New heights for Catherine
Garth Wilshere
Pianist Catherine Norton’s Farewell Concert, St Andrew’s on the Terrace, reviewed by Garth Wilshere
PIANIST Catherine Norton will be greatly missed.
The well-known and respected accompanist is off to study at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Singers and organisations she has played for gave their time specially in appreciation for all her work with them, in singing for this fundraising concert.
Catherine demonstrated all of her skills in the wide-ranging repertoire presented by established and emerging singers in a selection chosen by Norton herself to represent some of her favourite pieces.
The selection was excellent, challenging and entertaining.
Lesley Graham and Linden Loader got things off to a great start with Rossini’s intriguing duet La regatta veneziana.
Daniel O’Connor and Craig Beardsworth each sang French repertoire with style and understanding. And staying with French, up-and-coming singer soprano Amelia Berry showed expressive understanding in her two Ravel songs.
A couple of opera ensembles demonstrated where Catherine has frequently worked, with the three singers in the R. Strauss Der Rosenkavalier excerpt making a resounding sound, although in spite of Catherine’s fine playing an orchestra was missed.
The ensemble from Beethoven’s Fidelio brought together four of the singers for another strongly sung excerpt.
We heard several languages: Olga Gryniewicz in passionate Russian, Rose Blake with power and clean English diction in Jenny McLeod’s setting of Tyger, Tyger (William Blake} and Walton’s Old Sir Faulk. David Farquhar’s quirky Princess Alice was nicely done by Frances Moore.
James Adams and Megan Corby did Samuel Barber proud. Brahms, Wolf and Schubert songs sung by various singers all added to the mix.
A fun cabaret element was provided by Corby’s dramatic skill in portraying Song of a Nightclub Proprietress and Beardsworth’s swishing Gershwin offering Just another rhumba.
We wish Catherine Norton every success as she develops and hones her already formidable accompanying skills overseas.
PIANIST Catherine Norton will be greatly missed.
The well-known and respected accompanist is off to study at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Singers and organisations she has played for gave their time specially in appreciation for all her work with them, in singing for this fundraising concert.
Catherine demonstrated all of her skills in the wide-ranging repertoire presented by established and emerging singers in a selection chosen by Norton herself to represent some of her favourite pieces.
The selection was excellent, challenging and entertaining.
Lesley Graham and Linden Loader got things off to a great start with Rossini’s intriguing duet La regatta veneziana.
Daniel O’Connor and Craig Beardsworth each sang French repertoire with style and understanding. And staying with French, up-and-coming singer soprano Amelia Berry showed expressive understanding in her two Ravel songs.
A couple of opera ensembles demonstrated where Catherine has frequently worked, with the three singers in the R. Strauss Der Rosenkavalier excerpt making a resounding sound, although in spite of Catherine’s fine playing an orchestra was missed.
The ensemble from Beethoven’s Fidelio brought together four of the singers for another strongly sung excerpt.
We heard several languages: Olga Gryniewicz in passionate Russian, Rose Blake with power and clean English diction in Jenny McLeod’s setting of Tyger, Tyger (William Blake} and Walton’s Old Sir Faulk. David Farquhar’s quirky Princess Alice was nicely done by Frances Moore.
James Adams and Megan Corby did Samuel Barber proud. Brahms, Wolf and Schubert songs sung by various singers all added to the mix.
A fun cabaret element was provided by Corby’s dramatic skill in portraying Song of a Nightclub Proprietress and Beardsworth’s swishing Gershwin offering Just another rhumba.
We wish Catherine Norton every success as she develops and hones her already formidable accompanying skills overseas.
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