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ARIAS ON ICE, OPERA ANYWHERE,. OXFORD ICE RINK
9:09am Thursday 27th December 2007
he coming together of two art forms - opera singing and ice skating - looks, on paper, a wonderful idea. In reality, this proved to be a somewhat uncomfortable marriage, the two sitting uneasily side by side with little sense of unity. It didn't help that a large section of the audience was clearly there primarily to see the skating, and applauded every jump and every spin - something that is acceptable practice when the skaters are performing to recorded music, but not, surely, when they are performing to live music. The continual outbursts of applause were, I thought, ill-mannered and disrespectful to the singers - who, to their credit, carried on gamely. If Opera Anywhere is to continue with its Arias on Ice project, I would suggest an announcement at the beginning of the evening, politely requesting the audience to save its applause for the end of each number, when it can show its appreciation for both skaters and singers.
None of this, though, negates the quality of the performances from all concerned. The skaters, all members of the Oxford Figure and Free Ice Skating Club, danced with energy and skill. There are clearly some stars in the making here, with many of the skaters already competing - and winning - at national level.
There were some equally impressive performances from the singers. I particularly enjoyed Walking in the Air and Fauré's Pie Jesu, sung with resonance and great musicality by 12-year-old James Allen, Oxfordshire's answer to Aled Jones. Other highlights included Jeremy Vinogradov's powerful rendition of Rossini's Largo al factotum, a beautiful Barcarolle from Vanessa Woodward and Catherine Young, a stylish O Sole Mio by Mike Woodward, and a sensitively sung O Mio Babbino Caro from Amy Webber.
In the Bleak Midwinter was a chance for audience participation, while the skaters appeared in red choir robes, all carrying candle-like lights, and 'snow' fell on the scene to bring the evening to a truly festive finale.
Editor's choice
The Mole and Chicken, Easington, near Thame
One of the pictures on this page gives a good impression of the delights to be enjoyed at the Mole and Chicken on one of those sunny days that now seem as far as can be from our present situation.
Early taste of Christmas wine
Next week is The Oxford Times Wine Club Christmas Tasting and, with just four weeks to go until Christmas Day, it is an excellent opportunity to sample a specially-selected range of wines for the festive season.
Dylan Moran: New Theatre, Oxford
‘I was the first person to discover that if you infected a person with Marmite, he would stand up and bark at the moon.” “Everybody under the age of 35 has the intelligence of raspberry jam.” “Children can hear vegetables hiding.”
Sleeping Beauty, Chipping Norton Theatre
There’s nothing King Couer-de-Loup likes more than a good battle: “We’ll march on King Florizel’s wet and wicked army,” he proclaims. His Queen is not so sure, however. She would rather her husband stayed around: there’s the christening of their daughter Princess Aurora to arrange for a start. And he certainly can’t go out and fight looking like that: “Your chain mail’s got a ladder in it,” she wails.
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