Celebration!
Art Song Canberra
Louise Page, Soprano
Phillipa Candy, Piano
Wesley Uniting
Church, Forrest 25 November
Reviewed by Len Power
There was a highly charged atmosphere in the
packed-to-the-rafters Wesley Uniting Church for Art Song Canberra’s concert,
‘Celebration!’ After a 25 year
partnership, singer Louise Page and pianist, Phillipa Candy, were giving their
final concert together. As she is
retiring from singing, it was the last opportunity to hear the beautiful
soprano voice of Louise Page. She and
Phillipa Candy brought the house down with a carefully chosen set of songs that
they had loved and enjoyed over the years of their partnership.
The program started with two works by Purcell and Handel
which Page sang with great feeling and technical skill. These were followed by ‘The Carnival of
Venice’, a witty song that gave her the opportunity to let loose with some
spectacular vocal fireworks. Two romantic
works by Erich Korngold followed and were sensitively sung with an excellent
accompaniment by Candy.
A set of American Spirituals were next, including a quietly
emotional ‘Deep River’ and the rousing ‘He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands’
brought the first half of the concert to a close.
 |
| Phillipa Candy and Louise Page |
The second half of the concert commenced with seven
classical Spanish folk songs which were sung passionately and colourfully. The highlights were the hauntingly beautiful,
‘Con Amores, la mi madre’ (With love, oh mother of mine) and the very droll
‘Chiquitita la novia’ (A tiny bride).
The complex musical accompaniment to these songs was handled seemingly
effortlessly by Phillipa Candy.
A set of British folk songs followed including ‘I Will Walk
With My Love’ in which Louise Page showed her fine acting ability. Three songs by Richard Strauss were
next. Her sensitive singing of ‘Morgen’
was the highlight of the concert and Candy’s accompaniment was superb,
especially the long introduction.
 |
| Phillipa Candy and Louise Page |
The concert finished with ‘Con te partirò’, (Time To Say
Goodbye). Always a highly emotional song with its soaring melody, it had even
more significance for this audience as the concert drew to a close. Two encores followed and the audience
honoured these two brilliant artists with a much-deserved standing
ovation. This was a truly thrilling celebration!
Photos by Peter Hislop
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast in his ‘On Stage’ performing arts radio program on Mondays
and Wednesdays from 3.30pm on Artsound FM 92.7.