It was lovely to get back to Dewsbury Town Hall for one of their lunchtime concerts. It is like going to a gig at the village fete or the WI, with home-made soup, sandwiches and cake, followed by a presentation. Instead for a ‘humorous’ speech from the vicar, however, we were treated to a trio of performers with links to Opera North, which was far more inviting. There was no chance of a rain intervention either.
The event was originally billed as A Tenor, a Soprano and Piano but Dafydd Jones had been replaced by Dominic Sedgwick, hence the amendment. I am sure that Mr Jones is excellent, Opera North never book anyone who isn’t, but I must admit to preferring the lower register to add a bit of warmth to the proceedings. Mr Sedgwick is currently appearing as Sid in Opera North’s production of Albert Herring, being one of their featured young artists. The soprano was Bibi Heal, who I remember first seeing perform in County Arcade in Leeds Victoria Quarter as part of Purple Tuesday, much to the surprise of shoppers and passers-by. She has recently been touring with her Song Surgery in which she writes prescriptions for the audience for music she feels will make them feel better. Heal by name, heal by nature then. The pianist was Opera North’s very own Annette Saunders.
Annette Saunders, Bibi Heal and Dominic Sedgwick
First things first, as it was blowing a nithering wind outside, I sampled the contents of the soup cauldron, a very tasty carrot and coriander number, complete with bread roll for three quid and a round of sandwiches, for a very reasonable £2.40 provided the starter and main course.
I must admit to a second visit for a coffee and lemon drizzle cake, well, it would have been rude not to.
The stomach having been catered for, it was time to feed the soul, so I moved from one of the dining tables at the back of the hall to a theatre-style seat on the front row.
Optimistically, the theme of the concert seemed to be springtime, and the amorous feelings which are associated with it. The songs were written by composers as diverse as Brahms, Vaughan Williams and Cole Porter, so something for everyone. There was a handy leaflet with a programme and translations of the foreign language works. As an aside, it never ceases to amaze me that not only do opera singers need amazing voices, they also have to have a sideline in languages, good enough to pass muster for performances in the native countries of the composers. We even had a work sung in Danish.
Another thing which I love about these lunchtime concerts is that they are very intimate and, as they are sung by those who appear in operas, the works are as much performed as sung, a point illustrated by Ms Heal in the first work by Brahms, ‘Wie komm’ ich denn zur Tür herein’. The frustration on her face added to the humour of the words, which deal with a woman’s efforts to lure a total numpty to her bedroom, without her mother finding out. He must have been hotter than a ghost chilli because he certainly wasn’t the sharpest knife in the block. The lyrics were a series of stupid questions asked by the chap, with the obvious answers provided by the woman – such as; How do I get through your door? Grab the ring and pull the latch; through to How shall I get up the stairs? Carry your shoes in your hand and sneak quietly along the wall. Thankfully the song concluded on the landing as I hate to think what instructions he would have needed when they started getting jiggy with it! There followed a trio of songs by Schubert, sung either as solos or duets. Their voices complimented each other perfectly.
Other odd subjects included a couple about gardening; The Gardner by Wolf and Schumann’s Ich bin dein baum, about a gardener who was besotted by a particular tree. I am sure he will be buying it a Valentine’s card saying I Love Yew.
More familiar songs closed the show with O Mistress Mine by Finzi, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square from Sherwin and, as a finale, Cole Porter’s I Love Paris.
All in all, this was a wonderful hour-long lunchtime concert showcasing three enormous talents in a setting perfect for the occasion.
For more details of the Kirklees Concert Season, which includes these lunchtime sessions, please go to https://www.operanorth.co.uk/event-tag/kirklees-concert-season/
For all of Opera North’s coming programme it is https://www.operanorth.co.uk/
For all events at Kirklees Town Halls the link is https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/town-halls/events-and-shows.aspx
All photographs by Stan Graham except feature image by Tom Arber.
Tyke It To The Limit 