Toad Lane Concerts: Joseph Buckmaster tenor and Tim Kennedy piano

Tim Kennedy and Joseph Buckmaster

Few things command the attention as much as a full-throated tenor voice, be it on the opera stage, football world cup anthem, or adverts for internet comparison sites. It immediately conveys passionate emotions writ large. Following the tradition of household names Mario Lanza and Pavarotti, Joseph Buckmaster proved to be a rising star when he performed at this week's Toad Lane Concert on Wednesday 22 November.

He equally enjoys working with opera companies, such as Opera Holland Park and Heritage Opera, chorus for both the Royal Opera House and English National Opera, and concert and oratorio appearances. His career began as a chorister and lay clerk at Chester Cathedral before studying at the RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music) and the Royal Academy of Music.

Joseph was expertly accompanied by multi-talented Tim Kennedy who studied music at Cambridge and is a freelance professional singer, vocal coach, organist, and piano accompanist, including ten years as a repetiteur at the RNCM. Tim also supplied a delightful virtuoso solo piano interlude.

Glorious oratorio singing from Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus and Messiah, and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria linked well to operatic arias from Puccini’s La Rondine, Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Singing in English can be challenging but works by the American Lee Hoiby and Vaughan Williams were also effortlessly interpreted.

Finally two arias from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni were ideally suited to Joseph’s maturing ‘lyric spinto’ voice, leaving the audience demanding more.

This was concert number 1,064 since taking over from the council in 2001. The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday 12:30 – 13:30 at the Grade 1 listed St Mary in the Baum Church, Rochdale OL16 1DZ, admission £6.

To see details of forthcoming Toad Lane Concerts, click here.

Dr Joe Dawson