For one night only, Trinity College Chapel was filled with Italian voices for the performance of Mozart’s Idomeneo. Performed by the Lambe Company, the opera is set in Greece and has the ‘full Monty’ of Gods, guts, love and monsters. I didn’t understand a word or really follow the plot, but I didn’t need to and wouldn’t have wanted to. I just sat back and listened, and was transported to a sort of daydream where people were singing the most beautiful melodies with the most emotionally charged and realistic fluency. Knowing the precise details of the storyline was unimportant compared to just soaking in the atmosphere of the chapel. It was amazing to see just how much the performers cared about what they were doing.

The venue made the whole night and the chapel was packed, but this did not take away from the performance and the quality of singing and acting. The cast made the most of the space by striding frequently down the centre aisle. It almost seemed as if the performers weren’t even aware there was an audience. The ensemble of violins, violas, cello and harpsichord was just as intrinsic to the magnificence of the opera as the actors, and I found the dynamics they used, which mirrored the acting, quite astonishing. It was like a conversation between voice and instrument, seamlessly integrated. Not to mention, who doesn’t love a good timpani roll for a bit of drama?

The cast was outstanding, to say the least. I honestly can’t pinpoint a single star, as they were all so confident and, most of all, passionate about what they were singing. I’m undoubtedly new to the world of opera, but I was completely shocked at what power can be put into words, beyond a poetry recital or so-called ‘moving songs’ by the likes of Adele; this was in a different league altogether. It was every man for himself, however, with nowhere to hide in the lengthy solos. The individual performers were tasked with taking the attention of the whole chapel, and they succeeded purely by internalising their roles fully; they were lovers, fathers or enemies instead of people putting on a show. The subtle exchanges, glances and emotions in their faces spoke volumes, and although I didn’t understand a single word of the Italian, the performances did justice to the idea that eyes are the windows to the soul; the emotional content of what they were saying was clear.

Although individually there were extraordinary voices, when they came together it was even better. The chorus deserves a special mention; dressed in white and appearing to glow, each person put in so much effort and passion, and yet they functioned in complete synchrony, moving and working with each other. I was amazed that so many strong voices could go together in harmony and essentially sound as one, despite individually standing out. The highlights, in my opinion, were the momentary silences between acts, or the pauses of the singers where there was not a sound to be heard; despite the number of people everyone was holding their breath which just reflects how enchanted everyone was.

A much better way to spend a Saturday night than watching The Voice at home!