BOOK CLUB: No Autographs, Please!

“No Autographs, Please!” by Katherine Wiles is a really absorbing memoir that shows us the life of a performer we rarely hear about — a chorus member. The author, Katherine, has been in the chorus at Opera Australia for over 15 years.

In popular myth, if you’re in the chorus, you’re either waiting for your chance to step forward and be a “Star”, or you’re “Just Not Good Enough”. Wiles shows very clearly that neither is true. That people choose to work in the chorus for a variety of reasons, and that it’s a valid and satisfying career choice.

Wiles came to her singing career relatively late, commencing her studies in her late twenties and her career shortly after. She’s worked all over the world, though primarily in Australia, and in a wide variety of roles. Working in the chorus has given Wiles security and stability, while also exposing her to a variety of operas and many performers — some very well-known.

This memoir is focused almost entirely on her work in the chorus, painting a vivid and detailed picture of what life is like for the permanent chorus at Opera Australia. Wiles has clearly enjoyed much of her career, and that comes across in a memoir that’s fun to read. She knows that many people dismiss what the chorus does, and here she highlights not just how hard their work can be, but how important it is.

I found the detailed descriptions of processes – such as rehearsals or costume fittings – really interesting. Wiles enlivens the descriptions further with personal anecdotes, but I was fascinated even without them.

Wiles has clearly worked hard to ensure she doesn’t violate anyone else’s privacy. This gives rise to the only area I found a little disappointing: I would have liked to know more about the people she works with. Not just the big names; it would be interesting to know how you navigate working with someone you dislike in situations where you’re doing things like undressing in front of them. Or the interactions between “the star” and the chorus, or front of house staff… you get the idea.

In fact, my only reservations about this memoir are the areas where I wanted more. Wiles is clearly intelligent, in the later years of her career, and an union representative. I would have been interested to hear some of her broader thoughts about her industry.

This could have been twice as long and would still have held my attention. It’s a well written memoir that will engage most readers, and which gives insight into a world most of us are aware of, but don’t really understand. I thought it was great.

A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading No Autographs, Please! by Katherine Wiles. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.

Lorraine

I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember, and I love sharing that joy.

I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, across all genres. There’s not much I won’t at least try. I’ve been an enthusiastic book reviewer for years. I particularly enjoy discovering writers new to me, and sharing good writing with others.

My career has included time spent writing and editing technical documents, but it’s fiction that really moves me. I’ve reviewed for a number of different outlets over the years, and have been a judge in literary competitions.

I’m now raising little bookworms of my own, which brings a whole new kind of joy to sharing books.

More of my reviews can be found on my review blog www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog .