Heroic tenor returns to school

SIMON O'Neill as Siegmund in Wagner's Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) at the Royal Opera House London in 2012. PICTURE / FILE

Simon O'Neill comes from Ashburton and lives in Auckland. He also performs at the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York, La Scala in Milan and at Covent Gardens, London. He is appreciated as "the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade", to quote the London Telegraph and, last week, he was in good old, little Whanganui, onstage at Collegiate Auditorium!
Leading a life most of us can only dream of, here is a man of passion, overwhelming talent, dedication and self-discipline, yet also a man of humility, humour and diligence.
The Whanganui Opera School celebrates its 21st year of existence this January and Simon has dedicated three days of his time to being here for this memorable occasion and tutoring this year's students into the bargain.
The date is of consequence to him as he also was a student of this school, coming with his trademark dedicated preparation to sing as a baritone, only to leave with a new future as a tenor!
He spoke to those of us fortunate enough to be there, of his career. Hearing names like Placido Domingo, Donald McIntyre, Daniel Barenboim, Colin Davis drop from his lips in the same context as our lovely Leonie Symes who brought him so early in his career on to the Wanganui Opera House stage, made me feel quite breathless. What an amazing career he has had, is having and will have. He is exciting as a performer and as a human being.
What impressed me most was his humility, his "realness" which made his presence even more heady. He sang for us! Stunningly well! He became Otello of Verdi's masterpiece and as he wrenched the words "Desdemona e morta" from his soul, the auditorium felt as I have never experienced that familiar place before.
Thank you, thank you for the chance to experience such greatness, so calmly and humbly given to us. Totally unforgettable.
MIKE
Every seat in the lecture theatre occupied. People sitting on the steps down the centre aisle. An audience of more than 250. The Davis has probably never been so packed.
The attraction? Ridgway Lythgoe's public talk on his trip last year to five countries which used to be part of the Soviet Union. Titled Central Asia and the Silk Road, his holiday covered Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The Silk Road, a trade route linking east and west, has long been redolent of the romantic, mysterious, exotic Orient, with its fascinating architecture and varied ethnicities. Examples of these abounded in the plethora of slides shown, Ridgway allowing the majority to speak for themselves. Brief comments were occasionally added, in a low-key, matter-of-fact manner, along with some dry humour.
The opportunity to see people living such different lifestyles from our own obviously proved a huge draw card for the audience. I found myself wondering whether I wanted to tackle such a journey myself. Then, having listened to the speaker's account of the seven week trip, made in a truck which had no air-con to combat the mid-40s heat, and which was much too cramped for the 22 passengers, I began to have second thoughts.
Accommodation, for the most part, was in tents, erected by the travellers themselves under the blazing sun. Without shade, the tents themselves being unbearably hot until sunset, when there was a slight respite from the heat. There seemed to be little variety in the food they ate, and even such basic amenities as tea towels were lacking. Toilet facilities? Luckily Ridgway didn't go there! (Though I do wonder where he did go!) I think I'll stick to cruising! Once a wimp ... !
Thank you, Ridgway, for an illuminating evening. Central America next, we were told!
JOAN
The Opera School has, rightly, had a great deal of press coverage. That is heartening. Mike and I remain grateful to Paul Brooks for permission to record our personal feelings as we reflect on the many cultural and artistic events in Whanganui that we so enjoy.
Friday evening marked the last Master Class to be taken by Paul Farrington, after 11 years at the school. This down-to-earth music master has had, and continues to have, a remarkable, world-wide career tutoring the great, future great and, sometimes, just hopeful young, aspiring singers with a style and method all his own.
He has endeared himself here to both students and, especially, Whanganui audiences with what he achieves with those he advises, cajoles and firmly develops during these classes.
On Friday he "took on" four New Zealand trained singers, in the nerve-wracking presence of a full, eager house. Some of the singing was quite thrilling - I shall be hoping to hear much more of the wonderful Benson Wilson.
All the time Paul played us, his audience and, amidst much laughter caused by his unorthodox methods of teaching, improved the performance of each young person. He received a standing ovation from his audience, very sad to see him go.
Like Simon O'Neill, Paul has achieved greatness without losing the influence of his roots, Ashburton versus Birmingham, and the ability to communicate with the great and the ordinary with warmth, self-assurance and a total lack of arrogance.
MIKE
Just prior to Christmas, at the social area - for both canines and humans - of the Otamatea Dog Reserve, I fell into conversation with a lady who had, a few months earlier, relocated here from Auckland. After a career in nursing management, Jane, along with her partner, decided to opt for the numerous benefits offered by our smaller city. She compared driving times, ease and cost of parking, proximity of shops and sights, the river, art scene, cafes, etc - all to Whanganui's advantage.
An added item of interest: before buying a house here, she lived for several months in the Bignell Street caravan camp, and had nothing but praise for the site. She had been staggered by the complaints, printed in the Chronicle letters, of one resident, and was adamant that they were completely unwarranted. She loves it here, which is always good news.
mjstreet@xtra.co.nz