A Night At The Opera – Square Chapel Centre for the Arts

A FULL Square Chapel in Halifax greeted its orchestra and guest soprano Sarah Killian for A Night At The Opera.

Conducted by Nicholas Concannon Hodges, the evening opened with what is considered Verdi’s finest show areoverture La forza del destino.

The first of two orchestral items from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin followed: Polonaise Act Three and after the interval Waltz Act Two.

With a soprano waiting in the wings, perhaps we might have Tatiana’s famous letter scene from Act One, but sadly no.

First from Sarah’s enterprising bunch of three arias was S’ul fil dun soffio etesio, a tender little-known air by the Fairy Queen in the final scene of Verdi’s last opera Falstaff.

This was followed by an aria from La Boheme: not one of Mimi’s but her companion Musetta – Quando m’en vo. Mozart’s Figaro finished the selection with Cherubino’s wonderful Non so piu cosa son, which suited Sarah’s voice to perfection.

Excerpts from Phantom Of The Opera then rather oddly finished off the first half of the programme.

The tragic Intermezzo from Puccini’s first great success Manon Lescaut continued the concert with the leaders of the lower strings sections playing beautifully, as did Anita Aslan on her magnificent concert harp.

Dvorak then hit operatic gold with his splendid Act One aria Song To The Moon from Rusalka.

Sarah concluded her second choice of arias with the exquisite Meine Lippen Sie Kussen from Lehar’s Guiditta which brought cheers from the audience before she and the orchestra gave a selection from the musical West Side Story.

Wagner then very properly concluded proceedings with the Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg and very splendid and full-blooded it was.

This made the unannounced Ride Of The Valkyries by Wagner not really needed.

John Pettitt