CATHERINE Griffiths may be performing for a company called English Touring Opera but she does not have far to travel on Thursday and Friday when singing at York Theatre Royal.

Born in York - Fulford Hospital to be precise - and brought up in Stockton Lane, the mezzo soprano now lives in Scampston, near Malton.

Next week, she will be performing in Johann Strauss's witty 19th century operetta, Die Fledermaus. In doing so, her career comes full circle. "I played trumpet in the orchestra for York Opera, or the City Opera Group as it was known, and when I was 15, we did Die Fledermaus, and it was the first job I got paid for!" says Catherine.

The year was 1982. "I was supposed to be doing my mock O-levels, but my school music teacher, Les Bresnen, was conducting the orchestra, so that's why I could do the show."

Educated at Queen Anne's School, Catherine decided upon a musical future at a young age. "Having a rather fine music teacher meant we were always encouraged to do lots of musical things, both in the vocal and orchestral fields," says Catherine. "I saw Opera North at York doing Rigoletto, I think, when I was about ten, and I knew that singing opera was something I wanted to do."

She studied voice and piano at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester at 18; read education at Manchester University and then returned to her singing studies, under the late, great Johanna Peters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

She joined the Royal Opera chorus at 25 and, now 35, she has played all manner of mezzo parts. "They have a different personality to soprano roles," Catherine says. "Mezzos always say they do witches, bitches and breeches - and I do lots of breeches."

To prove the point, she is playing Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. "Mezzo sopranos do traditionally get plenty of 'trouser' roles, roles that were originally for castrati," she says.

Catherine may be cast as a wealthy, flamboyant, party-throwing Russian prince but playing Orlofsky is not all glamour, glamour, glamour. "I remember being asked to go for a fitting for my 'facial hair'. It turned out I had to go to the London College of Fashion to have my face moulded in Clingfilm and Sellotape - but at least I now have a wonderful twirly-whirly moustache to wear, and an incredible helmet with a huge feather too."

Catherine will be singing again in York later this year, on November 8 at the birthday concert for the Minster's master of music, Philip Moore. Meanwhile, away from her singing career, her duties as church warden in Scampston and her 28 days a year as a tour guide at Scampston Hall, she and husband Neil are raising two-year-old daughter Rosina.

Rosina is named after Catherine's favourite operatic role. "I was singing that role while I was pregnant," she says. "Thank goodness it wasn't now, or I would have had to call her Orlofksy!"

Instead that name has gone to Catherine's latest cockerel, the newly-crowned head of her family of 14 chickens.

English Touring Opera presents Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus on May 1 and 2, then Richard Strauss's Ariadne On Naxos on May 3, at 7.30pm, at York Theatre Royal. Both will be sung in English. Tickets: £9 to £24; ring 01904 623568.

Charles Hutchinson

Updated: 10:32 Friday, April 25, 2003