Cavalleria Rusticana, Blackheath Halls Opera review ★★★★★

Alongside the big name soloists, the chorus is a powerful presence on the opera stage, and in London we have two brilliant choruses, at the Royal Opera and at English National Opera. With their mighty musicianship they can lift a production to a higher plane.

But I know of no chorus as gifted at suggesting the all-walks-of-life nature of a story's observers and participants as the Chorus – or rather, choruses – of Blackheath Halls Opera. That is because the women, men and children of the choruses genuinely are from all walks of life, and it is their diversity as well as their musical input that makes their big numbers so impressive.

I cannot have been the only person who wiped away a tear when this great community choir lifted up its voices in the famous Easter Hymn from Pietro Mascagni's dramatic Cavalleria Rusticana, this year's annual production. This was congregational singing at its most heartfelt, and incredibly moving.

Katharine Broderick as Santuzza and Oliver Johnston as Turiddu. Photo: Craig Fuller

Mascagni's passionate tale is a musical masterpiece loved since its first performance in 1890, and for this production the team behind the company's string of recent successes returns: director Harry Fehr and musical director Chris Stark, conducting Blackheath Halls Chorus, Orchestra, Youth Opera Company and pupils from local schools. From the orchestra, sharing the floor with the singers, there are both big, bone-shaking explosions of sound and delicate solo work.

Staged with a mid-century vibe on Elliott Squire's stripped-back set, chairs and tables alone suggesting the all-important church and the small community's public space, it relies on the fresco colours of Alice McNicholas's costume design and Chuma Emembolu's expressive lighting to intimate that we are in Mascagni's native Italy. Otherwise this is any small town anywhere, where private quarrels are hard to hide.

The opera opens with rejected Santuzza's realisation that Turiddu, whom she was to marry, is having an affair with his former girlfriend, Lola, now married to a local salesman, Alfio. Turiddu's mother, Lucia, doesn't want to get involved in her son's curdling relationships. These five main characters are sung superbly by all soloists, led by Katharine Broderick as a young woman initially prepared to plead for Turiddu's love, and then quietly vengeful.

Idunnu Münch as Lola. Photo: Craig Fuller

As Turiddu, tenor Oliver Johnston is a hugely likeable cad, and the showdown between former lovers is spectacularly sung. Warm and characterful Idunnu Münch sings slinky Lola, and Michel de Souza is Easter Bunny Alfio, back from his life on road with chocolate eggs for all. As mamma Lucia, Janis Kelly is knowing and pained beneath her brisk facade.

And that infinitely varied chorus just sees it all, crowding in, commenting, looking away, melting away.

Happily, Blackheath Halls Opera has no intention of melting away, even though it receives no public subsidy and is reliant on generous and visionary patrons. After this week's record-breaking six performances, it will take a breather for only a few days, and then set about its 2025 production. We're all ears...

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Cavalleria Rusticana is sung in English, with surtitles. Performances are on 23, 24, 25 and 27 Sept (7:30PM) and on 28, 29 Sept (4PM). Click here to book