A chance to hear Barbara Dickson singing classical music in a superb television special from 1986 where, mixed with some of her best-known material, she tackles the classical repertoire with style and surprising results! Barbara, known widely for her interpretation of ancient folk music in addition to pop classics and theatre songs of the 20th Century, here embarks on a quest.
She seeks answers to the question that, if she, one of the finest singers in her genre, can learn and perform a classic aria of the early operatic repertoire, what it would be like? The late singing teacher Ian Adam, himself a virtuoso classical singer, leads her through the stages of discovery leading to the ultimate performance of the work.
She chooses, in her curiosity to see if this is indeed achievable, the Gluck piece Que Faro from his opera Orfeo ed Eurydice, which was first performed in 1762; the aria sung by Orpheus to his dead wife Eurydice. Barbara remembered the song sung in English by the lovely, lyrical contralto Kathleen Ferrier, which was popular when Barbara was a child in Scotland. Kathleen sung the song in English but Barbara chooses to go for the original Italian setting.
On this DVD you will hear some other favourites from Barbara’s 1980s repertoire including MacCrimmon’s Lament and Caravans where she is accompanied by her then touring band, in a studio setting. As a voyage of discovery, we see Barbara struggling and finally triumphing in a complex and compelling film. You must judge for yourself as to whether Barbara conquers the aria or whether her own genre is where she flourishes and is at her best. She does a sterling job!
