Trini opera stars evoke emotion

Internationally acclaimed Trinidad-born opera singers Neil Latchman and Hyacinth Nicholls created a world of sound that evoked emotions and captivated an attentive audience at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, last Saturday night.

The occasion was the concert My Song Is Hope, presented by the Patrons of Queen’s Hall in continuing celebration of this country’s 50th anniversary of Independence, and as its signature project for 2013.

The event held fast to the producer’s promise of being a “one-of-its-kind” experience, evidenced by the spontaneously joyous reactions from the audience to each item on the playbill.
Opera is not merely singing. Besides the orchestral music, acting and stage presence, interpretation of the music is critical to understanding the genre. 

These elements were established from the opening selection offered by Latchman, Alessandro Scarlatti’s Son Tutta Duolo. Accompanied by accomplished pianist Enrique Ali, he acutely projected the anguish and despair of which the work speaks.

He also treated excerpts from compositions by Donizetti, Verdi, Tosti and Kalman with the same sincerity of purpose. Latchman began his international career in 1997, when he was chosen as the tenor on an international cast to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the life of Maria Callas in London.

Latchman has performed as a soloist at the Barbican Centre, the Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall, the London Palladium and St John’s, Smith Square, amongst other venues. 
At the Wembley Arena he has performed the American Songbook and Broadway repertoire. In 1998 he made his debut with The Orchestral Soloists of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, performing the songs of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.

His versatility as a singer was forcefully demonstrated during a sensitive showcase of T&T folk songs Gone To Glory and Jumbie In The Road, as well as all-time favourites Love is a Many-Splendoured Thing (Sammy Fein), Over The Rainbow (Harold Arlen), If I Loved You and You Will Never Walk Alone (Rodgers and Hammerstein).

Nicholls is a mezzo-soprano who sang with the Lydian Singers and the Southernaires Choir before attending school in England where she majored in opera, with a minor in piano.
She made her entry doing Mon Coeur S’Ouvre a ta Voix from Samson and Delilah, in which her strong, richly-coloured voice hit all the high notes with ease.

Her talent came to the fore later in the programme during glittering renditions of Manning Sherwin’s A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square, He’s Got The Whole World in His Hand, Climb Every Mountain (from The Sound of Music), and an a-capella presentation of Shenandoah. 

Nicholls’ career has included work in education and workshops with various opera companies including the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, English Touring Opera and Pegasus Opera.

In an enchanting duet presentation of John Williams’ If We Were In Love, Latchman and Nicholls were superbly accompanied by Ali on piano and Simon Browne on violin. 
Browne is a much-in-demand musician who teaches and performs at the University of T&T Academy for the Performing Arts.

For the non-operatic selections, the featured performers received commendably gentle accompaniment from the musically gifted 13-member Bishop Anstey Steel Orchestra, conducted by Lorraine Granderson. The members are also part of the school choir and the wind and brass ensemble. The programme’s musical director was classically-trained pianist and singer June Nathaniel.

Neil Latchman

Neil Latchman began his international career in 1997, when he was chosen as the tenor on an international cast to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the life of Maria Callas in London. Latchman has performed as a soloist at the Barbican Centre, the Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall, the London Palladium and St John’s, Smith Square, amongst other venues. 

Hyacinth Nicholls

Hyacinth Nicholls is a mezzo soprano who sang with the Lydian Singers and the Southernaires Choir before attending school in England where she majored in opera, with a minor in piano. She made her entry doing Mon Coeur S’Ouvre a ta Voix from Samson and Delilah, in which her strong, richly-coloured voice hit all the high notes with ease.
Her talent came to the fore later in the programme during glittering renditions of Manning Sherwin’s A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square, He’s Got The Whole World in His Hand, Climb Every Mountain (from The Sound of Music), and an a-capella presentation of Shenandoah.