Tosca reviews

From West Sussex County Times:

Margot Campbell in the title role of Floria Tosca was outstanding. She is an operatic soprano of the highest calibre with a beautifully produced voice and a wonderful sense of phrasing, surely a prima donna in the making. As Calvaradossi the painter, John McGregor Murray with his fine tenor voice gave a musically persuasive performance in a carefully considered portrayal. The chief of police, Scarpia, offered Craig Smith a splendid opportunity to demonstrate both the eveil and corrupt as well as the tender, in his dealings with Tosca. With a fine stage presence coupled with his attractive singing voice, this was a well characterised performance. Andrew Thody gave a thoughtful performance as the political prisoner Angelotti and Lawrence Reed was an engaging Sacristan. The chorus, assisted by the Children’s Chorus from the Emerald Music School in Sutton, produced a good tone quality. The orchestral playing was of a high standard and the conductor, Jonathan Butcher, gave a well paced reading of the score.

Derek Graham wrote: At the Harlequin they played to a full house but with the quality of their productions, this was hardly surprising… The lead role was sung by Sarah-Jane Dale, who recently represented Britain in an opera competition in St Petersburg. Her Tosca was a faultless performance, in which her acting was to the same standard as her singing, her facial expressions showing well the torments she was suffering. Her rendition of ``Vissi D’Arte’’ (I live for art) was superb and brought prolonged applause fom the audience… Modern tourists wandered about (chorus) a superb children’s choir (from the Emerald Music School) sang as they moved through the church and Lawrence Reed gave an impressive performance as the Sacristan… Surrey Opera’s greatest problen is finding the money for these wonderful productions which nearly always end in the red. Jonathan Butcher, who conducted, is appealing for opera lovers to become Surrey Opera Supporters. Their subscriptions that twice a year we can enjoy opera of a very high standard locally.