Armidale Symphony and the Armidale Drama and Music Society are gearing up for one of the great cultural events of the year next weekend, August 13 and 14. With an orchestra of more than fifty players, a chorus of over sixty voices and no less than fifteen up-and-coming young opera stars, ‘Another Night at the Opera’ is sure to be a great hit with the city’s lovers of music, drama and spectacle.
Watch these young singers carefully for, in a few years’ time, they will surely be stars on the national and international operatic stage.
Samantha Cobcroft grew up in Armidale and now teaches at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music. Sam is delighted to return to her native city.
“What aspiring singer would not jump at the chance to perform some of Mozart’s greatest music from The Marriage of Figaro, the likes of Visi d’Arte from Puccini’s Tosca, and the glorious trio for female voices from the finale of Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier,” Sam asked The Independent this week.
Tom Moran from Opera Australia and Bethany Shepherd from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music are young opera stars who frequently return to Armidale. “It is a fantastic experience for us,” Tom explained to The Independent. “I mean, to perform iconic pieces like La Donna e Mobile, from Verdi’s Rigoletto and then join Bethany, Stephen Tall and Inge Southcott in the quartet Bella Figlia from the same opera puts us in opera Heaven ”¦ and then I get to sing the immortal E Lucevan le Stelle from Tosca! These are the great, the classic tunes of grand opera and it is a huge privilege to present them to the people of Armidale.
“I might add,” Mr Moran said, “in addition to other favourite solo masterpieces such as Mozart’s Non Piu Andrai, sung by Sam Payne, O my beloved Father sung by Caroline King and Dvorak’s Song to the Moon sung by Kylie Constantine, the show will also present four magnificent operatic choruses. It will start with two great favourites from Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville – the famous Overture and Figaro’s boasting song, Largo al Factotum, sung by Stephen Tall. This will truly be a treat for Armidale music lovers from beginning to end. It is the best of the best from the operatic repertoire.”
The concert will be conducted by maestro Bruce Menzies. There are two performances. A grand ‘Opening Night’ on Saturday, August 13 at 8.00pm will feature a light champagne supper. Patrons to this show are encouraged to dress up to the nines. The Sunday 3.00pm performance will be a family concert. Both shows are at Lazenby Hall at UNE.
