After the long interval, as darkness falls, the screw turns in this Garsington revival more woundingly than any I can remember for Britten's most concentrated masterpiece. Evil chords, trills, cadenzas and silences from the 13 superb Philharmonia players conducted by Mark Wigglesworth duly terrorise; Verity Wingate as the Governess to two orphaned children in a house which seems haunted by their former elders really does seem possessed.
"It must be nerve-wracking for a young singer to step into such a role and Carolyn Holt applied herself with aplomb, settling convincingly and confidently into her part... The audience showed approval of her performance with loud drumming of feet at the curtain call.”.
'Sung with agility and warmth here by tenor Joshua Owen Mills'.
Andri Bjorn Robertsson as an imposing Sarastro.