Stage-Door Jeannie, alias Maggi Willis, returns to cast her beady eye over Cardiff Singer 2009. Here, the competitors' performances in the concert and recital rounds get the Frockwatch treatment.
Though the competition is as packed with fine singing, heated debate, laughter and tears as before, in Frockwatch terms we are talking muted. Where are the bright colours, the 'will it stay up' dramas of yesteryear? The watchwords are elegance, simplicity, good taste - but I promise you it is not dull.
Let's get the men over and done with - they went for formal and traditional, with one exception, Octavio Moreno from Mexico. He had shaved his head (so don't be fooled by his publicity shot on his profile page) and chose an 'evening' lounge suit with a handsome black damask waistcoat and matching tie. He reminded me of Goldie, the drum 'n' bass artist whom some of you may remember from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ series Maestro last year. We have no peacocks in the contest this year!
And so to the women....
Colour has grown up this year in Cardiff. There were plenty of neutrals; black & white, chocolate & caramel. Black presents the challenge of being seen against the orchestra but this did not deter. Beyond neutral, the colours divided into two camps - those from nature, like Helen Kearns' evening sky-blue silk, and those of precious stones, like Natalya Romaniw's imperial amethyst. Even glitz and glitter has given way to shimmer.
Styles have been elegant too. No meringues, no trains, just a concentration on flattering lines that do not distract from the vocal lines. Strapless dresses are not recommended for TV because the singer can appear naked in close-up but some softened the effect with simple jewellery. No prints this year either. Details have been muted. Anna Stephany's simple dress had rosettes and ribbons in the same fabric and Dora Rodrigues mixed plain and embroidered fabric in the same grey/pink tones.
The Song Prize presents its own challenges, frockwise. The recitals usually take place in the afternoon when wearing full evening dress can seem a little strange. I particularly liked Claire Meghnagi's simple black off-the-shoulder dress with its fin-de-siècle air and Helen Kearns' uncomplicated dress with a black top and grey skirt.
Being a mezzo, Anna Stephany is well used to playing young men but her grey silk shirt and plain black trousers made me think of The Apprentice. She has the distinction, I think, of being the first woman to wear trousers in the competition.
There were two dresses that certainly got the audiences talking. Ekaterina Shcherbachenko's black satin strapless dress, with its neat bow and diamante buckle, certainly didn't let her blend into the orchestra and Eri Nakamura's soft rose pink satin, draped and laced, was surely inspired by 1920s lingerie. Both made statements but didn't overwhelm the singers' performances.
Mention must be made of Katharine Tier who has certainly developed a theatrical style of her own, on and off stage. If her recital appearance reminded me of Amanda Barrie in Carry on Cleo and her concert outfit of Fenella Fielding in Carry on Screaming, I promise that there the comparisons end. She has real presence on the platform and commands attention with her voice and bearing as well as her frocks.
Regular readers of Frockwatch will know that we are not so trivial as to be obsessed merely by clothes. The way a singer communicates with his or her audience is vital to us too and this competition has seen some great communicators.
Several singers, including Ji-Min Park and Dora Rodrigues, seemed immediately to bond with the audience with repertoire that suited their own style. Both ended their performances with Lehár - is that a clue? Others, like Claire Meghnagi and Vira Slywotzky, seem totally at home on stage and able to take the audience with them.
Etienne Dupuis' Papagena!, when Papageno believes that his rash threat to kill himself may have to be fulfilled, was beautifully tinged with sorrow and the audience responded accordingly. Eri Nakamura inhabited each of her arias, revealing three very different spirited young women and Ekaterina Shcherbachenko is Tatyana, of that there is no doubt.
Some of the singers, including Jan MartinÃk and Giordano Lucà , radiate a sincerity that immediately reaches out and touches the audience's hearts. My favourite? Fernando Javier Radó singing Ella giammai m'amò! brought me, no great Verdi fan, to tears.
So while frocks may have been more restrained, they allowed us to see and hear some excellent performances - which is how it should be. Tom Randle, a natural stage animal with a fine voice and up-to-here total gorgeousness, was Petroc Trelawny's guest for concert 3. He summed it up perfectly - 'Music has to be in the singer's heart before it can come through to the audience'.
See you at the Finals!
