The Bermuda Philharmonic Society Opera Gala on Saturday evening was nothing less than a triumph, providing an evening of music that concluded with a standing ovation and where individual performances were, more often than not, embraced by a thoroughly exhilarated audience with cheers as well as enthusiastic applause.

The performers that aroused such a spirited response from the audience are celebrated, professional opera singers who had been invited to join the Philharmonic for this concert.

None the less, they seemed genuinely gratified to have so delighted the audience.

The Philharmonic Society"s director Dr. Gary Burgess must take the credit for bringing together such a stellar group of performers, and for providing splendid orchestral support for these fine professionals.

It was clear from the opening notes of Verdi"s Overture from La Forza del Destino that this was going to be a wonderful evening. This haunting and expressive orchestral piece immediately engaged the audience. It includes an enchanting section for flute and harp, which alone made the inclusion of this instrument in the orchestra worthwhile. Harpist Laura Sherman also performed before the concert began, and during the intermission, which was a lovely touch.

Dr. Burgess addressed the audience following the piece, and encouraged them to simply enjoy this programme of arias; indeed, he predicted the evening would be death by arias; it's one aria after another by wonderful, wonderful artists. And if death had resulted, a happy one it would have been!

The first artist to take the stage was Daesan No, a magnificent baritone, who performed the deeply romantic Andrea Chenier from Nemico Della Patria by Giordano. He sang with such tremendous feeling, and moved the audience to the core. The Philharmonic Chorus, joined for this concert by the acclaimed choral group Word, gave a rousing rendition of the famous Anvil Chorus from Verdi's Il Trovatore, providing an uplifting change of mood. Tenor Gioacchino LiVigni"s performance of the famous aria from Rigoletto, La Donna e Mobile, by Verdi, was a glorious performance by this miraculous tenor. The music is almost synonymous with Italy, and this singer performed it with a grace and ease which swept the audience along, delighting them once again.

Bermuda's own Jane Farge performed another piece by Verdi, O Don Fatale from Don Carlo. This mezzo soprano is well known to local audiences, but non-the-less her range, the resonance and depth of her voice, and the drama of her performances is always breath-taking. Verdi's aria from MacBeth, Come Dal Ciel Precipita, was performed so elegantly yet with moments of drama by Scott Rogers, whose gorgeous bass has an extraordinarily rich quality in the lower range.

A Quartetto from Rigaletto by Verdi followed this performance, with the additional four performers on stage. The voices melded beautifully, and it was particularly gratifying to see Jane Farge work so very well with this stellar group. The Chorus performed the famous and jubilant march of victory, Hymn and Triumphal March from Aida, again by Verdi, and were followed by the orchestra, who provided a grand, panaromic impression during their performance of Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana.

The strings, particularly, gave a controlled and sensitive performance. Soprano Indra Thomas and Ms Farge provided the final performance before the intermission: Scene and Prayer, also from Cavalleria Rustica. Here, the chorus did provide a hymn-like foil for the superb soloists: Ms. Thomas' soprano was echoed beautifully by Ms Farge in the mezzo range. The audience returned to the second half, which opened with two selections from Samson et Dalila by Saint- Saens: Danse Bacchanale for orchestra; sensual and mysterious, it so perfectly evokes the east. Highly dramatic, this was the highlight of the orchestral selections. Ms Farge then sang Amour Viens Aider, her performance of this song of seduction both spellbinding and glorious. The chorus performed the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin, famous today as the wedding march. The harp provided a sweet and romantic, and the piece ended on a completely appropriate and sublimely delivered angelic note. The mood changed completely with Mr. LiVigni's Lamento di.. Federico from L'Arlesiana, by Cilea, a dark, desperate and deeply felt performance, but it lifted again with Mr. Rogers' enthusiastic interpretation of the famous and energetic aria La Calunnia from Rossinni's Il Barberiere di Siviglia. The audience then had the tremendous pleasure of hearing Ms Thomas's first solo: from Puccini's Tosca, famous aria Vissi D'arte was heart-wrenching, thanks to the power of the performance of this soprano; it was an intense performance, making it a deeply moving experience that was one of the best of the evening. Ms.Thomas' top range is, unequivocably unworldly. An evening of opera cannot be complete without a selection from Wagner, and Mr. No's performance of O Du. Main Holder Abendstern from Tannhauser was a rich and measured performance. The evening concluded with a rousing and lighthearted rendition of Brindisi: Libiamo from La Traviata, which had the audience on its feet, and again when it was performed as an encore. Saturday evening began with a fabulous programme of music and concluded as a joyful celebration and quite rightly; the Philharmonic had just delivered their best concert in a very long time.

Rebecca Zuill