Toad Lane Concert: Camilla Seale mezzo & Evi Wang piano

Evi Wang and Camilla Seale

This sensational duo held the audience in thrall at St Mary in the Baum on Wednesday 12 April with a superb, sophisticated recital. We are so fortunate that young artistes of this calibre can hone their skills before local audiences.

Both are advanced masters students at the RNCM, mezzo-soprano Camilla Seale having studied English at Cambridge and the London School of Economics. She already has several operatic roles under her belt as well as being an experienced recitalist and stage performer.

Pianist Evi Wang previously studied in Shanghai, Sweden and Norway and has taken part in numerous international competitions, festivals, and masterclasses and soloist with orchestras.

Camilla controlled her rich mezzo tone brilliantly and demonstrated an impressive range and remarkable stamina. She extracted every nuance of the French songs by Bizet, Ravel, Duparc, Debussy, and Poulenc plus the poignant song ‘Grief’ by Afro- American composer William Grant Still.

This continued with a short Lieder cycle by Mahler in impeccable German followed by two songs by Britten. This impressive and spellbinding concert culminated in an operatic excerpt by contemporary composer Jake Heggie, We’re Through (Winged Victory), bursting with character.

Evi’s partnership was crucial to the success as she accompanied the varied styles with aplomb and empathy and drew superb shifts in tone and colour from the vintage 1933 Chappell grand piano.

This was a fabulous performance from two rising stars who made a scintillating duo.

The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday at 12.30pm at St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. No refreshments available. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.

To see details of forthcoming Toad Lane Concerts, click here.

Dr Joe Dawson