Goodbye Barbara
21/04/2010 1:11:00 p.m.
Barbara Graham Benefit Concert, St Andrew’s-on-The-Terrace, Reviewed by Garth Wilshere
BARBARA Graham is one of the most talented young sopranos on the Wellington scene. She is off to Paris shortly (volcanoes permitting) for her OE and further training. She is ready to go. This recital given by Barbara, friends and family was a fund-raiser for her, but more than that it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Rather than being a random selection of pieces with everyone doing their favourites, obvious thought had gone into the repertoire. Her father, Ian, was a jovial host, introducing each item and performer. Barbara’s singing throughout the afternoon was exemplary finding a different character for each piece. Most successful was “Glitter and be Gay” from Bernstein’s Candide. Having heard her perform this several times now, this was the best!
She performed in two excerpts from Mozart operas she has sung recently, the opening scene from The Marriage of Figaro, with Daniel O’Connor, reprising most successfully their roles from the recent Opera in a Days Bay Garden performances, and with James Adams two duets from Bastien and Bastienne which the two did last year for Boutique Opera. The operatic excerpts were interspersed with some music theatre selections ranging from I’ll see you again from Coward’s Bitter Sweet, done with style by Michael Gray and Frances Moore, to The Song that Goes Like This from Spamalot, sung with great élan by James Adams and Jess Segal. Experienced chanteuse Jane Keller contributed the hilarious Alto’s Lament, and Jess Segal’s Stars and Moon by Jason Robert Brown, while unknown to most people, is by a composer who invites further investigation. Barbara’s mother Lesley, along with Linden Loader and Roger Wilson performed a beautiful Soave sia’il vento from Cosi fan tutte. Joined by Charles Wilson they also did an a cappella Java Jive another audience favourite. The afternoon had three accomplished accompanists, Catherine Norton, Fiona McCabe and Julie Coulson.
The concert finished appropriately with the assembled performers singing Placido al mar from Mozart’s Idomeno. In it the chorus prays for smooth sailing, an apt and fitting way to farewell Barbara.
BARBARA Graham is one of the most talented young sopranos on the Wellington scene. She is off to Paris shortly (volcanoes permitting) for her OE and further training. She is ready to go. This recital given by Barbara, friends and family was a fund-raiser for her, but more than that it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Rather than being a random selection of pieces with everyone doing their favourites, obvious thought had gone into the repertoire. Her father, Ian, was a jovial host, introducing each item and performer. Barbara’s singing throughout the afternoon was exemplary finding a different character for each piece. Most successful was “Glitter and be Gay” from Bernstein’s Candide. Having heard her perform this several times now, this was the best!
She performed in two excerpts from Mozart operas she has sung recently, the opening scene from The Marriage of Figaro, with Daniel O’Connor, reprising most successfully their roles from the recent Opera in a Days Bay Garden performances, and with James Adams two duets from Bastien and Bastienne which the two did last year for Boutique Opera. The operatic excerpts were interspersed with some music theatre selections ranging from I’ll see you again from Coward’s Bitter Sweet, done with style by Michael Gray and Frances Moore, to The Song that Goes Like This from Spamalot, sung with great élan by James Adams and Jess Segal. Experienced chanteuse Jane Keller contributed the hilarious Alto’s Lament, and Jess Segal’s Stars and Moon by Jason Robert Brown, while unknown to most people, is by a composer who invites further investigation. Barbara’s mother Lesley, along with Linden Loader and Roger Wilson performed a beautiful Soave sia’il vento from Cosi fan tutte. Joined by Charles Wilson they also did an a cappella Java Jive another audience favourite. The afternoon had three accomplished accompanists, Catherine Norton, Fiona McCabe and Julie Coulson.
The concert finished appropriately with the assembled performers singing Placido al mar from Mozart’s Idomeno. In it the chorus prays for smooth sailing, an apt and fitting way to farewell Barbara.
