Exclusive: A singer steps out to cover Gardiner absence
NewsAt last night’s makeshift performance of Les Troyens at the Berlioz Festival in La Côte Saint André last night, assistant conductor Dinis Sousa stepped in for Sir John Eliot Gardiner, who left the production abruptly after a violent incident.
Gardiner’s, however, was not the only absence.
Four dancers had been engaged to perform a Nubian slave dance. Moments before the show, they pulled out, perhaps fearing they might be accused of cultural appropriation.
Nobody thought to tell the singers on stage. When the fake Nubians failed to appear, Glaswegian mezzo Beth Taylor (singing Anna) leaped up and performed a dance of her own – completely spontaneously and unrehearsed.
Might she do it again at the Proms?
Beth tells us: In light of what has been happening with our touring project making headlines, I thought I’d share a lighter, funny moment from yesterday’s performance.
Sometimes being a singer means taking one or two risks and making a fool of yourself 🤣
In this clip, I was expecting four dancers to appear on stage for a ballet sequence during Act IV of Les Troyens… unfortunately, the music started and nobody showed up. In a state of mild panic, having already been sat for some time with other instrumental sections, I decided to get up and make up a dance. 💃💃💃
So, there you have it. If i don’t answer my phone, it’s because I’m in negotiations with the Royal Ballet for my next season as principal ballerina.
Norman – have you got a Trojan Horse in there or smoothing? Your info is spot on.
Beth Taylor: You rock! More please!
+100
Fabulous. Truly.
Wonderful! And a fabulous singer too!
I am now beginning to think that the story about Sir John Riot and his fake Nubian dancers is a gag to increase public awareness and ticket sales.
Hmm, that would have got a rise out of good Sir John
A knockout?
Would that have happened spontanously if JEG had been conducting? Those could have been career limiting moves.
To be fair, John Gardner has shown himself up recently in a much more serious way.
I mean, its no secret that Johm Gardner was always a cantankerous person unless you were his flavour of the month that week. Im glad his true colours have come to light and his actions are much more serious than a spontaneous dance from a singer.
Love her. Amazing singer. Bold spirit!
Well I suppose that’s what’s called “Getting Jiggy for JEG”
In any case, a very convincing performance – hurrah !
At least SOMEONE has a decent sense of humor in this latest version of a “Jeggy mess.”
She has fun ad is good at it. Why not.
Kudos for spontaneity, guts, verve, and some good moves!
Gloves are off, I see!
Just wonderful! Promise for the Proms then. Might make the journey from Leeds to London worth making after all that has gone on with the Trojans. A bit of light relief! Wonder what Josephine Veasey and Neil Howlett would have made of the opera going on on the sides as the fringe!
She’s actually a natural dancer and very good. I love the spontaneity and the lack of inhibition. A creative action in an urgent moment!
A most uplifting story. Really glad to read it.
Many congratulations, Beth Taylor. Even if your dancing career does not take off, I hope that your innovation in this performance will take you to even greater heights in your singing career
I look at SD this evening and there are four successive JEG stories. Has nothing else happened today? Is there a particular longstanding beef between SD and JEG? Does someone have a bee in his expensively millinered headgear? I think readers deserve an explanation!
To be fair the Trojans fiasco has been the major story in the classical music world over the last 36 hours – indeed, on arriving at Victoria last night for the train home the first thing I saw was that big screen next to the departure board showing the news that JEG had announced he was pulling out of the proms. It was even in a fairly prominent position on the BBC news website, which also stated that SD had broken the story.
Beth, your colleague in the orange/red dress shouldn’t have been treated like that. While parading your ego you made her very uncomfortable. Have you asked her permission, and all the musicians of ORR before putting them on YouTube? I will contact your agent for an answer. I have many friends in that band…
By all means do, if you want to make a fool of yourself.
Your comment brought back memories of Peter Sellers as the shop steward in I’m Alright, Jack. I don’t like your comment at all, but I was glad for the throwback in time. Nevertheless, you get a downvote from me.
Maybe spellcheck your name first, Karen.
Misogynistic moniker: and nonsensical, when aimed at ‘Bob’, who is likely to be male.
No clue if you can’t name the colleague in the orange/red dress. Jog on one of “many friends”
Really? Really, Bob??? ♀️♀️♀️
Are you speaking officially for the other singer? Your behavior is far more embarrassing!
Party pooper…
Would you have preferred the Ice Bucket Challenge?
Because cold water appears to be your thing …
Steady on Bob! No harm was done. The lady in the orange/red dress declined, was mildly amused in spite of her slight embarrassment, but kept all of her dignity intact. Let’s not go telling teacher.
Oh Bob, I’m sure you will get the response you deserve from Beth’s agent, which is nada!!
Poor little stuck up man that you are!
Jeez, at times I’m so glad I never made it in the industry! All this snobbery and attitude and judgement. Absolutely soul destroying.
The arts are suffering in all sorts of ways and one of the biggest problems is this sort of attitude from so called professionals.
Any other industry wouldn’t tolelrate it for 5 minutes let alone decades!!
We’re all glad you didn’t make it. If you had, you’d know that it’s been accepted courtesy for some time to ask an orchestra’s permission before plastering their faces online for your own purposes.
It’s got nothing to do with the music business or my gender anyway folks – you can’t put people’s faces and performances online without permission.
Look at Ashley and Will’s reactions to the left of the picture – they’re embarrassed.
Awh shucks, thanks Bob. You’re a charmer and clearly speak for everyone.. (ahem).
I fail to see your point here though, Beth has shared a video clip not made the clip herself?
Also, you don’t get to educate me in what I do or don’t know in terms of what is permitted.
I work with many organisations within music and know precisely what permissions and paperwork needs to be sorted before anything is published or broadcast etc.. its a pain but a neccessary evil of the work we do.
Nice try though! Try harder next time.
What splendid improvisation.
“Culural appropriation”? Sure thing. You know, non of them is really Trojan, right?
Brava!
BRAVA, Diva!!!
Hahaha, Beth!
You rock it.
Brava!
True Diva spirit! Funny how it suddenly occurred to the dancers they might be involved in cultural appropriation minutes before the show. After weeks of rehearsing: “Hey guys, hang on a minute….!”
The text above says “perhaps fearing” – as I read it, that is pure speculation, not grounded in any concrete information.
Unless that phrasing is meant to say something else, we have no idea why the dancers pulled out, and the invocation of “cultural appropriation” seems little more than an attempt to stir up controversy without concrete foundation.
You should not have ‘stepped in’. The dancers walked for a reason. By taking the spotlight you completely obliterated their message.
And what is their message, pray? As far as I know the dancers have not communicated any kind of message, and we have no idea why they pulled out.
The singers didn’t know why the dancers weren’t there. I assume Beth thought they’d just made a mistake. Her spontaneity was fabulous, the excitement of live performance.
Perhaps the dancers could have voiced their objections during the rehearsals, instead of waiting for the performance and then simply not appearing on stage? Without a warning for anyone?
Maybe because, with the maestro present, they had feared being slapped, or punched in the face for bringing up their concerns?
The Greeks had Isadora, the Trojans have Beth. So this is where “nubile” comes from…
Any black-facing issue and racist accusitions to add to the jeggy mess?
Beth Taylor, you are wonderful. Chapeau to your dance and to your firey spirit. You are a real artist
Haha how fantastic! Shame her colleague didn’t join. What a legend.
That wouldn’t fit the story if she had. The acting of her reaction was very fitting for her character’s part in the production.
Gawd! Even in the face of a spontaneous, entirely unpremeditated, and wholly generous response to an unexpected absence, a couple of voices here will carp anyway. Talk about being joyless!
The carpers put me in mind of the asinine failed furor over a U.S. congresswoman’s similarly joyful dance:
https://youtu.be/wXvqJTOKcp0?feature=shared
A good candidate for ‘Strictly’ next season
Another part of this business: why doesn’t anyone let the soloists know that the dancers won’t be performing for whatever reason? This is not negligence, it is disrespectful treatment of performers.
Well done. I see Paula Murrihy left Beth to it
I can’t stop watching this. Pure joy. A real stage animal in the very best sense.
Nubians at the Proms?? Pity it’s not being televised
How well Beth Taylor’s on the spot action fits the plot of Les Troyens.
Firstly, Dido is supposed to have some dancing to watch during this music. It is a semi staged performance and to leave a blank in the middle of the stage space with no dancing to look at makes no sense.
Anna , Dido’s sister is the more lively of the two ( her role is a bit like Belinda in the Purcell Dido, a confidante.)
It is normal for Dido to refuse to join in as she is preoccupied – again matching the story.
We don’t know why the dancers didn’t appear as planned, but lets be grateful to a resourceful artiste whose imaginative flare helped to bring the scene to life.
Absolutely no need for nasty or negative reactions here.
Berlioz , composer and librettist wrote to Princess Wittgenstein that his aim for this work had been ‘ the truthfulness of the expression.’ Surely the audience at last night’s performance experienced that and there is nothing wrong with bringing a dash of joy to a cast that has faced a tricky time , especially when that spontaneous gesture fits the plot!
“Fearing they might be accused of cultural appropriation.” Is there no end to this Maoism infecting our arts?
Is this the same Beth Taylor as made such a strong impression at this year’s Cardiff Singer of the World competition?
Too bad Miss Orange wasn’t into it.
The pas de deux turned into a pas de one-and-a-fraction.
What’s next, Beth? A gig on “Dancing with the Stars”???
Good thing Maestro Sousa was on the podium, cos JEG might have slapped her as well…
#irony
Hi Norman,
Hope you’re well.
I am a part of this tour.
I’m sorry to say that there were no dancers involved. Members of the choir were going to dance but considering we didn’t have time to rehearse the plan was simply changed. Nobody pulled out.
Have a lovely day,
Mouche
Thanks, Mouche!
It is unfortunate that this is not completely correct and an important aspect of the situation gives quite a distorted vieuw of what actually happened.
Dancers were members from the choir and were told for various reasons last minute that it was cut. Unfortunately the principals were not informed.
Good on yer Beth that was great improvisation.
Hello Norman,
I can confirm that there was no specific interpretation and no dancers hired. Simply a few talented members of the choir were meant to dance a little and fill the space.
No agenda and no statement. Just not enough rehearsal time, so it was cut by production team shortly before the performance. However, they forgot to tell the soloists beforehand, so I panicked in the moment.
But my brave colleagues and I continued to perform in our characters. Anna is always the more playful of the two sister, whilst Didon would absolutely have refused to dance. It also works beautifully when Didon sings ‘Assez ma soeur’ right afterwards!
I applaud everyone’s good humour and spontaneity in this moment. I’m glad people are having a laugh at my teletubby-level of dancing!
This project is something so special and everyone involved is so immensely talented. I’m sorry this silly moment has been misinterpreted by some into something other than hilarious jiggling.
Please everyone continue to support this beautiful production and all of the artists involved. I’m blessed to be a small part of it and will undoubtedly remain a career highlight.
Thanks, Beth!
I don’t think it has been misinterpreted. On the contrary, it has given immense pleasure to thousands who would have been unaware of the production. N