When my very favourite singer is appearing in London, Wigmore Hall no less, don't I just have to be there!!!
So unbelievably excited to be getting the chance to hear Joyce sing in this amazing setting, and so lucky to have managed to get a ticket! As Joyce appears on stage, all smiles, with her lovely accompanist on piano, David Zobel, I know we are in for an amazing recital as she is to take us with her on a tour of Venice in song.
A lovely quip in response to the applause that greets her on stage "You're all just excited cos Andy Murray won" Andy Murray did win his match at Wimbledon today-but no Joyce, we're all so very excited in the expectation of what lies ahead. BBC Radio 3 microphones are here too so it's great to know so many others who cannot be here get to enjoy this recital as well, I am sure many of her devoted fans from around the globe will be listening in.
Joyce opens the recital with two lovely arias by the Venetian Vivaldi from Ercole sul Termodonte, beautifully sung and then immediately, having already captured her audience with those Vivaldi arias, leads us right on with Cinq Melodies de Venise by Faure, perhaps more sentiments - and beautiful, soulful sentiments they are, of love and rapture - of Venice and what it should be, but painting a beautiful mood setting for our eventual arrival in that great city. We cannot doubt now that we have arrived at our destination as Joyce, our tour leader, takes us into Rossini and all the sights and sounds of La Regata Veneziana as we are taken along with Anzoleta as she cheers on her lover Momolo in his gondola race, Joyce's wonderful, humourous character portrayal of this young girl, her singing is just sublime as she delivers these three songs we are right there beside the overly-excited Anzoleta. As rapturous applause rings out, ugh, what, we have to have an interval now, OK if we muuuuuuuuuuuuust, LOL!!
We resume on a more sombre but still delightful note starting, with Schubert's Gondelfahrer (Gondolier) followed by Two Lieder, Venetian airs of Schumann from Myrten to further transport us into the romance that is Venice. I don't want this to end I am so deeply immersed. Joyce moves on now to Three Songs of Venice by Michael Head and then Five Songs from Venezia by Reynaldo Hahn, these are truly beautiful as they speak of love and laughter, along with the torment of a (so-called one suspects) love now faded in What A Shame!, and the last song Spring "just one more month and the nightingale's song will pour it's honey on my soul" - just WOW!! So stunningly beautiful, I'm reduced to tears-all is good! What a wonderful recital, such an incredible program and thankfully all is not quite over yet as more rapturous applause brings back Joyce and David to the stage for encores.
I leave Wigmore Hall on Cloud 9 - at least, my feet, did they touch the ground, I think not, not for days and days after as I re-lived this amazing shared experience that is Joyce and the warmth with which she enfolds her audience and takes them happily, joyfully with her! Come back to Wigmore Hall soon please Joyce, and thank you for all the tears and laughter and the total warmth and joy you bring to your audience!!!
Am now looking forward very, very excitedly to the release of Joyce's album Drama Queens, I just know this will be stunning-take a look at this, if this isn't enough to get excited about I don't know what is!!
Also excited that Joyce will be performing from this album at The Barbican, London next February - not to be missed!!
A little way prior to the Barbican recital, in January 2013 Joyce is appearing at The Metropolitan Opera in Maria Stuarda in the title role, here's a small taste of her performing Maria Stuarda at Houston Grand Opera earlier this year - WOW!
Joyce will also be appearing at The Royal Opera House May/June 2013 in Rossini's La Donna del Lago, I am so very excited about this as I know she will be amazing!!! Here's a little scrumptious taste of what to expect.
