JANUARY 13, TURNED out to be far from an ordinary day in Chiangmai. The morning was dark and dreary, more of a typical winter day in London. Then later, a soft feathery rain shower fell and cleansed the city's air. An extremely rate occurrence of rain in January. And yet the refreshing feeling of falling rain was only a hint of another rare event to come later in the evening.

In the evening, Mario Bolognesi, who has performed worldwide in many musical venues sang a sampling of vocal works ranging from the 16th through to our 20th century. His interpretations, phrasing and intonation added much to our enjoyment of these two works. We had heard that he had been through a bout of fever a few days prior to this engagement. However, his artistry and eloquence left no doubt as to his abilities on this evening. Thank you, Maestro Mario, for sharing this repertoire with us.

At the piano to accompany the vocal selections was Thailand's beloved Nat Yontaranak. His playing was sympathetic and sensitive to both the singer and the music. The two Scarlatti sonatas were spirited and crisp. There was a hint that the piano, perhaps not used as frequently as it could be, had a bit of its own spirit, which Yontaranak graciously conquered. He also played his very romantic and lyrical arrangement of "Nam Fon", a piece written by Thanpuying Poungroi Apaiwongse.

It is not possible to do justice in this writing to this varied program. The presence of many young people in the audience was significant. The Payap University Choir sang with the tenor, Bolognesi, in Franks's "Panis angelicus". It is to the great credit of the teachers and choir mistress that students, growing up in Thai culture could so attune their voices to these harmonies and produced the beautiful sound we heard. They also responded with great gusto, encouraged by the stamping feet of Maestro Mario to "Funiculi, Funicula". There were moments, when the Thai version of the chorus was sung, that the audience was ready to join in.

This overview would not be complete without special mention of Namtarn Yontaranak. In a knowledgeable, interesting and succinct manner she went over the program prior to each half. The young and mostly Thai audience response to the music and the artists had a great deal to do with her explanations which were beautifully delivered and also music to the ears. It is wonderful to see and hear the dedication and enthusiasm the Yontaranaks showed the audience on this evening. This couple extended an invitation to ten members of the Payap University Choir to wing with the choir who will accompany Tenor Mario's performance in Bangkok.

Nat will be returning to Chiangmai on March 6 to perform his latest work, a sonata, written for H. M. the King's 6th cycle. Tickets will be available at the public relations of the Kad Theatre. After an appearance in Chiangmai and subsequent performance in Bangkok, the Yontaranak family will travel to Rumania and Germany where a tour has been arranged. We shall look forward to more of these musical events in the future and thank all those who made this evening possible.