Music / Reviews
Review: Bryn’s Christmas, Bristol Beacon – ‘An effervescent cornucopia of anthems’
It wasn’t Uncle Bryn’s Christmas party—it was something bigger, better, and with fewer awkward family moments.
The renowned bass-baritone was not slow in cashing in on his namesake from the popular BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey when he arrived at Bristol Beacon, bringing a memorable Christmas offering to the music lovers in the city on a biting cold evening.
Even a casual follower of classical music would know the name Bryn Terfel. A titan in the operatic pantheon transcending genres, he is equally at home duetting with Roberto Alagna as with Tom Jones.
is needed now More than ever
In an overarching career of 40 years he has sung every imaginable bass-baritone role accorded by the operatic canon ranging from Don Giovanni, Scarpia and Dr Dulcamara to Hans Sachs. And his love for bringing music to venues big and small has not gone unnoticed.
Over the years, Terfel has become a great ambassador for classical music in the mould of Yehudi Menuhin, Placido Domingo and Zubin Mehta. He delivers with the same intensity at Bridgewater Hall as in Berlin. So his stop at Bristol Beacon as part of his UK tour Bryn’s Christmas was indeed a cause for celebration.
He was accompanied by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra under the baton of Paul Bateman and the acclaimed South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza who flew from Berlin to join the tour.
As a great ambassador of Classical music around the country, Bryn Terfel’s appearance at Bristol Beacon was a cause for celebration
Conductor Paul Bateman gave a downbeat and struck an electric spark when the orchestra burst into an uptempo rendition of Deck The Halls which kicked off the evening.
The man of the moment, Terfel, walked onto the stage to raucous applause from the audience and provided a stirring rendition of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, which filled the cathedral-like space of Beacon Hall, where the microphones were mere props. Terfel subsequently expressed his love for the traditional carol, calling it his favourite, and acknowledged its connection to Bristol, as Charles Wesley provided the text.
Pumeza Matshikiza joined the proceedings with a fan favourite, Ave Maria by Bach and Gounod where her voice soared invoking the intercession of the Virgin, conferring on all a perfect benediction.
The evening was a cornucopia of delights which included traditional Christmas carols, modern compositions and evergreen anthems from musicals. It was also a perfect canvas for Terfel to show his range as a vocalist. The gentle, lullaby-like rendition of Edelweiss from the musical Sound of Music, where Terfel showed great restraint and control without giving in to the temptation of belting out the tune simply because he could, was a spectacle in itself.
The first half of the evening also included some rarely played gems such as Sleigh Ride by Frederick Delis and Tua Bethlehem Dref. Pumeza Matshikiza shone again with a virtuoso rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz, executing the popular anthem with ease.
Bryn Terfel was ably accompanied by Welsh National Opera Orchestra under the baton of Paul Bateman
Following the interval, the proceedings resumed with festive favourite Sleeping Beauty Waltz by Tchaikovsky setting the tone for the rest of the evening.
Perhaps the showstopper of the second half was Matshikiza’s rendition of O Mio Babbino Caro from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. As one of the most frequently performed arias in the repertoire, it has a fan base whose fame often surpasses that of the rarely staged one-act opera itself.
This aria has long been a signature piece for sopranos ranging from Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Joan Sutherland, Maria Callas, Kiri Te Kanawa, to Danielle de Niese. Matshikiza rose to the challenge with aplomb, beautifully conveying the tender plea of the heroine as she asks her father for permission to marry her love, Rinuccio. It was a seamless juxtaposition of filial affection and the dream of love, executed with great finesse by Matshikiza.
Leading up to the New Year, it would have been an anticlimax without an offering of Johann Strauss in the program. Thankfully, there were two: Brundelien from Die Fledermaus and the Trish-Trasch Polka.
The latter allowed the orchestra to showcase their fun and innovative side, while still maintaining their serious commitment to the score. The cello section seemed to have the most fun, as they choreographically rotated their instruments 360 degrees without missing a beat during the uplifting and crowd-pleasing rendition.
The song Trees was about much more than the Christmas tree but the responsibility of human beings for the wider world for conservation. The evening also included one of the most recent pieces: Joseph’s Carol by John Rutter.
Rutter, no stranger to choral compositions, perhaps faced the greatest challenge of his career when he was asked to write a piece for the scientists at Oxford University during the pandemic. As they worked tirelessly to develop a vaccine that would bring normality back to the world, Rutter’s composition captured the significance of their efforts. Terfel conveyed the poignancy of the piece effortlessly before segueing into a multilingual rendition of Silent Night, which also featured Matshikiza.
The evening was bookended with a joyous rendition of O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles), where both the audience and the orchestra were invited to join in, creating perfect harmony.
Perhaps the showstopper of the second half was Matshikiza’s rendition of O Mio Babbino Caro from Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi
But the audience wasn’t ready to let the duo leave without an encore. The thunderous applause prompted them to offer not one, but two encores, including a lullaby in Matshikiza’s native language of Xhosa, which was also the language of Nelson Mandela.
And with a forecast of snow over Christmas, it was only apt that the maestro should wrap up the evening with a sing-along version of White Christmas by Irving Berlin.
With a generous offering of good tidings, it was truly a warm embrace for Bristol on a cold Friday evening before Christmas.
All photos: Milan Perera
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