In Memory of Anna Coventina

Name: Anna Coventina Age: 27 Occupation: Opera singer Date of Birth: 21st December, 1978 Place of Birth: Oxfordshire, England Hair: Long, blonde Eyes: Blue Height: 5’6’’ Weight: 112 Ibs Distinguishing Features: A cross is branded into her back. Interests: Music, reading (literature), poetry, fond of good quality champagne, dancing (ballet), swimming Family: Earl Richard Coventina, Father. Countess Teresa Coventina, Mother. Sebastian Coventina, Elder Brother. Seat: 4 A

Background: The Coventina family have deep and powerful roots through English history, and the family has been traced back to the middle of the fifteenth century. They remained a wealthy and devoutly Catholic family even during the religious struggles of the following couple of centuries, and remain so to this day. It was this aristocratic and religious environment that Anna was born into. As such, even as a small child she had an extremely strict upbringing that accorded to the Catholic religion. When she turned five, she was schooled at home with private tutors rather than being sent to a school where she could all too easily be ‘led astray’, and so the constant pressure of having to behave properly and as a good, Catholic child was intense. It would become even more stifling as she grew older, and the urges of a child to run and play came to her, and further into her early teens. Punishments became severe from the almost fanatically religious parents, and Anna became both God and parent fearing. Frequently she would have her hand dragged onto a bible where she would have to swear never to do whatever had displeased them again whilst being flogged to ‘conserve her purity’. Boys and sex weren’t even referred to in conversation to her as she grew up, let alone explained, so she was completely mystified as to why her parents were so furious at seeing one of the young male servants kiss her playfully on the lips on her fifteenth birthday. Later that night, she was both terrified and confused when she was told to strip for her punishment. Held down against a table, the sign of the cross was burned into her lower back with a red hot brand, so she would remember her sins forever, and never displease God or her parents again.

It was her music tutor who lived on the Coventina estate that usually held her when she was crying from her punishments. He had always failed to understand how parents could be so harsh on a girl who was just a child. Anna had been educated well throughout her young life, and in all the areas a young lady of her station would be expected to excel in. Her music tutor, Andrew, who had taken on the part of being the real father figure in her life, had taught her well in all areas of music theory, but had pressed her most in her vocal training. He had heard a beauty and purity in the voice that he had really enjoyed listening to even when she was a child, and so he had trained her voice properly, as he had done with other young singers for years. He knew he had a real voice on his hands, and only ever encouraged her with smiles and praise to work harder with him on it, and was pleased that she could find comfort and pleasure in her music despite her family life. At seventeen she told her parents that rather than leave for university the following year, she had decided that she would remain to be trained further in music by Andrew. They took this to be a sign that she had made a decision of family over education and career, and despite not even having explained things like sex and men to her, they arranged for her to marry the son of a friend once she had turned eighteen. Anna was swept up in all the arrangements, bewildered and confused as to what was even going on...all she knew was that she was supposed to marry Robert, and that if she didn’t she’d displease her parents, something she had learnt to fear more than anything.

It was on the actual morning of the wedding, Anna sitting in her wedding dress and waiting for the ceremony, that Andrew came to her room. He took her hands and told her he’d had enough of this silliness and was going to take control of the situation. He had a friend who ran a conservatoire in Vienna for hopeful opera singers, and that she had a place waiting for her there. He thought it would be good both for her and her voice to do it. There would be no more talk of this despicable wedding, and he’d already packed her things so she could go immediately without having to face the wrath of her parents. She took him up on the offer without hesitation, a weight lifted off of her shoulders. She loved Vienna, and for every step forward she took as a singer under the talented teachers of the conservatoire, she also took a step forward as a person. She smiled warmly and easily, enjoyed the relaxed streets and waterways of Vienna, and quite simply flourished in her new found independence and beautiful new home. Anna found her first job quickly after leaving her studies, joining the chorus of an opera company. It wasn’t long before she was brought forward for more central parts in the operas, sometimes the boys with her petite frame, and sometimes the lesser heroines, made more popular by the ballet training she’d undertaken. The pure and easy soprano voice soon earned her the leading rolls in many productions, and with her career well and truly taking off, so was the demand for her. It was both the pretty and warm smile as well as her clearly upperclass English accent that earned her the nickname ‘The English Rose’ both on the stage and off as her popularity grew. She was one of the few opera singers that gained recognition both in and out of the classical music circle, thanks to favourable media coverage of her career back home in England, and record companies taking the opportunity to release compilation CDs of her singing. It was as part of a kind of culture exchange that she went to Tokyo to perform and teach some opera, and they in return had sent some of their favoured performers to Europe to teach about their own styles. It was on leaving that experience to visit a friend in Seattle for a couple of weeks that she went missing with the plane.

Personality: Warm, kind and generous, there isn’t anything that Anna wouldn’t do for a friend or anyone who needed help or just a shoulder to cry on. She smiles often now, a relaxed and warm smile that makes her seem like nothing but the most genuine and sincere of people. Despite being innocent in many areas of her life due to her strict upbringing and continued practice of the Catholic faith, she is by no means naïve. Whilst enjoying the beauty of the towns and places around her wherever her work would have her travel, she was always focussed and professional whilst working. Even though many complimented her on her looks and figure, her innocent and pretty smile itself being one of the things leading to her nickname ‘The English Rose’, she has become obsessive about her weight, rarely eating anything more than a few light bites at a time due to a paranoia about her figure. She remains calm and gentle through most things, even when under pressure, but is also a deeply passionate person, the emotion going mostly into her performance. She will always try to get on with most people, and it is rare to hear an angry word from her in public. Anna is still a devout Catholic, and in many ways, God fearing. She tries to live her life as any good Catholic would. Whilst she enjoys a glass of good quality champagne and red wine, she doesn’t drink anything else...her relationships with men remain pure...she prays daily and attends confession and communion regularly...she donates to charity generously every month...and she truly follows the advice of treating others as she would like to be treated.

Player's Contact: K