When New Devon Opera (NDO – Devon’s resident professional opera company) was asked by the Dart Music Festival to present an opera concert in Dartmouth on Friday May 11, little did they think that there would be a major last minute hiccup.
On the morning of the concert, the professional tenor soloist, Stuart Boother, woke up voiceless (which happens even at the Royal Opera House!) .....
Panic phone calls started at 6.00 am! NDO’s Administrator, Linda Hughes, said:
“At 7.30 am, I managed to get in touch with a tenor who had sung for us before (the Duke in Rigoletto) - JAMES HEATH. Jim was rehearsing that day with English National Opera – but he managed to get down by train from London, arriving at St Saviours a bare three quarters of an hour before the concert started. Everyone rallied round – even the costume lady who had managed to dig out suitable costumes to fit!
The music Jim had to sing was from three famous operas (Carmen, La Boheme, La Traviata) – arias, duets, ensembles and linking passages. He sang from memory in the original Italian and French (he hadn’t even had time to look at the scores!). But Jim’s acting and singing were so powerful, that it did not matter a jot that the other singers were singing in English!
As always, the audience also rose to the occasion, supporting Jim and the other singers to the hilt with cheers and prolonged applause! Thank you Dartmouth! Thank you Dart Music Festival! And most of all, thank you, Jim, for ‘Fixing It’!”
New Devon Opera will be returning to The Flavel, Dartmouth on 24 and 25th July 2012 for the fourth year, with two performances of Puccini’s fabulous heartbreak opera – Madam Butterfly.
For more information visit http://www.newdevonopera.co.uk/
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Website: http://www.newdevonopera.co.uk/