Jennifer Geens
Special to Northern News Services
Published Friday, September 26, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - World-renowned dramatic tenor Ben Heppner popped into town last Saturday as part of a Northern recital tour and wowed a capacity crowd at Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC).

In an opera hall in Toronto or New York, all you'd see would be singers the size of ants on the stage. At NACC, we were close enough to see the spit fly in arcs from Heppner's teeth when he got particularly animated. That's one of the many blessings of life in the North.

Heppner, who grew up in Dawson Creek, B.C., began performing in small centres in 2006 with a tour of Northern B.C. He toured rural Ontario last year and this year hit Yorkton, Sask., Medicine Hat, Alta., Fort McMurray and Whitehorse.

He found an appreciative audience in Yk which is home to a tight-knit community of classical music lovers who normally have to make do with CBC Radio Two and live movie theatre broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera. It's a small wonder they fell upon the tickets for Heppner's recital like a pack of ravenous wolves on filet mignon. NACC even squeezed in 24 extra seats on the stage, prompting Heppner to observe "You've got me surrounded."

Relaxed and gregarious, Heppner launched straight into his first set of folk songs arranged by British composer Benjamin Britten, putting the songs into context and telling stories using a microphone between songs. Next up were six songs in Russian, Swedish and German.

After intermission, he broke out the Wagner. Heppner is well-known for his performances in the German composer's lengthy operas, including the Ring Cycle and last season's Met production of Tristan und Isolde. He invested his operatic numbers, which also included arias from Le Cid and Andrea Chenier, with energy and drama leaving no doubt as to why he is at the top of the opera world.

Heppner credits his origins in Dawson Creek for keeping him grounded despite all the success and praise. His sense of humour must also play a role, given his hilariously terse sum-up of the plot of Die Walkure and his description of the sarcastic aria on love from Andrea Chenier as "pooping in the punch bowl" at a party.

But even if he takes himself lightly, he takes his craft seriously.

By the end of the evening, after being brought back for two encores, his tie was off, his hair was mussed and sweat was trickling down his face. And even after we took pity on the tired man and let him go without a third encore, he had still pledged to stay until he had met everyone and anyone who wanted a CD signed.

Heppner is a truly great tenor, in more ways than one.