JON ANDREW

The following is a review that was printed in Scene One magazine about Jons marathon feat at 80 sing Othello. The above clip is Jon performing an excerpt "the death scene" from Othello's 4th Act.

 

 

 

Bournemouth opera lovers will know Jon Andrew as the charismatic local vocal coach who, for more than 20 years, has inspired both young and old to sing opera with him in his student company, Silhouette Opera.

 

Local talent he has helped to international stardom include Kate Royal (now gracing the great opera houses of the world), David Habbin (founder member of the opera band Amici Forever) and music-theatre star Earl Carpenter (the longest running Phantom in the London production of Phantom of the Opera).

 

And there are many, many more who, after training with Jon, have gone on to make a big impact on the local amateur music-theatre scene – Tracey Challen, Lorraine Rowan, Emma Purchase, Natasha Barnes, Helen Vessey and James Dixon-Box to name but a few. They all got their first taste of the magic of opera (which is, after all, music-theatre) by performing at Silhouette Opera concerts.

 

But before he came to Bournemouth, Jon was himself an international star. He arrived in England from his native New Zealand to join Sadler’s Wells (now English National) Opera in 1962. As the opera critic of the Daily Mail I remember his performances with ENO and the Royal Opera in the early 70s. Then Jon went abroad and based himself in Germany to forge a new career as a Wagnerian heldentenor and Verdian dramatic tenor.

 

And one of his ‘signature’ roles was Verdi’s penultimate homage to his beloved Shakespeare, Otello. He sang the jealous Moor throughout the world, succumbing to Iago’s insidious malice and ‘the green-eyed monster’ from Wales to America.

 

Well, that was all rather a long time ago. But Jon has always thrived on challenges and, for the past few years, he has nurtured the ambition to give one last performance of Otello and become the oldest tenor ever to sing this most demanding role.

 

On Friday, at the age of 80, he realised his dream. In a joint venture between Silhouette Opera, the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and the St.Paul’s Sinfonia, he made history in Blackheath. And it was a splendid occasion.

 

While many men of his age can hardly muster the vocal resources to hail a taxi, Jon is still in potent voice. And Andrew in full cry remains a force of nature. It would be foolish to pretend that the voice retains the bloom of youth or that there are now not moments of strain. Certainly, some of the role’s great peaks are no longer effortlessly scaled.

 

But the gods have been kind to Jon. The power of that mighty voice is palpably still there – and, happily, more bel canto than can belto. And his artistry and musicianship ensured that this was a performance of enormous passion – even in concert he is able to suggest a noble old soldier torn between self-doubt, jealousy and foolish pride. His majestic death-throes – sung standing – held the audience in thrall. There was a long and breathless hush before the cheers finally rang out.

 

The spotlight, quite rightly, fell on Jon, but this was much more than a one-man show. He was joined by a fine cast, including pupils both past and present. Silhouette Opera and the Conservatoire provided a joint chorus that sang magnificently, instantly making their mark in the opening tumult of the storm scene, rising thrillingly above the orchestral hurricane.

 

The always eloquent Jonathan Prentice was the malign, goading Iago, chillingly evil in his silkily sung Credo as he sibilantly espoused a ‘cruel God’. The Greek soprano Kassandra Dimopoulou was in spine-tingling voice as the wronged and innocent Desdemona, unforced, vulnerable and heartbreaking in her Willow Song. Philip Modinos (Cassio) and Lorraine Rowan (Emilia) sang strongly, too, and there was strength in depth in the smaller roles – Francis-Xavier Zaragoza (Lodovico), Simon Dyer (Montano), Thomas Drew (Roderigo) and Thomas Campbell (Herald).

 

No concert version can hope to match the full theatrical excitement of a fully staged performance but the driving dramatic pulse was superbly provided by always gripping and stirring playing from the St. Paul’s Sinfona. Their dynamic young conductor Andrew Morley accidentally let loose his baton, javelin-like among his players, at one climactic moment. It was soon passed back to allow him to find both the emotional swell and the tender lyricism in this magnificent score. He is a conductor with a big future, no doubt of that.

 

One operatic veteran once told me: ‘I used to get standing ovations. Now I get an ovation for standing!’ Jon Andrew got his ovation on Friday. For singing. And singing his way into the history books.

 

Age shall not weary him.

 

Bravo, Maestro!

 

David Gillard (Daily Mail and Radio Times Opera Critic)