with Laden Ince (soprano); Nihat Ağdaç (violin) and Atakan Sari (piano) and Ayla Rose Say (Guest artist – soprano)

by Heidi Trautmann

An enchanted evening and the images of Saints on the icons smiled from above on the performers and the audience as beautiful music floated upwards to them….. an evening organised by the Church Comité and the Foreign Residents to restore the chapel in the Karmi Cemetery and sponsored by the Little Society in Kyrenia.

A mystic atmosphere reigned in front of the church entrance as the many guests gathered with little light over the church square and the performers doing their last rehearsal inside; 108 seats were available and all were taken, some guests even sat outside with the doors ajar. The stage in a soft red glow coming from the bougainvillea arranged around.

George Ward, the master of the Kyrenia Choir, did the introduction, but mentioning with regret that Vic Lundie who should stand there in his place, was no longer among us.

The performers cast a spell over us with a programme well chosen. Laden Ince, one of our musical trasures started the evening. I have attended most of her concerts during the last years and have witnessed with amazement the development of her beautiful voice; she is a hard worker and strives to continuously undergo voice training by teachers in various countries and of high standard,  for example last year in Germany when she gave some concerts in Germany and France. Atakan Sari accompanied her on the piano; they seem to work together often because of his very sensitive support. In the first part they brought

H. Purcell ................................ Music for a while from Orpheus Britannicus Z583, no.2

W.A.Mozart ............................. 'Ach, ich fühl's' Pamina ' s Aria from Die Zauberflöte

G. Donizetti .............................. 'Quel guardo il cavaliere ... So anch’io la virtu' magica'

Norina's Aria from Don Pasquale Laden İnce, Soprano; Atakan Sarı, Pianoforte

Nihat Ağdaç (see his website http://nihatagdac.com/  ) we were all curious to meet and hear him play the violin, as his reputation as excellent violinist has preceded him. He played for us, together with Atakan Sari on the piano

W.A. Mozart………………….Sonata in B Flat Major K 378 for Violin and Piano

Allegro moderato

Andantino sostenuto e cantabile

and Rondeau Allegro

M. Sun……………………………Bozkirin

In the second part, after an interval of 20 minutes with a glass of wine donated by Starling Supermarkets, Laden Ince continued the evening with

Max Reger ............................... Mariä Wiegenlied Op.76, no.2

F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy ..... Suleika Op.34, no.4

G . Puccini ................................ ' O mio babbino caro ' Lauretta's Aria from Gianni Schicchi

C. Gounod ............................... 'Je veux vivre' Juliette ' s Aria from Romeo et Juliette

Nihat Ağdaç played a modern composition by

Arvo Pärt..................................Fratres for Violin and Piano

I looked it up in the internet and found the following:  Fratres, meaning "brothers" in Latin, is a composition by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt which exemplifies histintinnabuli style of composition. The first version was written in 1977, and was followed by a wide variety of arrangements for other instruments. It is a "mesmerising set of variations on a six-bar theme combining frantic activity and sublime stillness that encapsulates Pärt's observation that 'the instant and eternity are struggling within us'.  An absolutely striking piece for violin… and piano… played by Atakan Sari.

Laden Ince introduced a young singer to the audience by the name of Ayla Rose Say, she was shy as it was her very first performance.  She has a sweet young voice and brought

 A.L.Webber .............................. 'Think of me'

Christine ' s Song from The Phantom of the Opera

The applause and bravos shouted by the audience brought us an Encore

Zeytinden aşı mısın - E . Gündüz & Raif Denktaş; duzenleme : by all three performers  Atakan Sari, Nihat Ağdaç, and Laden Ince.

Thank you for the pleasure you gave us; we wish you a successful road to travel to the  music lovers around the world and to represent the island of Cyprus.