Reviews

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Mad King Suibhne, Bury Court Opera, conductor/composer

 

'tremendously enjoyable and accomplished... what a delightful operatic experience' Rupert Christiansen, @rupechri, Mad King Suibhne, March 2017

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'The new work, finely crafted, was Noah Mosley's one-acter, Mad King Suibhne, which the composer, who founded King's College London Opera, adroitly conducted... shades of Pelléas... Mosley's score is varied, lively and energised: rich in instrumental colour from a small ensemble... divine upper string writing... and - these being celtic lands - makes effective use of the harp and horns... like a modern Purcell... exquisite vocal writing - the Queen's song, part lament, is a notable instance' Opera Now (Roderick Dunnett), 4/5, print April 2017

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'Mosley... has a gift for melody... the craftsmanship was always sensitive and the orchestration skilful... the six singers, each vocally distinctive, were given lines they could really bring to life' Opera Magazine (Yehuda Shapiro), March

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'Mosley’s score seems grounded in the Irish folk tradition. The sheer variety of music on display... can convey melancholy and yearning alongside joy, wonder and a sense of the beauty of nature.' music OMH (Sam Smith), 4/5, March 2017, see the whole review here

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'One notable, and highly effective, feature of the score is that the flute and bass clarinet form characters on stage and frequently accompanied Suibhne (Dominic Bowe) in the moments when he was most tormented by his demons. The stripped down nature of this writing, just voice, flute and bass clarinet, contrasted markedly with the lusher textures of Mosley's orchestral writing... Noah Mosley's style is tonal and highly eclectic so that whilst the scenes for Dominic Bowe's Suibhne were often bare and stripped back, with a highly effective use of the female chorus in both singing, speaking and other non-verbal effects, there were also big tunes... The small instrumental ensemble under Noah Mosley played admirably and brought out the score's nicely detailed orchestration... it is to Noah Mosley and Ella Marchment's credit that the audience was held spellbound.' Planet Hugill (Robert Hugill), 4/5, March 2017, see the whole review here

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'Insanely good... a magical tone... a hauntingly beautiful score... ' Farnham Herald, March 2017, print

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María de Buenos Aires, A Curious Invitation, Conductor

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'María de Buenos Aires is an atmospherically charged performance with excellent singing and a wonderful live band. I was gripped throughout.' Wine Spice (Warren Edwards), May 2016

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'If you’re a Piazzolla lover, you’re now in for 90 minutes of undiluted intravenous injection of the stuff, performed magnificently by an eleven piece orchestra... I deeply love Piazzolla’s music, and to get a whole evening of it performed this well – and in the most bizarre of settings – was a treat'. Bachtrack (David Karlin), May 2016, see the review here

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Hathaway - Eight Arias for a Bardic Life, Helios Collective, Music Director/Pianist

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'An outstanding and beautiful performance', Copenhagen Opera Festival, 2016

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July 20th 1944, Helios Collective, Bussey Building, conductor/composer

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'The powerful last scene deals with the aftermath with a big duet for the lead conspirator's wife and the commandant of the prison where she is incarcerated.' Planet Hugill (Robert Hugell), October 2015, see the whole review here

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A Last Farewell, Helios Collective, Bussey Building, conductor/composer

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'Mosley’s musical writing has elegant flair, combing a Puccini-esque emotional provocation with Wagner’s sense of impending doom. It’s impressive stuff, played with great sincerity by the singers and musicians of Helios Collective, and a climactic aria at the end silences the crowd...  some (people) standing so close to the orchestra they’re practically in it, clapping after poignant arias, beer splashing out of their plastic cups.' And about Toi Toi, the whole event; 'We’re living in a momentous time for opera. Gone is any obligation to be bound by genre, and it’s exhilarating to see how many young artists are toying with the art form, crafting it into something relevant to themselves and their peers.  Toi Toi’s mixed bill broadcasts the approachability and scope of modern classical music which, we soon realise, is far too varied to write off as a whole... I have the invigorating feeling of being utterly free of convention.' Fringe Opera (Francesca Wickers), January 2015, see the whole review here

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Formations 2015, Helios Collective, Music Director and Producer

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'The advantage of the masterclass format was the ideas could be tried out, and for each of the operas we had the fascinating procedure of taking short sections and re-scoring them, working out other possible ideas.' Planet Hugill (Robert Hugill) on Robert Saxton's masterclass, November 2015, see whole review here

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Our House, Pimlico Opera, ISIS young offenders institution, Chorus Master and Assistant Music Director

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'Then followed five full weeks of rehearsal, Mondays to Fridays, with the (cast) returning to their cells for lunch but otherwise spending the rest of the day like a professional cast. The final result is astonishing, with the (cast) joining in the ensemble numbers with a native joie de vivre that carries the audience along with them... love shines through and (people) who have never been applauded for anything in their tough lives get hope for the future from the standing ovations greeting their wholehearted efforts.' Musical Theatre Review (Jeremy Chapman), March 2015, see the whole review here

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Sister Act, Pimlico Opera, HMP Bronzefield, Chorus Master

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'the professionals of Pimlico Opera... achiev(ed) what can only be described as a miracle, (the audiance) emerged from HMP Bronzefield unable to disguise their tears and open-mouthed in amazement... the ensemble works joyously, carrying a full house along with their enthusiasm for the catchy numbers and hectic routines... it (the 2009–10 West End run of Sister Act at the Palladium) won’t have made the audience laugh and cry any more or sent them out into a winter afternoon with more of a song in their hearts.' Musical Theatre Review (Jeremy Chapman), March 2014, see the whole review here

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'Pimlico Opera's production, combining as it did a stunning Deloris from Jocasta Almgill with the vibrant performance of the chorus, certainly hit the spot... The chorus brought a real sense of vibrancy and community to the performance and their big production numbers all had a vivid energy. They made you forget that most had never sung on stage before, and drew you into the show in the most engaging manner... This was simply a glorious afternoon in the theatre, with all the cast seeming to have as much fun as the audience.' Planet Hugill (Robert Hugill), March 2014, see the whole review here

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'One of the most amazing shows/live performances I've ever seen in my life.' Simon Devonshire, @simondevonshire, March 2014

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'A triumph, an uplifting experience all round.' @Wigwam culture, March 2014

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