Jos? Carreras at the Fairmont Southampton

The earliest days of Bermuda's history are filled with tales of the Island's efforts to keep out the Spaniards, but last week a man from the Iberian Penisula came, and he has conquered.

Already a huge name in the world of opera, Jos? Carreras was catapulted to even greater international fame after the wildly successful Three Tenors concerts; events that still resound throughout the word of music.

The three men, including Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, because of their wish to raise money for cancer, found themselves and opera catapulted to even greater fame and an entirely new audience.

This Spaniard is certainly among the very greatest opera singers; his gift is a voice of truly extraordinary splendour. More important, however, is his mastery of the instrument and spellbinding stage presence. At this stage in his career it is widely accepted that his instrument is not the one it once was.

However, few classically trained singers can match this tenor's complete command of the voice and ability to express the smallest nuances of any piece that he performs, and with such alacrity.

This was all the more impressive, considering the venue in which he performed. The auditorium at the Fairmount Southampton has long had a reputation for its challenging acoustics. None the less, Carreras was not defeated by this, and that is perhaps the greatest testament to his ability.

Most of all, Carreras' presence itself is extraordinarily powerful. He is mesmerising; during this concert I really did feel that he was singing just to me.

By Bermuda standards, the audience was a large one, and yet he kept it entirely in thrall. While the master performed, one could have heard a pin drop. At the end, their appreciation was tremendous; on their feet, they insisted on two encores.

The pieces Carreras selected for his Bermuda concert were, on the whole, light and unfamiliar ones. In part, this was because he was accompanied only by a pianist - there was no orchestra to meet the demands of a more technically difficult programme - and in part, no doubt, his bow to the restrictions of a voice that has reached this venerable point.

The pianist was Lorenzo Bavaj, who in the world of classical music is well known in his own right.

Carreras opened with two pretty and typically Italian pieces by Mario Pasquale Costa. The songs by the more emotive early twentieth century composer Francesco Paolo Tosti provided more weight and dramatic opportunity; they gave the chance to hear the seemingly effortless versatility of Carreras' voice.

These were very romantic songs; and despite the drama, the performance was never overdone. These were, for me, the highlight of the concert.

The second half opened with gentle piece; `L'Oreneta' by Enric Morera and in the same vein, Ariel Ramirez's tender `Alfonsina y el Mar' and Enrique Granados' light-hearted `Andaluza'.

It was at this stage of the programme that an extremely fortunate young lady was presented to the audience by the master himself to sing the famous and much-loved `Summertime' from Gershwin's `Porgy and Bess'. Bermuda's own Elca Maranzana was surrounded by friends who cheered her appearance on the stage; she did not disappoint them or the rest of the audience - she gave a charming performance of this always-popular piece.

Carreras concluded the concert with a pastiche of pieces that demonstrated his bigger voice including `Un Ombra' by Richard Addinsell, the composer who wrote the famous Warsaw Concerto. Stirring stuff, and the audience loved it.

There was some disappointment that Carreras was not accompanied by an orchestra as had originally been planned; however it was an opportunity to hear his voice with nothing to distract from it.

It was a wonderful opportunity to have Carreras, this extraordinarily talented artist, in Bermuda, and the fact it sold out, and the audience's unquestionable enthusiasm for his performance, are testament to the Island's appreciation for artistry at this level.