with someone who appreciates how that makes you feel. It’s nice to have a kindred spirit nearby.
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