Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition

National Concert Hall, Dublin 2, January 26

Who knows what dark arts , intriguing arguments and technical points international singing juries must resort to in their search for a winner?

Certainly, when the winners were declared after the final of the sixth Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition last week, the eminent jury members had subjected themselves to an arduous week of competition before settling on the delightful South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza for the first prize of €10,000.

Nobody in the audience could have quibbled, even though Matshikiza had been pushed strongly by her equally impressive compatriot Sarah-Jane Brandon and the Co Clare-born tenor Dean Power. On the night, I suspect that a poll of the capacity audience would have chosen the first three in some order.

Matshikiza’s voice flowed like honey in her delivery of three popular arias - something not always favoured by finalists - but then so too did Brandon’s. The difference seemed to be that indefinable glow between song and performance, which subtly immersed the listener in its passionate embrace.

Surprisingly, no Irish female singers made the final night, though there were impressive semi-final performances, particularly from Rachel Kelly, Claudia Boyle and Sarah Power.

The male singers, however, cam e up trumps with the emergence of an exciting new baritone in 21-year-old RIAM student Benjamin Russell, who had not previously performed at anything like this level.

However, the primary buzz in the concert hall surrounded the performance of Dean Power, the 26-year-old tenor. His ability has been closely monitored for some time but here, he excelled to such a degree as to invite comparisons with John McCormack and Dermot Troy.

These may be premature yet - not to mention intimidating for a developing singer - but one undeniable fact is that when Power’s crystal clear voice opened up to reveal a resonance of pure gold, the audience’s attention visibly deepened. Considering that he double faulted in the opening round and was in danger of being eliminated, the end result proved a spectacular achievement.

As well as taking third place overall (€4,000), Power also won the best male singer of the competition, and was awarded €3,000 donated by fellow tenor Anthony Kearns. He also won the Handel prize (€500) for the best Irish singer. His vocal coach Mary Brennan at the RIAM and his mentoring company, Opera Theatre Company, can take a well deserved bow.

Probably the biggest talking point on the Irish contingent was the failure of soprano Claudia Boyle to make it to the final night after a spectacular performance in the semi-final.

Boyle, whose all-round talent is undeniable, seemed to over-perform with vocal pyrotechnics, which wowed the audience but not the judges. Certainly, one would have liked to have been a fly on the wall during that particular adjudication.

Another surprise was that singers from the Middle East made less of an impact than of yore. Others whom I thought unfortunate not to progress were the powerful Canadian soprano Yannick Muriel Noah and the elegant Dutch soprano Laila Sbaiti, a recent major competition winner. But then, we will all have our favourites and misgivings and, as Albert Reynolds might have said, that’s juries for you.

Overall, this competition - which attracted more than 70 young singers from around the globe - is a tribute, not just to the power of music, but also to the power of the love of music as exemplified by the energy, generosity and dedication of the Friends of the Vocal Arts, which organised the event.

Veronica Dunne, now in her 84th year, is the inspiration, but there are other heroes too - not least artistic administrator Dearbhla Collins whose drive and commitment to the competition reflected her approach to the development of classical music generally in this country.