Classics 40th performance is a show stopper
THE Classics at the Castle team is pleased to announce their exciting Sunday summer concert on Sunday December 3 at 3pm,
Opera Found – a show that won a Standard Bank Encore Ovation award at the NAF in Grahamstown in July.
Originally, the Port Alfred show scheduled for August 20 had to be postponed owing to the soprano’s ill-health – but now she’s in fine voice again and raring to go.
Soprano Emma Farquharson and her accompanist, Garreth Robertson, are the two talented young musicians who will be on stage for the 40th Classic at the Castle performance.
Farquharson s love of and fascination with the human voice continues to drive her from stage to stage. Just 22 years old with accolades from her school in choral music, she now holds eight tertiary scholarships, four in recognition of her performance achievements, a partial bursary from the Southern African Music Rights Organisation, Samro and a prize at this year’s Grahamstown Music Competition.
Opera Found, Emma’s solo debut in this year’s Arts Festival, comprises operatic and classical arias, German art songs, operetta and Spanish folk songs. In her three years at Rhodes University Music Department, she has thoroughly enjoyed being the student of vocal coach-technician and international soprano, Jo-Nette Le Kay.
“The reason I named the show Opera Found, was firstly because, as a little girl, I hated opera. It was only through years of classical choral training (which I loved), and coming to RU and Miss Jo, that I began to appreciate opera, and then sing it,” Farquharson said.
“I just marvelled at how my voice began to change with all the weird exercises I was made to do, and by how I moved from being a lyric soprano, to a soubrette, to a [now] coloratura in-the-making. Also, the Opera pieces in my programme are scattered, hence the notion of finding’ opera.”
Robertson comes from East London and is a teacher at DSG and an honours student and accompanist at Rhodes University Music Department.
Tickets are R80 and are on sale now at KNA Port Alfred. Out-of-towners please call (046) 624-2036. The price includes a programme and welcome drink. Inquiries: 082-456-7437
“We are looking forward to seeing local music lovers at our last Classic at the Castle for 2017,” local impresario Sue Gordon said.