Soprano Marcelle Clamens' 'Evening of Opera Arias and Classics' at City Hall theatre proved a feast of riches for aficionados and the uninitiated alike.

In a generous programme of 14 arias from some of the greatest operas ever written, including 'Don Giovanni', 'Madam Butterfly' and 'Aida', Mrs. Clamens confirmed, with each one of them, that she is a consummate artist whose voice is an instrument of exceptional beauty.

Indeed, there were many moments, particularly during the second half of the recital, when her artistry was simply breathtaking. Her control, shading, and the seamless flow through the various registers confirmed again and again that this gifted Bermudian is indeed, as has already been declared elsewhere, 'a national treasure'.

Can there be any better tribute paid to an artist than the gift of rapt attention and complete silence throughout each and every aria? Not a cough, whisper, crackling candy wrapper, or dropped item broke the stillness — as much a blessing as the event itself, although it must be said that the constant late arrival of ticket holders on 'Bermuda time' throughout the first half was very discourteous, but less disturbing that might otherwise have been the case thanks to an alert usher who controlled the door.

The world of opera is built on endless tales of tormented love, intrigue, deception, betrayal and death, and how successfully Mrs. Clamens portrayed them! Yet there were none of the histrionics favoured by some singers. Instead, with the subtlest of body language and facial expressions, she used the full range of her vocal palette to convey the word portraits she was drawing. And what a colourful palette it was: bright, silvery upper notes which floated with exquisite delicacy, and lower register notes as rich and dramatic as the splendid red gown she wore during the second half.

Like all good artists, Mrs. Clamens made the difficult and challenging appear effortless, and certainly her choice of programme shrank from neither — including singing the arias in their original languages (Italian, French and German) with clarity and conviction.

From a somewhat more thoughtful and introspective first half, all of it beautiful but some of it less familiar, the second half tapped deeper into the emotions as she embraced such classics as 'Quando men vo' ('When I go out') and 'Mi chiamano Mimi' ('They call me Mimi') from Puccini's 'La Boheme', and 'Un bel di vedremo' ('One beautiful day we will see') from 'Madam Butterfly' by the same composer.

As beautifully wrought as they were, it was the last two arias by Verdi, 'Oh Patria Mia' from 'Aida' and 'Pace, Pace' from 'La Forza del Destino'), which revealed Mrs. Clamens' artistry at its most stunning.

The constant flow between dark drama and ethereal delicacy, the endlessly held notes, the infinite variety of tone and colour, and above all the sheer control throughout these demanding passages were breathtaking to behold, and glorious to listen to. Here, surely, is a voice which belongs in a wider world, but of which more should certainly be heard at home.

Adding to the richness of the programme were fellow faculty members from the Bermuda School of Music (BSM), where Mrs. Clamens is a voice teacher.

Pianist Olga Zeidel was her accompanist throughout the first half, while the Bermuda School of Music Consort fulfilled the same role in the second half.

Violin soloist David France's soulful interpretation of Gluck's 'Melody' was lovely, and the BSM Consort's luminous reading of Bach's 'Brandenburg Orchestral Suite', arranged by Matthew Naughtin, was another highlight in an exceptional and memorable evening.