natalie@natalieraybould.co.uk
Her ability to switch from the experimental and avant-garde to the
sentimental and traditional seamlessly is one of the most potent weapons in her
armoury
Operaticus
...never heard and seen such a singer: beautiful voice and a strong presence on the stage - incredible; hard to imagine these songs with a "normal" gifted singer...
Harry Vogt Director, Wittener Tage
There were also some wonderful illustrations of her work through recorded sounds and video, but also live performance. [Errollyn Wallen] was joined by Omar Ebrahim and Natalie Raybould who at one point gave a stunning rendition of a movement from her work for children, Cautionary Tales. Author Bonnie Greer also performed a snippet from the upcoming opera, Yes, based around her infamous appearance on Question Time in 2009, for which Greer herself was the librettist.
James Waygood Sosogay
What really carried the show was the performance and personality of the artists involved. While Young was a charming compère to the proceedings, it was soprano Natalie Raybould and baritone James Savournin that drove the entire show with their animated and agile performances of all the operas... Together and apart they were both a real joy to watch, with their ability and their energy making for some captivating entertainment.
James Waygood Sosogay
...Natalie Raybould was uniformly excellent, and brought so much to even the most under-composed of repertoire. Her acting ability matched her singing and defined the character-based works such as those by Tattersal and West. Her ability to switch from the experimental and avant-garde to the sentimental and traditional seamlessly is one of the most potent weapons in her armoury, and was greatly used in this performance. It can’t be long until she is given a major role by a major company.
Catherine Elford Operaticus
...Natalie Raybould was reassuringly capable...delightfully comic...brings life to every note.
Mathew James remotegoat
A complete and utter delight...a brilliant cast.
Lyn Gardner The Guardian
Natalie Raybould...entered fully into her role as puppeteer...performed with great skill and her singing was impressive.
John Bird remotegoat
...a delightful performance by the young Natalie Raybould with the Kreisler Ensemble. This was hard to fault for musicality, vocal skill, language, rhythmic accuracy and basic concept, including her appearance in a charming and original ‘girl-clown’ costume. A nice touch was the use of a hand-held mirror: she arrived on stage at the end of the concert interval, putting on her make-up in view of the audience. She has developed her own highly convincing Sprechstimme. Her attitude to the work is refreshingly idealistic and committed, informed by a combination of intellect and a sheer love of the music.
Jane Manning OBE Voicing Pierrot
Natalie Raybould’s clear and convincing soprano voice handles the considerable demands impressively.
It was another soprano, Natalie Raybould, who stole the show at Saturday lunchtime, performing with the Kreisler Ensemble under Matilda Hofman. Everything Raybould touched turned to gold, from pianist Iain Farrington's bluesy settings of Maya Angelou to her vocal and choreographic cadenza on Maxwell Davies's adaptation of Purcell. The centrepiece was an astonishing tour de force written for her by Cheryl Frances-Hoad and sung entirely in Old English. The Glory Tree had remarkable scoring, stratospheric singing and was performed with shamanic authority, her final scream reverberating through the cloisters.
Keith Bruce The Herald
Nathalie (sic) was a key feature of the programme, consistently striking in her ability to perform and communicate contemporary music, making it engaging and accessible. She demonstrated an impressively wide vocal range and ability to sing in a range of languages, including Old English. She particularly contributed to the dramatic element of the performance and was able to evoke a range of feeling and atmosphere in the range of pieces alongside the use of costumes...dancing, facial expression and general bravado.
Tamsin Mendelsohn Scottish Arts Council
Natalie Raybould gave an intense, stunning and emotionally draining performance.
Audience feedback Tête à Tête 2007 Opera Festival
Craftily, Tuckett plants two fine singers among his onstage chorus of dancers, and these two give a running commentary in song - their diction so crisp I didn't miss a syllable - setting the scene, moving the action along, and generally adding pep and polish to the musical ensemble. I loved their florid interruptions of Geppetto's patter song, helping him choose a name for his foundling wooden son.
Jenny Gilbert The Independent
...superbly convincing both as singer and actor...Raybould's was the most striking performance of the evening. She had lead roles in all six works, and showed a kaleidoscopic range of characterisations; from distressed care-worker to glamorous socialite and from sex-mad harpy to world-weary singleton.
Tom Service Opera
The performances are as near to faultless as you can get in live music-making...the voices are all promising...Raybould's the most flexible. Indeed Raybould is something of a catch; physically confident, an astute actress and full of charm.
Anna Picard Independent on Sunday
The real stars of the show are the performers, especially Raybould, who takes starring roles in every piece. Her transformations from socialite to psychic are brilliantly accomplished, and she gives each role a vivid dramatic and vocal characterisation.
The Guardian
Soprano Natalie Raybould stands out as an impressive talent with an uncanny eye for dramatic detail.
Warwick Thompson Metro
Natalie Raybould is superb as the girl left behind; a suitably inward, thoughtful performance with excellent diction.
Opera
Natalie Raybould...gives a searing performance as The Girl...
Simon Trezise Opera Now
[The Girl] is played convincingly by English soprano Natalie Raybould, who rises vocally to the big dramatic moments, whilst in the quieter passages she was extremely moving.
Gus Smith Irish Times
Natalie Raybould is radiant…moving from innocence to authority.
Pat O’Kelly Irish Independent
Natalie Raybould, a soprano with real dramatic flair and dazzling technical virtuosity.
Mark Hewitt West Highland Free Press
Natalie Raybould conquered all as Cleopatra; vocal control, presence, acting - all superb.
Jeannine Alton Oxford Mail