From strength to strength

Astaging of The Valkyrie in which the climactic ring of flames around Brünnhilde was removed because of ‘safety issues’ was never going to get ecstatic reviews. But one man emerged from English National Opera’s misfiring show last autumn with his glowing reputation polished even more. Singing the role of Siegmund for the first time, the Scottish tenor Nicky Spence sounded born to perform Wagner. Yet earlier in the year, when he sang the part of the anguished Laca in Jenůfafa at the Royal Opera, he sounded born to sing Janáček.

And doubtless when he returns to the Royal Opera in May to take the role of Samson in Samson et Dalila, he will sound born to sing Saint-Saëns. At 38, Spence has emerged as one of the most versatile and powerful tenors, and finest actors, on the scene today. And his packed schedule for 2022 suggests that every opera house in the world has suddenly woken up to his qualities.

HE’S ALSO FUNNY, engaging, generous and totally without pretensions. I can vouch for that. Starved of live entertainment during 2020’s lockdown, and looking for something, anything, to write about, I went to one of soprano Mary