Soprano Eve Rachel McLeod sang Victor Hugo Lieder. While McLeod has a voice of genuinely operatic power, she kept it gentle, always soaring gently to high notes while respecting the intimacy of the venue.
Eve Rachel McLeod was the last soloist to appear, resplendent in red, for Handel saves the silvery soprano voice to announce Christ's birth. McLeod's voice and manner was ideal for this and for the flashing runs and lyrical moments in her other three arias.
She rose admirably to the challenge scaling the heights and tackling the stratospheric arpeggios without flinching [...] There was the worry that the stentorian Margison might dominate McLeod, though that was not a problem. The feisty soprano met the tenor's challenge, and more than held her own for the duration [...] McLeod was ultimately a wonderful pleasure. At times, her voice had a penetrating concentration, piercing the air and captivating the listener, though her held notes were fully developed, never missing a chance for musical nuance. Sempre libera (Verdi's La Traviata) was a particular highlight, with its tempestuous flurry of drama and colliding emotions."
Soprano Eve Rachel McLeod and bass Jason Nedecky gave 100 per cent in attitude, stage presence, musicianship, clarity of diction and vocal sound to be the stars in this area.
Eve Rachel McLeod as Queen of the Night created her role with a cutting edge to the voice and a demeanour reminiscent of a Cruella. She is definitely one to watch closely!
Eve Rachel McLeod, gracing the performance with possibly the strongest stage presence, possesses a beautiful voice and moved through the indignant-to-vindictive-to-repentant phrases of Donna Elvira's character well.
McLeod, a soprano and Hegedus, a bass, also stand out. Both performers are great actors as well as vocalists, and I hope to see them in future productions.
Making a strong showing were three newcomers soprano Eve Rachel McLeod, tenor Daniel Auchencloss and Mezzo Jennifer Enns-Modolo.
Particular mention for solo and duet airs beautifully sung go to sopranos Eve Rachel McLeod and Teri Dunn.
...Eve Rachel McLeod has a fine instrument and strong stage presence.
The soloists were excellent and young soprano Eve Rachel McLeod's strong, lyrical voice was a great surprise.