Marcelle Clamens (Soprano) Sylvia Plyler (Piano) Saturday, 21st June St. John's Church, Pembroke *** Under the auspices of The Dunbarton School of Music, and accompanied by the dynamic Sylvia Plyler, Marcelle Clamens' recital at St. John's Church on Saturday night was a testament to courage and quite remarkable talent.

Performances of this calibre come rarely to the Island. That the soprano is Bermudian should be a source of great pride to the community. That she began pursuit of her career when a mature adult should be an inspiration to all.

Her introductory aria was "V'adoro, pupille'' from Handel's "Julius Caesar''. Serene and stylistically embellished this was a fine start to a varied and demanding programme.

A sparkling performance of "Depuis le jour'' from Charpentier's "Louise'' followed. Here we were made instantly aware of the beauty of the singer's tone quality, the brilliance of her upper register -- it's a thrilling sound -- and her potential for emotional intensity.

From opera she moved effortlessly to the intimacy of the German lied, and began a well contrasted group of three songs with Schubert's vibrant "Rastlose Liebe''. Miss Plyler's mastery of the virtuosic accompaniment ensured an exciting performance.

In "Die Mainacht'' by Brahms which followed, at a rather pedestrian speed, which challenged breath control and phrasing and could have posed problems.

Happily here and in the composer's "Meine Liebe ist grun'', the line was securely rich and sonorous with a full breadth of dynamic range.

We continued with French Chanson, Debussy's "Beau Soir'', "Chere nuit'' by Bachelet and "Fleur jetee'' by Gabriel Faure. Again Marcelle Clamens displayed an excellent command of style as Faure's passionate outpourings brought the first part of the programme to a dramatic close.

Mozart's music is translucent and requires the ultimate in technique and artistic expression. The vocal line must be flawless. "Ach, ich fuhls'' Pamina's lament for her lost love Tamino from `Die Zauberflote'' -- "The Magic Flute'' -- was the aria with which the soloist began after the intermission. Although there was some insecurity and interruption of legato line, the poignancy of the spurned Pamino shone through.

One of the highlights of the evening however was the convincing performance of "Or sai chi l'onore' from "Don Giovanni'' which followed. Here Marcelle Clamens was the personification of the outraged Donna Anna entreating Don Ottavio to avenge her father's murder. It is a role which she could well aspire.

The final operatic offering was the shimmering "Signore, ascolta'' -- Liu's aria from Puccini's "Turandot''.

The programme continued on the lighter side with "Some Enchanted Evening'' from "South Pacific'' and a sublime "Summertime'' from "Porgy and Bess''.

After the spirituals "Here's One'' and "Honour, Honour'' a well deserved standing ovation led to the encores "Ride On King Jesus'' and "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands''.

Discriminating though the audience was, with many professional musicians present, it should have been larger for a recital of such quality. Perhaps ticket prices (forty dollars is rather a lot) discouraged some regular concert goers.

However it was heartening to see an enthusiastic political presence in the shape of Premier Pamela Gordon moved to congratulate this outstanding Bermudian singer publicly with a warm embrace -- a gesture endorsed by all those present.

We all wish Mrs. Clamens well for the upcoming international competition later this month in Italy.

Those who wish to hear more of the formidable Sylvia Plyler can attend her master class at 7.30 pm on Monday evening at The Cathedral of The Most Holy Trinity.

Congratulations are due to The Dunbarton School for organising this exceptional Gala Concert.

MARJORIE PETTIT SPARKLING PERFORMANCE -- Marcelle Clamens REVIEW REV