"Fantastic night at the opera..."
Opera Alba...states its aim is "bringing opera to the people of Scotland and beyond".
This it achieves admirably, and much more.
"Fantastic night at the opera..."
Opera Alba...states its aim is "bringing opera to the people of Scotland and beyond".
This it achieves admirably, and much more.
Lively, accessible, cheerful and sparkling were some of the many appreciative comments from the audience at Thurso Live Music Association`s recent Christmas party concert. OPERA ALBA performed a glorious mixed programme of solos, duets, trios and quartets, setting the festive tone for an evening of great entertainment. The talented pianist, Derek Clark, seamlessly accompanied sopranos Daisy Henderson and Jenny Wilson Best, tenor Adam Magee and baritone Steven Faughey as they held us spellbound, making everyone able to ignore the raging winter blasts outside. A splendid festive treat which left the audience smiling and wishing for more!
Committee member Emma Omand, Thurso Live Music Association, 8th December 2011
Thank you for coming all the way to give us such a delightful evening, everyone loved it. The programme was well balanced - great singing, both ensemble and solo, with fun and a fine rapport with the audience.
Thank you all again for battling through the elements!
Barbara Mayatt,
Thurso Live Music Association, 8th December 2011
“After a fraught day when our regular venue was flooded, Opera Alba was the perfect tonic, easing away the stresses of the day in a local church with a digital piano. Five consummate musicians, all with wide operatic experience, who immediately established a rapport with the audience performing the Brindisi from La Traviata (perhaps we’ll get a reprise when Scottish Opera tour it later in 2012), entertained with a well-selected programme of arias, duets, trios and quartets from opera, operetta and the world of the musical. Highlight followed highlight, but if a choice has to be made, then of special memory would be the Flower Duet from Lakme, Donald Swann’s A Word on My Ear, Scarborough Fair and a rip-roaring I Got Rhythm to close the evening. Thank you Opera Alba! You turned what could have been a disastrous day into a triumph.”
James Munro, Inverness Chamber Music Society, 7th December 2011
(Inverness Music Society's concert on 7th December 2012, relocated from the Town House to St Stephen's Church)
Margaret and I were so delighted that we attended the above.
A lovely location and some wonderful singing. We thought the performers were more at home singing opera than show numbers but, given that they were all opera singers, that was hardly surprising and it suited us fine as we’re opera-fans anyway! Many thanks for a very, very enjoyable night.
Jim & Margaret Lorrain-Smith
Opera Alba open season with a bang
WHAT a welcome start to Newton Stewart and District Music Club’s new season.
Their first programme opened on Sunday at Newton Stewart Cinema with a wonderfully refreshing evening of operatic highlights in a performance by Opera Alba.
Opera Alba, the quartet of Jenny Wilson Best and Daisy Henderson as sopranos, Adam Magee as tenor and Steven Faughey as baritone accompanied superbly by Derek Clark on the piano, aim to bring opera to the people of Scotland and beyond and they certainly gave us a tantalising taste of the variety of music in this genre.
The programme opened with the lively Brindisi from Verdi’s La Traviata, followed by selections from Tchaikovsky, Puccini, Gershwin and Mozart including the charming letter duet and a witty account of Man and Wife from the Magic Flute.
Lovely Women, from Don Giovanni, sung by Steven Faughey with beautifully understated humour also gave us an opportunity to hear pianist Derek Clark’s virtuosity. This versatile ensemble took us through every range of emotion in the varied content of the programme, with amusing and engaging commentaries linking each number.
After the interval the quartet sang the folk song Scarborough Fair in a haunting arrangement by Derek. The second half continued in a relaxed mood with excerpts from lighter and more recent works. There was some audience participation in O Sole mio when Adam Magee invited the audience to join in with the words of a certain well-known ice cream advert. Daisy Henderson sang an unforgettable A Word on my Ear by Flanders and Swann. There were many highlights, including a moving performance of Bring Him Home, from Les Miserables and a memorable To keep My Love Alive from Jenny Wilson best.
A combination of solos, duets and the beautifully blended voices of the full ensemble ensured a thoroughly entertaining evening - with even a little dance routine to the Merry Widow Waltz.
An appreciative audience was delighted by Opera Alba’s encore: Gershwin’s Embraceable You, and I Got Rhythm, and went home very satisfied, many of them humming their favourite tunes.by Christine Job
The Galloway Gazette: Published on Wednesday 12 October 2011
"a wonderful performance at Cromarty last night... I hope you will venture north again in the future to give a concert." Audience member
"Thank you so much for an extraordinary performance on Sunday. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the programme which I must say was a delight.
I thought I wasn't interested in opera, being more involved with traditional music but I was absolutely overwhelmed by the power of your voices in the acoustics of the Stables. All of the pieces you chose to sing were familiar to me but I had never heard them sung live before.
I could feel the tears coming at the Flower Duet and by the time you reached the Pearl fishers, hankies had to come out too. It was so beautiful. You've definitely changed my opinion of opera! And that goes for the other members of staff who had never experienced anything like that before.
So a huge thank you!" Caroline Hewat, Cromarty Arts Trust
Coro Alba at The Stables, Cromarty, 25th September 2011
"After seeing and thoroughly enjoying a performance of "Songs from the Musicals" by Opera Alba in Edinburgh, we thought that it would be a superb idea for our friend Brian's surprise 60th birthday. We were not disappointed. Opera Alba gave a fantastic performance of popular songs from the musicals, especially Les Miserables which was a particular favourite of his. EVERYONE thoroughly enjoyed it and Brian said that it had been "the best day of his life." Denise Burgin, Solsgirth House, Dollar
"Sunday July 18th, Solsgirth House was my surprise 60th birthday. I was so sorry I didn't get a chance to come and say how much I enjoyed your performance. Opera Alba was a gift to me from everyone at my birthday lunch. Not only did I think you were so amazing, all my friends did too. Les Miserables, fantastic, brought a tear to my eye. Daisy, thank you so much, it truly was a great day." Brian Devlin, 60
"I am overwhelmed with the amount of cards we have received, thanking us for a lovely day. In every card Opera Alba have been mentioned and our guests can't praise you enough. Thanks for making the service extra special. The Deacon has also contacted me to say it's been the highlight of his diaconate. Thank you, Daisy, for spending so much of your time helping me decide what music to choose and for all your input over and above what anyone would require. The service wouldn't have been the same without Opera Alba."
Anne Marie and Stephen Kerr on the occasion of their wedding, 28th May 2010
"I contacted Opera Alba after a recommendation as I was looking to put on a West End musical night at Williamwood Golf Club on the 16th of January. Daisy could not have been more helpful in discussing songs and the running of the evening programme. I have to say that the evening was a huge success and I would have no hesitation in recommending Opera Alba for an enjoyable entertaining evening."
Alistair Campbell, Event Organiser, Williamwood Golf Club
"It was a very happy evening and a most memorable one for us. As the audience left, everyone said how much they had enjoyed the evening and hoped that we would book (Opera Alba) again. What more of an accolade could you wish!"
Dot Kemp, Cramond Kirk Music Committee
Is there a musical equivalent of a chocoholic? If so, there was a fair gathering of such persons in Greyfriars Church last Friday night, whose sumptuous appetites were well satisfied. The occasion? Music in Lanark's latest rich concert delights provided by Opera Alba, the operatic quartet of Daisy Henderson, Jenny Wilson Best (sopranos), Adam Magee (tenor) and Steven Faughey (baritone), magnificently accompanied by Derek Clark on piano.
Tasty morsels from the Opera greats were there to be savoured - Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Puccini and others beside, all presented with polish and panache of the highest order. The varied selection of goodies encompassed passion, sadness, laughter and great amusement (who will forget Flanders & Swann's 'A word on My Ear'). The wonderful flow of the well chosen programme reflected the consummate professionalism of all the performers particularly evident in their beautiful balanced and crisp quartet items. A memorable evening, leaving all musical chocoholics – operaholics? - well and truly satisfied!”
Philip Fox, Lanark and Carluke Choral Union conductor.
"Coming so close to St Andrew's Day, it seemed entirely appropriate that Hawick Music Club's Sunday concert should feature Opera Alba. Attracting a large and appreciative audience, the group of four singers, plus accompanist, offered something for everyone. Whether quartets, duets or solos, the presentation was very slick and professional, with repertoire ranging from the sublime to the comical.
At all times the singers were brilliantly supported by Scottish Opera's Head of Music, Derek Clark. And it was good to hear him on his own in some Schubert waltzes, plus the popular 'Farewell to Stromness', giving everyone the opportunity to admire the new Yamaha digital piano, a recent joint purchase between the Club and Tower Mill Theatre. Of vocal highlights there were many; from the mainly operatic first half, the famous duet from Bizet's 'Pearl Fishers' allowed us to enjoy the well blended voices of Alistair Digges and Steven Faughey. The second half featured a lot of folk songs - Kathryn Hannah's 'Blow the Wind Southerly' showed her voice as its best - but Daisy Henderson's 'finest' moment came in the hilarious Flanders and Swann song about the singer who is tone deaf. With the light-hearted 'Teddy Bears' Picnic', the afternoon was brought to an enjoyable close,
The general concensus was: an excellent afternoon's entertainment in an ideal venue. The audience numbers were very encouraging, so let's hope the Club goes from strength to strength".
Jim Letham
Venue - Hawick Music Club - 29/11/09
"The style of the evening was fine and the
commentary good and appropriate - the performers engage well with their
audience."
"An excellent mix with much to remember..."
For all those looking for a relaxed an light-hearted musical start to the Dundee holiday fortnight, the Tasting Rooms, South Ward Road, last night was the place to be, writes Garry Fraser.
As part of Dundee's Summer Festival, Opera Alba were there to present a mixture of favourites from opera and operetta, sung with a nice informality but with plenty of expertise.
The ensemble, Daisy Henderson (soprano), Jenny Wilson-Best (soprano), John Carlo Bellotti (tenor) and Steven Faughey (baritone) were in fine voice, with admirable backing from pianist Oliver Rundell.
The mix of music was excellent. The opening Brindisi from Verdi's La Traviata was a perfect introduction and the music, some familiar, some not so, flowed on courtesy of Dvorak, Mozart, Bernstein and Puccini, to name but few.
There were many highlights and these included a wonderful Soave sia il Vento from Cosi fan Tutte and the famous quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto.
Any solos were performed with style and skill. but it was the ensemble singing, which Opera Alba are renowned, which gave a small but appreciative audience much to remember.
"Fantastic night at the opera..."
Opera Alba, formed only four months ago, states its aim is "bringing opera to the people of Scotland and beyond".
This it achieves admirably, and much more.
The quartet - tenor John Carlo Bellotti, baritone Steven Faughey and sopranos Daisy Henderson and Heather Stewart (the latter standing in for Jenny Wilson Best) - delivered a fast-moving repertoire.
The evening was off to a lively start with Brindisi from La Traviata, followed by a selection of arias from some of the greatest works of Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Gounod.
Bellotti gave a rumbustious performance of Questa o quella from Rigoletto.
Another highlight was Faughey teaming up with the sopranos in an enchanting rendition of Soave Sia Il Vento from Cosi fan Tutte.
Altogether, a night at the opera to be remembered.
Bringing world class singing to the people of Scotland and beyond
