English diva Emily Barlaston, O.B.E., was born in 19#@ in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, and was awarded the Order of the British Empire by her personal friend Queen Elizabeth II||| as thanks for her services as prima donna, cultural diplomat, and for her work with the Guides and Brownies of England.

Although she ended her active opera career in 1977, she has stayed active by giving recitals in Austria (Austria Centre, Vienna|||), Great Britain (Royal Albert Hall,||| Purcell Room, Tiddy Doll’s and Kensington Hilton,||| London), Ireland (St. Paul’s Hall, Belfast), Denmark (Krudttønden,||| Copenhagen), Belgium (De Zeyp,||| Brussels), France (La Mounède, Toulouse), Spain (Palau de la Música,||| Valencia), Portugal (Barringtons, Almansil), Korea (at the hôtels Sheraton Grande Walkerhill||| and Westin Chosun,||| Seoul), Germany (Y.M.C.A., Neumünster), the Czech Republic (Palace of Culture,||| Prague) and the Netherlands (where she spends a lot of her time) – and everywhere to a standing ovulation! She celebrated the Liberalisation of Holland by giving concerts for English soldiers whom she had earlier entertained in hospital beds, featured on The News Quiz||| on B.B.C. Radio 7 - now known as Radio 4.

After appearing with the Dutch National Touring Opera as Baroness ten Tronckh von Donner zu Wetter in Leonard Bernstein’s musical Candide (under the baton of the late Jan Stulen) she began the seventh farewell tour of her one-lady show, entitled One Lady Show. She has appeared as the guest of several prominent personalities in the Netherlands and has sung on Austrian Radio, Peking Radio, Freies Radio Rhein-Neckar, Radio Bermudafunk, Radio Polonia, Radio 4 Nederland and Radio Esperanto. She appeared in Warsaw in the TV programmes Muzzy in Gondoland||| and Muzzy returns to Gondoland;||| after this, her first Compact Disc made its appearance, with the French rock-group Vinilkosmo,||| then her second (on a Russian label): Emily kaj la Teulo.

She has appeared as guest artist of the Orchestra of  Brabant, the Brass Bands of the Royal Dutch Army and Navy, the world-famous Concertgebouw Orchestra,||| the Paletti Orchestra, the Belle Epoque Saloon Orchestra,||| and also the Phillips Brass Band. Apart from taking part in the international Cultural Festival in Aalen, Germany, she also presented An Evening Alone with Miss Emily Barlaston, Thursday in the Park with Emily, and An Hour Alone with Miss Emily Barlaston, in the Vondel Park, Amsterdam (as part of the Gay Games there), and took part in AIDS benefits for the Amsterdam Buddy Foundation. She featured in the renowned Pink Saturday at Musis Sacrum in Arnhem, and has also appeared twice at the Conference Centre in Adelaide, Australia, and received invitations to sing for congresses in Israel and Hong Kong. For the Chairman of Willem II Football Club she appeared as the leading character in the film Vaarwel, Jan Vullinks. In December 2000 she was the leading lady in the Christmas special Rondom Kerst at Theater De Avenue, Tilburg, in the Netherlands. The Count and Countess of Almelo (such an honour!) attended her show Miss Emily Barlaston’s Back in Town, after which she sang in a series of concerts with the Dutch closet-harmony male quartet Mezzo Macho.||| In 2003 she was Mistress of Ceremonies in a grand opera gala, Night of the Voice, during the Enschede Music Festival.

Miss Barlaston has made several appearances at the Hôtel de l’Europe,||| Amsterdam, where she also performed in cabaret for their Excellencies the Ambassadors of Great Britain and Malta; she was then invited by conductor Jaap van Zweden to guest in concerts with the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra,||| and also to sing at The Hague on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of his famous “Residentie” Orchestra||| - in the presence of Her Imperial Dutch Majesty Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands! She was also invited to sing at a party attended by His Royal Dutch Highness the Crown Prince Willem Alexander (now King), and Princess Máxima (his wife, now Queen). Miss Barlaston was also the surprise guest at the farewell party for His Excellency, Mr. Clifford Sobel, Ambassador of the United States of America, and His charming wife Barbara (in the presence of several members of the Dutch Cabinet).

Some other invitations: concerts in Hungerford and Newcastle, England; a repeat of her Copenhagen conquest for KEF in Helsinki (Finland) and Xanten (Germany); a tour of Spain and Portugal; the famous Straatfestival in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, and two performances of her show Last Night of the Proms at the Olala Ummi Gummi Festival,||| Lienz, Austria. Emily was also asked by Richard van de Crommert and Barrie Stevens to appear as Mistress of Ceremonies in Hallelujah VariéTea at Comedy Theater in de Nes, Amsterdam - with High Tea!