Cardiff Singer of the World
St David’s Hall, Cardiff

THE worldwide audience for the 40th anniversary of Cardiff singer of the World saw five accomplished performers stake their claim to become the future stars of the opera world.

Bass Adolpho Corrado <https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fv724d> was a deserved winner, although his programme of three Italian composers meant he only sung in his mother tongue, leading some to criticise the jury for their choice of a winner.

But of the five finalists, Corrado’s performance was the complete package of beautiful singing and a strong performance.

He showed star quality and a connection with the audience as Corrado acted his way through Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Rossini’s Barber of Seville and Verdi’s I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata.

At one point he sidled over to conductor Ryan Bancroft and made him jump as he touched his hair, much to the delight of the audience.

I can only assume it was this joy and assuredness in his performance that landed him the prestigious prize over the vocal brilliance of South African mezzo-soprano Siphokazi Molteno. <https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fv4fnx>

She also put in a strong performance but it was her sublime singing that led me and many in the audience to have her as the favourite to win the contest.

Like Corrado, she is a future opera star as her beautiful voice soared through her programme of Massenet, Rossini and Strauss.

All five performers were on top of their game with the biggest cheer of the evening greeting home soprano Jessica Robinson. <https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fv3c05>

Robinson gave an assured and vivacious performance that brought many in the audience to their feet.

The real highlight of the evening came as proceedings wound to a close and the audience itself took centre-stage to give a spine-tingling rendition of the Welsh national anthem.

The audience enthusiasm for this competition of young opera singers from around the globe is undimmed after 40 years and shows the virtue of the public service broadcaster organising and hosting it.

But it does spotlight the cultural vandalism being perpetrated by 13 years of Conservative government-driven austerity as the BBC considers how to fund its many world-class orchestras.

The BBC national orchestra of Wales were splendid accompanists to the finalists, but its future is at risk as the government-imposed licence fee freeze bites.

Also at risk is the venerable St David’s Hall itself as its public owner, Labour-run Cardiff Council, also wrangles with its finances.

The council has proposed that it will contract out the lease of the building to the Academy Music Group (AMG), the company which operates the O2 venues across the country.

This “privatisation” is worrying classical music lovers as the company is intending to make changes to the venue to make it more suitable for financially lucrative pop and rock concerts.

The concern is that these changes will alter the acclaimed acoustics of the concert hall diminishing its status in the classical music world and the anti-privatisation campaigners have called on the Welsh government to step in.