Christopher
Ainslie
Poro, re dell'Indie (title role) - 2007 London Handel Festival
The Independent on Sunday - 'Obscure no more'
...Comfortable at both extremes of his voice, artfully expressive between the two, eloquent in his body language, easy in his coloratura, and a compelling actor even when listening, silently, at the edge of the stage, Ainslie has remarkable presence. But this is a remarkable role, in a remarkable and inexplicably ignored opera. Superbly directed, stylishly conducted, properly nurturing of young talent, and totally gripping in the interaction between the characters, this was the most enjoyable staging of a Handel opera or oratorio I have seen since the revival of Peter Sellars' Theodora...
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The (London) Independent - 'Poro, re dell'Indie'
...Conductor Laurence Cummings belongs to the Handelian school of relish and coaxes and cajoles honest primary colours from the London Handel Orchestra. But on the singing front only counter-tenor Christopher Ainslie (Poro) and soprano Ruby Hughes (Cleofide) possess what might be described as the essential quality of rapture. Individually they shine, together they entwine with touching awareness of the orchestra's luscious harmonic suspensions...
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Opera Today - 'Handel: Poro, re dell'Indie'
...He has a strong, well-supported, alto voice with no hoot or wobble and – in contrast to Vale – had plenty of opportunity to display his natural ease and skill with the more poignant and reflective arias that Handel wrote for the master of that genre in the 1730’s. His acting skills were to be applauded too – he managed to find a number of ways to continually display jealousy without succumbing to routine...
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2007 Handel Singing Competition
Musical Pointers - 'The Handel Singing competition 2007'
...countertenor Christopher Ainslie, who is one of those singers who comes onto the platform looking as though he is pleased to be there and can’t wait to share his singing with the audience. He has a lovely creamy voice and good breath control, amply demonstrated in his opening piece, Ombra mai fu. Arias from Orlando and Tamerlano followed, clear, accurate and well characterised.
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Solomon (title role) - 2007 London Handel Festival
MyCulturalLife - 'Review: Solomon at the London Handel Festival'
...Ainslie's Solomon was beautifully toned, well supported and nicely phrased. Ainslie is a very musical singer. I would have like more of a sense of drama and more of a feeling of letting go at the crucial moments, but given the last-minute nature of his substitution we must wait for a further opportunity to hear what he can do in this role. But there is no sense of short change, Ainslie's was a highly effective and affecting performance....
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Handel's 'Orlando' (Medoro) - Independent Opera at Sadler's Wells
Opera Today - 'Triumph over Adversity'
...Christopher Ainslie was a golden Medoro vocally and visually.
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Music & Vision - 'An Entertaining Evening'
...As Orlando's rival in love, Medoro, Christopher Ainslie was called upon to spend a large part of the time dressed only in a gilt brocade sarong. It says much for Ainslie's sang-froid and competence that he managed to bring this off and dazzle with his singing. Medoro is a lover rather than a knight, so his arias tend to be of the expressive sort rather than martially dramatic. Ainslie responded with shapely singing and convincing dramatic involvement.
That the cast was young was a great help in this production. Ainslie and Rebecca Ryan as Angelica really convinced that they were in love, and Ainslie's scene with Dorinda (Joana Seara), where he has to sympathise with her love for him without actually telling her that he loves another, was very moving.
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