Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
The quiet, sheep-farming Cotswolds may not be the most obvious setting for high drama but it had a special place in Ralph Vaughan Williams' heart, as it does in mine. He was born in Down Ampney in Gloucestershire, which is near to where I grew up. As a result I was interested in York Opera's portrayal of life in the West Country during this period. Moreover, I had also heard the production contained Morris dancing, an art form that has always held a strange fascination for me.
I had heard the production contained Morris dancing, an art form that has always held a strange fascination for me.
The opera did contain all the key elements of Cotswold life. The music, as was painstakingly highlighted in the programme, was heavily influenced by the folk music of the area. The set depicted a town constructed in classic Cotswold stone, with the area's ubiquitous dry-stone walling prominent on the stage. And, of course, there was a morris dance. Everything was there.
And yet, whilst I certainly enjoyed said Morris (who wouldn't?), I found it representative of the production's key flaw. The costumes were beautiful (the hobby horse was particularly resplendant) but I found the dance jerky and lacking energy. The musical performances were very good but often lacking expression and sometimes too quiet. The fight scene was decidedly wimpy and I just did not believe that the townspeople could actually lynch anyone. I understand that Vaughan Williams was very polite in his composition but I still felt that "Hugh the Drover" would have had more depth if York Opera had taken a less hygienic approach. I would have liked to have seen more dirt on the stage, as befitting a town where animals would have been a regular feature. Equally, I felt that the verve given to the love scenes should have been present in the other, more violent aspects of the production. In summary, this was well directed and with strong performances, but it needed a bit more welly - preferably a welly caked with mud.
The final two performances of Hugh The Drover are on the 12th and 13th of October. Tickets start at £7 and are avaliable from the theatre website or the box office on 01904 623 568.
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