The 59th season at Haddo brought a fourth staging of Carmen at Haddo that was conducted by James Grossmith, Scottish Opera's chorus master. A version of the score slightly reduced by Lara Taylor was used for the first time, using a nineteen piece band. As well as being cheaper to employ, this was undoubtedly kinder to the young, fresh voices generally used in Haddo productions.
As usual, the cast included a judicious mix of youth and experience, with David Stephenson returning home for a brief visit to repeat a role he had first performed back in 1991. Allison Cook and Gordon Wilson also had established careers. The highly promising South African bass Vuyani Mlinde made his Scottish debut before joining Covent Garden. Most of the other principals were current students or recent graduates of the Alexander Gibson Opera School in Glasgow.
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