Merlin Music Society Review February 2007

When I was asked to go and see Wendy Dawn Thompson perform at the Blake theatre, I was excited, having heard of her incredible achievements, such as winning the Kathleen Ferrier award in 2003. I was eager to see if she would live up to my expectations and undoubtedly, she did. Wendy walked onto the stage with confidence and professionalism. Being a singer myself, listening to such an amazing vocalist perform is always a joy. Wendy sang songs by Purcell, Debussy, Duparc, Strauss and Bolcom. I particularly enjoyed the songs by Debussy as they were sung with such passion and emotion and the beautiful melodies were presented brilliantly.

Her technique was fantastic, her dynamic variation captured the audience and drew us into the storylines that she was portraying in the music.

The pianist, Lindy Tennent-Brown was truly sensational. I could feel the emotion oozing from her as she played the complicated accompaniments. Her striking performance accompanied Wendy’s voice perfectly.

Wendy’s final set of songs by Bolcom were modern, cabaret songs. Not only did they have delightful melodies but were filled with humour that caused the audience to chuckle and really enjoy the performance. A perfect way to end a great evening.