Scottish Opera visits Ardrishaig for highlights

Mid Argyll Arts Association were delighted to welcome Scottish Opera’s touring company to Ardrishaig last weekend, writes Fiona Toner.

The last time Scottish Opera visited Ardrishaig was 1991 and such was the enthusiasm for this “Highlights” concert that tickets were sold out weeks ago, while others were placed on a waiting list.

The audience was varied: a young 11-year-old experiencing opera for the first time, along with regular followers of Scottish Opera.

Appearing were 2023/24 associate artist, mezzo-soprano Lea Shaw, along with three of Scottish Opera’s emerging artists – the tenor Shengzhi Ren, soprano Inna Husieva and baritone Ross Cumming.

The touring production’s accompaniment was provided by music director James Longford on piano.

Most of the programme was sung in the original language, the excellent acting skills of the singers allowing the audience to understand the drama of these operatic tales. Skilful set-design by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita must be mentioned too.

The scene is a wedding. Four singers portray the characters, staff and guests. The story is then told through a musical programme, devised by Derek Clark with script by Laura Attridge, of operatic delights.

The music is drawn from more than three centuries of opera, ranging from Mozart’s The Magic Flute to Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, and then to a contemporary 2023 work composed specially for Scottish Opera’s touring company by Emma Jenkins and Toby Hession.

In flagrante opened the second half of the evening. Three government ministers find themselves in a “morning after the night before” situation. Through a variety of arias, duets, trios and quartets, the antics of the wedding guests are revealed.

The Saga of Jenny, from Gershwin’s Lady in the Dark, brought the evening to a close.

Long and enthusiastic applause from the audience ensured a further treat from the singers in their encore, Wrong Note Rag, by Bernstein, which brought the concert to a perfect end!

“Brilliant”, “fantastic”, “what voices!” were just some of the responses to this wonderful evening. Perhaps the most telling: “When are they coming back?” This was a truly magical evening of opera and MAAA is already looking forward to the company’s next visit to Mid Argyll.

The last concert of MAAA’s 40th season is the Tim Kliphuis Trio on Saturday March 23, in Ardrishaig. The association looks forward to welcoming you.