Rodgers and Hammerstein's Some Enchanted Evening, exquisitely sung by Edward Scorgie, described in the programme as a singer wandering into a deserted warehouse and wondering where Opera Factory is now, proved the perfect introduction.
This deftly dramatised potpourri of arias, ensembles and choruses was an evening of celebration, as SallySloman's company presented its first production in its promising new premises.
The underlying concept of "enchantment, magic, illusions, spells and miracles" was Sloman's, and her singers were more than willing accomplices, particularly with confident chorus work.
Iolanthe's fairies, tripping hither and thither, made one want to dance along with them, and the senior ensemble was so full-voiced in Gounod's Faust that one longed for an orchestral accompaniment.
Pianist David Guerin was the orchestra for the night, playing with an artistry that is rare for such events.
Extracts from Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Menotti's The Consul and Puccini's Suor Angelica would have been considerably less without the colours he brought out in the music.
One could not imagine a more thorough training ground for young singers than Opera Factory. Over and over again they showed how well they understood the theatrical demands of works such as The Consul.
Here, for a few minutes, Garreth Spillane caught his character of the desperate Magician, effortlessly realising one of Menotti's dramatic coups by hypnotising his fellow refugees and a grim secretary into a moment of dance.
There were other notable solo turns. James Ioelu spun well-articulated spells in Gilbert and Sullivan's My name is John Wellington Wells, Sian O'Gorman was a lovestruck Siebel in Faust and, a few numbers later, proved to be an elegant Pamina to Scorgie's Papageno.
Among the smaller roles, Claire Filer's promising alto impressed in Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel.
The presence of Scorgie, along with that fine tenor Jack Bourke and soprano Emma Sloman, ensured that the evening did have a professional edge.
Sloman's Song to the Moon from Dvorak's Rusalka, with Guerin at his most poetic, and a soaring Vilia from The Merry Widow, complete with stirring chorus, ended the evening as magically as Rodgers and Hammerstein had launched it.
