By: Wendy Sheard
Croeso! Welcome to Welsh National Opera’s stunning Blaze of Glory, a story of coal, community and choirs in a Welsh mining village in 1953. It begins with the trappings and traditions of the era, women at home and men working in the mine. The village is healing after an underground disaster, and the choir becomes the focus, bringing hope for the community to embrace.
Caroline Clegg directs the production with such care and attention that no detail is forgotten. The music, composed by David Hackbridge Johnson, is a surprising blend of genres, traditional opera, hymns, jazz and even yodeling. The vocal writing moves from close harmony to soaring arias and vibratos, the shifts in rhythm and style feel rooted in the life of the village. Emma Jenkins, the librettist, has created lyrics that sound natural and showcase the musicality of Wales. Together they have crafted stories of real people and places, triumph and tragedy, all wonderfully realised by an ensemble of talented performers.
Blaze of Glory captures a collective experience, lives shaped by legacy and tradition. A palpable sense of togetherness flows from the stage, drawing us into a village of characters, including Miss Jenkins, Mr Evans and Mr Jones, alongside Bronwen, Blodwen and Branwen, a trio who bring sparkle and vivacity akin to the Beverly Sisters.
At the centre are Mr Pugh and Miss Price, our hero and heroine, magnificently played by Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts and Rebecca Evans. Vocally, both bring warmth and finesse, the phrasing keeps the emotion grounded and true. Their love story threads gently through the performance, two people and two voices finding each other, both yearning for a ‘happy ever after’.
And then there is the choral presence, the heartbeat of this piece. The ensemble sings with a united and collective richness, balancing power with tenderness. Hymn-like passages boom into the auditorium, while the lighter, quieter sections show an agility of vocal talents. Other relationships come sharply into focus too, friendships, feuds and fights, sitting alongside bittersweet moments that turn elation into heartbreak.
The staging, technical and lighting production are wonderfully inventive. Front doors transform into the coalface, simple headlamps and pickaxes conjure the feeling of being miles underground, the creation of the charabanc [the bus] from a few simple props is, quite simply, fabulous. A never-to-be-forgotten shower scene is funny whilst also illustrating how hard these men worked and what they risked bringing coal to the surface.
There are many small moments of magic and vignettes which make us smile and then jerk us back into the reality of where this performance is based. The pit head and its winding tower, a constant presence, looming over the people, a reminder of the fragility and harshness of life in this community.
Blaze of Glory is a joyous, laugh-out-loud, tear-jerking production, a rousing celebration of resilience, powered by music that lingers long after the curtain falls.
Diolch; thank you Welsh National Opera, another moving and magnificent production, too good to miss!