This was an extraordinary afternoon, given the title 'Dundee Singing Day'. The Caird Hall is a large performing space with a superb natural acoustic. Dundee is accessible from all parts of Scotland, at least by road and rail. The idea of the day was to bus in hundreds of teenagers from all over Scotland who had been learning this exciting staple of the choral repertoire. They were faced with a full-sized orchestra of students from the RSAMD, under the direction of their Principal, Philip Ledger. Four soloists of international repute stood at the normal location at the edge of the platform in front of the orchestra.
However, instead of gazing out at rows of expectant audience members, the soloists saw before them serried ranks of young faces, all ready to launch into a full performance of a blazing masterpiece. The stalls were packed with choristers. There was a smallish audience upstairs, but that was not the point. The emphasis was on the singing.
And hugely enjoyable it was. All the soloists had sung recently with Scottish Opera, and this must have been an inspiring occasion for them. John Tranter had sung a number of roles in Scotland, while the American tenor Jonathan Welch had sung Pinkerton and Cavarodossi with Scottish Opera and Beethoven's 9th with the SNO.
Jane Eaglen had only sung the Requiem three months earlier, but the circumstances can hardly have been more different, heading a team of starry soloists and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus in the Usher Hall. And Elizabeth Vaughan had previously sung the soprano solo during the early phase of her career, but was here trying out the mezzo part, with great success, as it happened.
A great time was had by all.
© Copyright Opera Scotland 2024
Site by SiteBuddha