Song, Swing and Serendipity
Saturday 15th January 2005
Truro Methodist Church
The finest soloists from across Cornwall and Devon sang in the New Year with a spectacular concert of solos, duets, trios and ensemble pieces that got your toes tapping and chased away the winter blues.
Principal soloists from Duchy Opera were joined by Cornish tenor Gareth Groves who first studied as a boy soprano and later as a baritone with Annabella Waite. In 1998 Gareth left Cornwall to further his musical studies at the University of Cardiff, gaining a Bachelor of Music (Hons) Degree. Whilst in Wales, Gareth also joined the Welsh National Youth Opera and performed as a chorus member and soloist. A freelance Art Administrator and vocal coach, Gareth performs regularly across the south west and most recently performed with the Cheltenham Bach Choir on the tour of Germany under the baton of Steven Jackson.
The concert contained some favourite arias and ensembles from Opera, Music Theatre and Cabaret. Amongst the soloists were the highly acclaimed soprano Suzanne Manuell, whose recent recitals were described as “outstanding and quite superb”. Joining Suzanne was Kay Deeming and Cheryl Brendish, also appearing are John Hobbs and Ben Hoadley, who performed the ever popular ‘PearlFishers’ duet. To complement these accomplished and well known soloists were some of the younger soloists who have joined Duchy Opera recently. Hannah Pascoe, who is already making a name for herself in ‘Kids R Us’, sang songs from West End shows with Grace Vincent and Rachel Stephens from Richard Lander School, who excelled as two of the three genii in Duchy Opera’s production of Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’, performed Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s beautiful Pie Jesu. |
