LEGEND would have us believe that Mozart was told that his compositions had ‘too many notes’, writes Wendy Smith.

It is not hard to imagine that the members of Bude Concert Orchestra had the same thought concerning their concert on Saturday, March 4, as there were no less than 14 items on the programme. It was a positive feast for opera buffs as all but one of the pieces came from that particular genre.

The whole orchestra was on fine form and there were plenty of opportunities for individuals to shine. Among the overtures, choruses and marches, there was also ample opportunity for audience participation, but the real treat of the evening was the presence of Elizabeth Hobbs, a young lady who completed her A Levels last summer, but sang with a voice of maturity far beyond her years.

With the two arias in the first half — One Fine Day from Madam Butterfly, and O My Beloved Father from Gianni Schicci — Elizabeth brought the emotions of two heroines yearning for their respective lovers; two pieces which were very well known and which Elizabeth carried off with consummate skills.

Her two items in the second half — Nun’s Song from Casanova, and Where’re you walk from Semele — were also sung with charm and confidence.

The other notable soloist was Mike Grieff, who took centre stage in Gabriel’s Oboe, written by Ennio Morricone for the film, The Mission. This is a haunting piece, which was beautifully played by Mike, with additional short solo sketches from other sections of the orchestra.

The audience was kept alert throughout the whole evening by the conductor, Barry Carrington Moule, with invitations to take the role of chorus; as soldiers from Gounod’s Faust, singing to Escamillio, the bull fighter, in the Toreador’s Song from Bizet’s Carmer, as Hebrew slaves in Verdi’s Nabucco, and as peasants in the humming chorus from Puccuni’s Madam Butterfly — all very well known pieces and great fun to have the chance to sing them.

The Toreador’s Song gave the brass section a chance to shine, with solos from Jenni Oatway and Mike Webber.

A friend of the orchestra, Andrew Pitt, stepped up to the microphone from time to time, not least to augment the soldiery when necessary, and joined Elizabeth in the penultimate item, which was the drinking song from La Traviata, another of Signor Verdi’s masterpieces. Again, the audience did their best to portray the drinking company.

The whole concert was rounded off with the Grand March from Aida, and brought to an end an evening of delights, which left a capacity audience humming on the way to the car park.