Janilee Jimenez de Abrikian, Gleaner Writer

It was hard for these patrons to remain in their seats during one of the more thrilling performances.

Last Sunday, a fairly large audience at the University of the West Indies Chapel, Mona, was treated to 'June in May', a recital-concert by June Thompson-Lawson, Paulette Bellamy, JonWilliams, One Third, violinist Nadje Leslie, Alex Martin Blanken, Rafael Salazar and Michael Harris.

With Thomspon-Lawson's first song, the audience knew what to expect: an impressive display of vocal colour and richness of tone.

Her opening number was Parto, Parto, from Mozart's opera La Clemenza di Tito. The aria is Sesto's reponse to Vitellia, who is enraged because she has been rejected by Emperor Tito and wants him killed. Sesto is so bewitched that he agrees to carry out the assassination of his dearest friend.

The musical acrobatics of this virtuoso aria, however, presented some challenges for the singer in the roulades (runs) of the allegro (quick) passages, where articulation and intonation needed to be more precise, as well as in the repeated climactic phrases towards the end. Stronger articulation of the Italian 'r' would have helped the needed emphasis in some phrases.

The outpouring of the liquid tones of the clarinet obligato, played by Rafael Salazar, and the accompaniment of the violin and keyboard enhanced the beguilingly beautiful melody.

Thompson-Lawson followed with the florid bel canto Pur Dicesti, O Bocca Bella ('O Beautiful Mouth'), which was done with great sensitivity, agile execution of notes and good phrasing. A more pronounced enunciation of the double consonant and double glide of bocca and bella, respectively, would have enhanced the light, playful character of those phrases. Il Mio Bel Foco ('My Joyful Ardour') showcased the warm chest register that is outstanding in this singer. The voice, however, did seem 'confused' at times, particularly as it slipped into the higher register, losing its mezzo colour from time to time.

Moto Perpetuo ('Perpetual Motion') was delightfully executed by violinist Nadje Leslie. The opening ascending scale set the pace for what would be a piece of continuous quick movement, with only a slight reprieve midway through, before the reprise. Leslie's excellent bow control, with the player sometimes having to execute entire phrases in one bow stroke, her dexterity of fingers, precise intonation, the musical attack of the phrases supported by the staccato piano accompaniment, along with the cadenza-like codetta, coalesced into an excellent and memorable performance.

Thompson-Lawson's flawless performance of Cole Porter's The Tale of The Oyster was highly entertaining and her diction exemplary. This was the story of the oyster who longed for the high life, eventually getting his wish, being consumed by a very rich woman - gaily gliding 'down to the middle of her gilded insides'. Having had enough of high society, the singer very effectively demonstrated him regurgitated to where he had come from, to the great amusement of the members of the audience.

Old favourites

Thompson-Lawson's expressive interpretation of Niles' Go 'Way From My Window preceded Melody Lane by Paulette Bellamy on the piano and Jon Williams on the keyboard. Old favourites - Schubert's Heidenroslein ('Red Rosebud'), Michael Arnes' The Lass with the Delicate Air and Handel's Where Ere You Walk - were thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.

The bewitching tones played by accompanist Anne McNamee on piano dramatically evoked the night and mystical, moonlit forest of Dvorák's, Song to the Moon. In the song, Rusalka, a water sprite, tells her father that she has fallen in love with a prince and wishes to become human. As the singer confided her secrets to the moon, the graceful ease, lyrical expressivity and passionate interpretation with which she sang had the audience spellbound.

The second half of the show opened with One Third asking Please Forgive Me. Bodies rocked, feet tapped and voices sang along to the Bee Gees' How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? and the mellow blend of harmonies in The Temptations' My Girl was enhanced by smooth choreography and the singers' dark suits, vests and neckties of varying shades of green - and Miguel's matching top hat, of course.

Andrew Lloyd Weber's Amigos Para Siempre engaged the audience through the sultry rumba rhythms played by Alex Martin Blanken and Paulette Bellamy and hip-swaying, hand-kissing byplay, as Thompson-Lawson's turquoise-coloured gown perfectly complemented the men's attire. This piece received thunderous applause from the audience.

Classical training and ethnic heritage came together to produce an entertaining Dina, which depicted the plight of a hungry man, Michael Harris, and his unrepentant spouse, who had eaten all the dinner.

Gentle rumba

Leslie's Evening Time was done to a gentle rumba, accompanied by keyboard, bongo drums and shakas. The medley of Jamaican folk songs, arranged by Paulette Bellamy, which followed, were enriched by Kumina rhythms, decorative passages and pizzicato phrases and enlivened by pulsating rhythms that at one time had Leslie doing some dinkimini steps during Mango Time.

Thompson-Lawson's powerful voice was unleashed in the Negro spirituals All I Do The Church and Joshua Fit De Batltle of Jericho, the latter being done jazz style.

Having been told by compere Vivian Crawford - who kept the audience amused throughout - that there was no GCT on applause, the audience called back Mrs. Thompson-Lawson, who thrilled her listeners with Without A Song.