Some Enchanted Evening

This was an enchanting evening from start to finish and one that really brought home the quality of the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Having never seen (or heard) of this piece before I really didn’t know what to expect, other than the wonderful tunes provided by R & H of course. The production was a fantastic vehicle for BAOS in that it gave members who might not often get the chance to sing solo to do just that and in doing so confirmed the strength in depth of this talented society. The set was simple yet spectacular with the clever camouflage of the two pianos and the white linen backdrop giving ample opportunity to use an array of colourful lighting effects which added greatly to the ambience of the night. Again the costumes in act one were simple but effective and the explosion of colour provided was a major visual masterpiece. In act two the more formal approach to the costumes contrasted well with what had gone before. Reading the programme notes I understand that this piece is written for just five voices, but the way BAOS turned this into an ensemble production was an inspiration and worked very well indeed. There were a few numbers I had not heard before but of course most of the songs are so well known and well-loved that when you settled down in your seat and read the programme you knew you were in for a good night. It would be inappropriate to single out individual numbers as this was undoubtedly an ensemble piece and the inclusion of the dancing element made the evening all the more enjoyable visually. Suffice to say that the quality of singing was consistently good throughout, particularly the ensemble pieces, and it was good to see so many different people given the opportunity to come to the fore. I congratulate BAOS for their choice of autumn production which I suspect was enjoyed as much by the members as it was by the audience.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.