After an evening of song recitals from Soprano Rachael Wheatley and Pianist Ingrid Sawers, I left late, feeling very chilled out. The depleted audience number did nothing to effect the accomplished and focused performance given by the two musicians and didn’t do justice to their easy manner and enviable skills. By tactfully losing the boundary between audience and performer for the night, Rachael’s helpful explanations and introductions to her songs made the whole thing feel more like an intimate performance rather than just a slim turn out.
Both Ingrid and Rachael sailed us through a wonderfully seductive selection of tunes, all modelled on an aspect of the night or dreams, including the likes of ‘Oh sleep why dost thou leave me’ by Handel through to the lullaby ‘The little Horses’ arranged by Copland. A beautiful repertoire, it brought out the best in Racheal’s practised voice as she soared from French to German,Italian and English, entertaining us with sorrowful operatic pieces such as ‘Mien Liebster Singt’ and the short and sweet ’Berceuse’ lullaby. Her strong, vibrato tones swept through this variety with peaceful ease and honed skill.
Although at times her breathing could be a little heavy and her intense pronunciation stole away from the emotion of the words, Rachael’s voice, on the whole, created the peaceful atmosphere needed for these songs and was supported by the proficient Ingrid Sawers, who kept the show pacy. Delivering exactly what was promised, both of the performers hit the mark in this enjoyable late night song recital.
