Bryn Terfel Delights Audience at the Chan Centre
By EIFION WILLIAMS
VANCOUVER - Opera star Bryn Terfel sang to a sold-out audience at the Chan Centre on the evening of April 12 in a fitting conclusion to the Vancouver Recital Society's season.
The singer, ably supported by pianist Malcolm Martineau, presented his usual wide-ranging program, including songs based on the poems of John Masefield and works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Roger Quilter in the first half of the program, followed by a selection of works by Handel, Mozart, Schubert and Faure in the second half. He concluded the concert with a selection of folk songs from Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
Throughout the performance, Terfel held the audience in the palm of his hand with his incredibly powerful voice and his anecdotes between the musical items. During the encore aria from Don Giovanni he left the stage and sang directly to some female members of the audience. It was a memorable performance, thoroughly enjoyed by the appreciative audience.
Critics also heaped praise on the performance. To quote Lloyd Dykk's review in the Vancouver Sun: "Let's just say that Bryn Terfel is a rare one. And the man has personality to burn, the kind you can't fake. Terfel has a gift for communicating what the words are about, grading his tone beautifully until it matches what he is singing about, nuance for nuance."
After the performance a few members of the Vancouver Welsh Society were invited to meet with the star backstage.
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