Albert Herring (Oxford)

Working with young singers is always a rewarding experience but also one that brings with it a number of challenges. David Crown, with his group The Oxford Singers, is to be praised for assembling a talented cast for what is a very demanding score. Albert Herring is a comedic work but by no means light in the resources it requires from the ensemble cast.

One of the first challenges of this particular production was the lack of space in the Magdalen Auditorium. By the time the small orchestra had been seated, there was precious little space in which the singers could perform. The layout also created a problem of balance between the instrumentalists and the voices. All too often the orchestra overwhelmed the cast. In a more traditional theatre setting, the orchestra is somewhat concealed in the pit – allowing the vocalists to project more directly to the audience. Here it felt, at times, that they were in competition rather than collaboration.

This was also evident in terms of communication between the singers and their conductor. I must commend the cast for their tight ensemble work and ability to perform this complicated score without looking at their conductor. From my perspective, the instrumentalists seemed to be his main focus rather than the singers. In essence it felt that there were two performances taking place in the same space and at the same time. The fact that there were very few ensemble issues meant that all involved were working very hard to stay together but it did not feel a very cohesive piece of music theatre where all the elements combine seamlessly.

The other main challenge facing this production was that of diction. Some cast members were crystal clear with every word and made those words count in terms of creating character and drama. Others, however, were less successful and sacrificed clarity for the notes. I have always wanted to hear the words in opera – even more so when the libretto is set by Britten who was always a master in terms of setting his native tongue. The quality of acting was also somewhat patchy – which, for such a character-driven piece, was rather disappointing.

Certain members of the cast were more than worth the price of admission and made up for any shortcomings in the production as a whole. George Coltart and Katherine Cooper near enough stole the show with their complete portrayals of the roles of Sid and Nancy – they were fully invested in the action and spot on vocally. Will Dawes was a perfect comedy vicar and also possessed an ideal baritone for the role. Lucia Simon clearly loved playing Miss Wordsworth and captured the wild spirit of the character well.

Overall, this was an enjoyable semi-staged production of a classic English Opera. Orchestrally and vocally strong, it was a great showcase for the talents of those involved. Dramatically, it lacked a real understanding of the nuances of the ways of the British class structure and occasionally sacrificed subtlety in favour of something broader yet it still provided enough laughs to keep the audience happy. I shall await their next production with interest.