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Review of Carreras on The Close 2005

An amazing setting, perfect weather and one of the world's greatest opera singers - with the help of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, José Carreras gave enchanted Bristolians an evening to remember, as Lesley Turney reports José Carreras, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, gave an outstanding performance in the grounds of Clifton College.

Accompanied by his talented compatriot, soprano Tina Gorina, the pair enchanted an audience of nearly 10,000 people.

It was a unique opportunity for Bristolians to enjoy one third of the three tenors in one of the most beautiful venues in the South West - and everyone who was there made the most of the opportunity.

Concert-goer Adam Anderson, 28, a carpenter from Weston-super-Mare, said: "I know nothing about opera, but there's only one word to describe the music - perfect. The setting is amazing, the weather couldn't be better and everyone's having the time of their lives."

Long before the concert started, people set up trestle tables and laid out picnics. Champagne corks popped, as picnickers spread themselves out on blankets on the ground. Some groups had brought silver cutlery and gourmet food. They were eating quails' eggs and paté while there were plenty of people enjoying sandwiches and sausage rolls.

Around 2,000 people had bought tickets for the seated area directly infront of the stage. Some were wearing dinner suits and glamorous evening dresses. Others went barefoot in jeans and T-shirts.

There were babes in arms and scores of young family groups, as well as more seasoned music lovers who had travelled from as far away as Canada specifically to see Carreras at Clifton College.

The evening was idyllic. As the concert began, the sun was beginning to go down, the weather was balmy, and the sky a classical pale blue with wispy white clouds.

A hush fell over the Close as the entertainment began with nine-year-old child prodigy Julia Hwang playing three pieces on her violin, accompanied by pianist Mark Swinton. Those of us who were sitting too far back to see the little girl on the huge stage watched her on the big screen.

She was incredible. As she gave a virtuoso performance of Handel's Queen of Sheba, we knew we were listening to a rare talent. Julia looked perfectly relaxed and, despite her age, did not seem at all nervous about performing in front of such a large audience. Her fingers, highlighted on the screen, danced over the violin strings.

It was also a reminder that proceeds from the concert, which was sponsored by Allied Irish Bank, Torres and Codorniu, will be used to fund musical scholarships at Clifton College to give talented children the opportunity to study at one of the country's leading schools.

Then there was the exciting sound of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra taking their seats and tuning up, a sound which evolved into the most lovely music as they kicked off the official part of the evening with Strauss's Die Fledermaus Overture.

The sound quality was fantastic. No matter where people sat, the beautiful music flowed over them and nobody was in any doubt that they were listening to a world-class orchestra.

It was so good that nobody wanted it to end, but then José Carreras stepped onto the stage and everybody drew breath.

Carreras did not disappoint. Some of the audience would have known what to expect, but those of us who didn't were blown away by the perfect tone of his voice and the emotion he naturally puts into every note.

He was consistently calm and dignified, a commanding figure on the stage who gave a modest little bow after every song and who charmed the audience the entire evening. His duets with soprano Tina Gorina were particularly well received as their voices blended so well together.

Carreras is reputed to be a modest and unassuming man. The organisers had converted the school crypt (normally used as a common room) into his dressing room, and according to production manager Matthew Haynes, his only special requests were for a humidifier, tea and cake.

After the interval, the imposing, and gothic buildings of Clifton College were illuminated. Birds flew around the chapel tower, and the last of the evening's sunlight lit up the high rose window. One concert-goer remarked: "It's like something out of Harry Potter."

On the Close, hundreds more bottles of wine were opened. People were eating strawberries and cream. The well-prepared had brought lanterns and we even saw one group with a candelabra on their table.

The second half flew past. The music was completely uplifting, and there were truly spine-tingling moments as the maestro's voice rang out. He and Ms Gorina together have an awe-inspiring charisma. On the screen we watched conductor David Giminez move his arms like a ballet dancer.

There was an all-too-brief encore. Carreras finished the performance with Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific and many people were singing along.

After that, fireworks lit up the sky while the orchestra played on, and then, sadly, it was all over and thousands of people made their way home along College Road and out through Clifton.

Mike Innes, managing director of Clifton College Services which organised the concert, said: "We spent nearly a year planning this event, and the evening exceeded our expectations."

© 2006 Clifton College