Summer Song

The Operetta Company, Trinity Methodist Church, Market Street, Farnworth

Runs until Saturday

BASED on the storied visit of Antonin Dvorak to America, Summer Song enchanted London's audiences upon its opening there in 1956.

Almost 60 years on, the Czech composer's beautiful melodies are still as enchanting.

Dvorak’s story of the New World is a tale of comedy and pathos combined with a compelling score of authentic operetta standards and melos.

Eileen Reeves is in top vocal form and gives the role of Karolka the immigrant with the right amount of subtlety, coming into her own when falling for Shaun, played by David Griffiths who also gives a top vocal performance.

One of the better-known tunes in this piece, Cotton Tail, was delivered in true operatic style by David Reeves who gave the role of Abe the nuances needed to make this poor downtrodden character believable.

Comedy touches are provided by Tony Meehan as circus man Joe and his bride-to-be Millie, portrayed as the shy Irish girl by Kathy Rowell. Both worked together well, singing through the score with relative ease.

The music of Summer Song was written by Antonin Dvorak and unusually he is also one of the main characters in the operetta. Dennis Meehan took on this role and did the composer proud as his stature and demeanour was just right.

As most of the action takes place in an Irish inn you would expect an Irish landlady to be just around the corner — and she was.

Mary Gething gave a hearty performance as Ma Flannigan with her sharp tongue and no nonsense approach. Her rendition of Murphy’s Pig was delivered with style.

The operetta company, under the direction of founder and director Allen Christey-Casson, always puts a great deal of effort into making the set, on such a limited stage, look effective and this production was no different. The lifelike piano on stage left was a nice touch and was complemented by effective set dressing and lighting.

Under the baton of musical director, Robert Aston, the principals, chorus and orchestra brought Dvorak’s score to life with some well-balanced harmonies.

This was good production of this little performed operetta that deserves to have the dust blown off it more often.

Paul Cohen