By Fran Gillespie/Special Correspondent
The programme may have been entitled “A Poetry Evening”, but the performances staged by the students of Doha College on Wednesday proved to be a cabaret-style mix of songs, music and dance as well as plenty of poetry.
Arranged by the English department head, Jasmine Cortazzi, and compered by her colleague Barbara Pain, children aged from seven to 17 gave of their best to an audience of almost 200 parents, staff and friends.
Starting with the song, Catch Me If You Can, sung by a small girl with a powerful voice, Jenny Feeney, the programme got underway with the youngest children acting and reciting Michael Rosen’s comic poem The Itch and, dressed in their warmest coats, caps and mufflers, Ogden Nash’s Winter Morning.
With temperatures in Doha still well into the thirties, a reminder that cold weather does exist was more than welcome!
Two entirely different styles of dances were presented: Bethany Elsby and Lorena Hydeman performed foot-tapping contemporary dances involving energetic synchronised gymnastics, and Adrina Gnanachandran, resplendent in glittering gold ornaments and glowing scarlet and green costume dazzled the audience with traditional dances from South Asia.
Music was represented by more solos from singers Rebecca Alexander and Lorena Hydeman, and a confident performance of the first movement of Clenenti’s Sonata in G by pianist Sophie McTaggart.
The main part of the entertainment was, however, the poetry.
Not a line was muffed, no one froze in panic and forgot their words, everything went smoothly and all the students performed with outward confidence, however nervous they may inwardly have been feeling.
Among many outstanding recitals, highlights were dramatic and stirring renderings of William Blake’s The Tyger by David Vaughan and Tennyson’s The Eagle by Aaron Smith.
Ayat Omara gave an amusing interpretation of Shakespeare’s tongue-in-cheek sonnet My Mistress’ Eyes and Maria Sturia an equally meaningful rendition of what is perhaps Shakespeare’s best-known sonnet, Shall I Compare Thee.
Modern poets were not forgotten, with New Zealand poet James Baxter’s The Bay recited by Anisa Norman, and African-American writer Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise recited by James Hughes.
To cap the evening, junior students Caitlin Hunter, Shamilah Halford and Fraser Robbie read poems they themselves wrote.
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