He's got his mum's lungs: Opera star Natasha Marsh introduces three-week-old son Harley

By Laura Collins, Mail on Sunday Feature Writer
Updated:


He is the image of contentment, cradled in his mother’s arms, as opera singer Natasha Marsh introduces him to the world.

Three-week-old Harley William is the first child for the singing star and her husband of two years, composer Dobs Vye.

But, however peaceful the pose, Natasha, 32, admits that her son appears to have inherited his mother’s lungs.

Natasha Marsh

Natasha Marsh cuddles her three-week-old son Harley

‘With Harley in the house I have some serious competition on that front,’ joked Natasha at her family home in Buckinghamshire.

‘He responds really positively to music. He loves having lullabies sung softly really close to his face. But my goodness, he can put his lungs to full use.’

Harley was born at Wycombe General Hospital at 4am on December 17.

‘It’s a cliche, I know, but having a baby is just life-changing,’ says Natasha. ‘It’s amazing and wonderful.’

The question of Harley’s name was a point of contention between the the couple.

Brecon-born Natasha reveals: ‘Dobs suggested it and fell in love with the name straight away but I wasn’t keen, perhaps because of the Harley Davidson associations.

‘I just wasn’t convinced, but then Dobs wrote me an email giving ten reasons why it was the one and he won me over. But I did want a more traditional middle name for him, hence William, which is a family name.’

Classically trained Natasha rose to fame two years ago when she was signed by EMI. Her debut album, Amour, went to the top of the classical music charts and was nominated for a Classical Brit Award in 2008.

Natasha Marsh

Little voice: Harley takes a bow with Natasha and father Dobs

Last summer, she was chosen by ITV Sport as the voice of Euro 2008, singing Queen Of The Night from Mozart’s Magic Flute.

Natasha will embark on her first headlining tour in March and admits the prospect of touring with a tiny baby is daunting.

‘We’re going to load up the car with all Harley’s stuff and do it as a family,’ she says. ‘It’ll take us from Portsmouth to Inverness so Harley will be a very well travelled baby by the end of it.

‘But I’m wondering how we’ll fit performing around feeding. He’s proving a very hungry little boy. I imagined he could be in the wings and I’d rush off and feed him but I think he’ll have to be as far away from the stage as possible.

‘Given the strength of his lungs, I’m not sure I could take the competition.’


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