HAS Mr Burnard entered a competition, I wonder, to try to be the most negative critic of the year?

In his review of Norma by the White Horse Opera at the Corn Exchange (Wiltshire Times, October 27) almost every paragraph began with an acclamation of the production albeit rather patronising only to be followed immediately by an almost vicious condemnation.

One thing about throwing vitriol you need to be pretty precise about your target. The programmes were £2, not £2.50, and if Mr Burnard ever had to pay to attend a professional opera performance instead of himself being paid to write waspish reviews he would know that a seat comparable to the one he was given at the Corn Exchange would have cost him £42.50.

His supercilious expressions of faint praise such as "most of the music was sound" or "much of the singing was fine" is quickly followed by a meaningless blanket condemnation.

Fairminded authoritative criticism is always welcome, but Mr Burnard's review makes me think that Kenneth Tynan's definition of a critic as "a man who knows the way but can't drive the car" is a little too kindly.

I'm not sure that Mr Burnard even knows the way.

LESLEY AGER

Ham Green

Holt

I HAVE just read Reg Burnard's review of White Horse Opera's Norma. Did he go to the same opera as me? I don't think this gentleman really understands Bel Canto opera. He missed the point saying it was "leaden" especially the chorus.

I found the singing, the costumes, the set and the interpretation of the story stunning. It was worth every English penny. I have seen many indifferent productions at Covent Garden and The Met, paying over £100 for just the ticket.

Congratulations White Horse Opera, most of us thought Norma was a wonderful experience.

MARION HOSFORD,

64th Street,

New York.