Soprano and Conservatory student Alannah Beauparlant gave a recital in Mazzoleni Hall on Sunday that showed considerable versatility as well as a nicely developing voice. She sang in six languages and covered all the bases from art song to opera to musical theatre with some Bernstein that lay somewhere in the middle!

I particularly enjoyed a couple of Strauss songs at the beginning of the programme. “Der Rosenband” was absolutely lovely and showed great technique. “Fûr funfzehn Pfennige” exhibited bags of personality in a song with some tricky rhythms. A selection from Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne showed an ability to push out some really beautiful tone as well as agility. A couple of Schubert songs were sung idiomatically and accurately. The one opera aria; “Egli non riede ancora… non so tetre immagini” from Verdi’s Il Corsaro was properly dramatic.

After a short interval we got some very smooth Massenet songs. All the accompaniment to this point had been the ever reliable Jennifer Tiung but at this point she was swapped out for a string quartet; Junia Friesen and Veronica Zupanic – violins, Shyler Macaggi – viola and Chloe Liang – cello. This was the cue for John Greer’s arrangements of some Bernstein numbers. “A Little Bit in Love” from Wonderful Town showed Alannah in full musical theatre mode with some idiomatic singing and great moves. I’m not sure quite what style I expect for Bernstein’s Mass but I liked the sort of “in between” approach took to “A Simple Song”. “A Julia de Burgos” from Songfest was nicely dramatic. The string quartet was excellent too.

We finished with a piano quintet arrangement of “Dream with me” from Peter Pan which was fun. All in all a very satisfying show.