The Last Night of the Proms
Willoughby Symphony The Concourse, December 5 2021
It’s none too easy to get to the UK at present so it was great to have England transported to Chatswood for the Last Night of the Proms, an annual event until Covid – we even got the English weather!
Rossini’s Thieving Magpie overture starts with a Ceremonial March but then follow catchy tuneful episodes particularly for the woodwind section – a great introduction.
Zadok the Priest was written by Handel for the Coronation of George II and has been played at every Coronation since – it is a very mature work for it’s time and was beautifully performed by the Willoughby Symphony Choir – no wonder that Prince Frederik chose it for his wedding to “Our Mary”.
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ music is as English as Yorkshire pudding – his Serenade to Music takes its text from Act V of Merchant of Venice in which the soothing virtues of music are extolled – very suitable for the members of Pacific Opera.
Jacqueline Dark’s entrance for her rendition of Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen was reminiscent of Shirley Bassey – I think she would have “worked the floor” had the surroundings been more conducive! A great voice and very appropriate for the operatic nature of the work.
Eric Coates is an underrated composer – he had the ability to portray accurately the film or production that he was writing for, and none more so than in the Dambusters March. I remember being one of a hundred school kids cheering their heads off as the dams collapsed – other composers of film music pale by comparison.
A Regular Royal Queen from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers was performed in a very accurate portrayal of the Folderol style for which it was written. Great fun, and four members of Pacific Opera really rose to the occasion as did the make-up artists.
It was about here that the spirit of the Proms really took hold with unfurling of Union Jacks and raucous cheering. Jacqueline sang her tour de force Climb Every Mountain and no Last Night would be complete without Henry Wood’s Sea Shanty Fantasia – the hornpipe had an unusual Chinese Block accompaniment which engendered rhythmic clapping by the whole audience and some outside as well.
Emotions changed abruptly for Hubert Parry’s Jerusalem and there was scarcely a dry eye in the house, until we were brought back to earth with the traditional Land of Hope and Glory in which Elgar displays his, dare I say, Jingoism in no uncertain terms.
Both the Willoughby Choir and Pacific Opera were excellent, Jacqueline Dark was at her ebullient best. Guy Noble conducted an Orchestra which as I have said before is now of very high standard. He also proved to be an excellent compère for this specific occasion engaging superbly with the audience. He ended by singing a satirical version of Ruler of the Queen’s Navy in which even Barnaby Joyce got a mention! An exhilarating evening.
