As a new graduate singer, no matter how prestigious your college, getting any sort of singing role is hard. As for getting a leading role? Way beyond most graduates’ highest aspirations. Which is why the Hampstead Garden Opera (HGO) holds such a treasured place in many successful singers’ memories.
Founded in 1990 by Roy Budden who had previously run opera classes at the Hampstead Garden Institute, and developed under its current chairman emeritus Alastair Macgeorge, the HGO stages two fully professional operatic productions a year at Jackson’s Lane theatre or elsewhere around Highgate. Each is performed, led and directed by young graduates under the guidance of the experienced heads of the HGO. Each production has four performances each with two casts to give the maximum number of young singers and players a chance to perform. Although originally conceived to showcase Mozart operas, the HGO repertoire now ranges from Monteverdi to contemporary pieces. 2022 saw Janacek’s Cunning Little Vixen, John Blow’s Venus and Adonis and Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, 2021 The Marriage of Figaro, 2020 Gustav Holst’s Sāvitri – just to give you some idea of their range.
Each production is accompanied by an excellent on line programme giving not only cast details but some insight into the opera and HGO’s take on it. All are available on the Archive page of their site.
Since they started to include pre-classical and baroque opera in their productions the HGO have also developed HGOAntiqua for period instrument players. This means that they can not only advance young singers but support young instrumentalists specialising in period instruments. HGO are one of the few opera companies to offer this.
The HGO is run by the HGO Trust Ltd, an entirely voluntary charity operation that has no employees or overhead expenses, and dedicates its entire income directly to advancing young singers.
If you want to know more or get involved, check in to their site here – you can donate, become volunteer or, if you are feeling flush and enthusiastic, sponsor an opera!!
And so, Agrippina
Handel operas are an art form of their own – a long series of glorious cantatas, loosely held together by recitative, normally portraying a tale of blood, lust, ambition and intrigue hard to match outside Succesion or the Sopranos. Agrippina is no different.
Set by Handel in the Rome of Claudius and Nero, HGO transferred it to Silicon Valley – where Agrippina will employ every wile in her extensive repertoire to ensure her feckless son Nerone inherits the throne from her ineffectual husband Claudius.
I saw the 20th May cast all of whom were excellent: Astrid Joos as Agrippina channelled Cruella Deville (although as the programme pointed out, as an empress in Rome it was not easy to hold your own) , Katie McDonald as Nerone channelled the spoilt son and George Robarts as the vacillating Claudius was delightfully gangling and ineffectual. Biqing Zhang as Poppea was stunning not only in voice but in looks – definitely a future Butterfly. Meanwhile the period instrument group under conductor Thomas Payne was delightful.
Other causes worth supporting…
If you are feeling in a generous mood after this morning’s announcement that energy prices are being capped, don’t forget:
- The Britten Sinfonia who, despite ticking every box that the Arts Council asked to be ticked, lost a £1 million of funding in the last Arts Council hand out – see this post for more.
- The Thomas Hardy songs Kickstarter campaign to fund a recording of the Hardy songs that will feature in our July 13th concert here at Hampstead Lane. See below and the booking page for more details.
Upcoming concerts
Sunday 11th June – lunchtime concert with The Reliables
As part of this year’s Highgate Festival on Sunday 11th June we have Highgate local Rob Pfeiffer (guitar and vocal) and long term collaborator Dave Barrows (sax, flute and electronics) giving us a taste of African dance grooves, classical Indian music and modern Jazz.
Sunday 11th June – 12.00 noon – £15 to include copious quantities of Bucks Fizz – Book here
Thursday 13th July – Thomas Hardy poems set to music
Some of Thomas Hardy’s most famous poems were written following the death of his first wife Emma from whom he had been estranged for 20 years. These lyric poems, expressingly deeply felt ‘regret and remorse’, are regarded as the peak of Hardy’s poetic achievement.
They inspired Australian mezzo soprano Lotte Betts-Dean – who, in turn inspired composer Arthur Keegan. The result is a song cycle which, together with guitarist James Girling, they are recording this autumn. But meanwhile we get to enjoy a preview of their work. For a flavour, check in to their Wessex Songs website where you can hear some of their rehearsal tapes.
More details to come in a future post – but why not get ahead of the crowd and book now!!
And also….
After the success of the early 19th century supper which follower the Fanny Mendelssohn concert earlier this month, we are looking at the possibility of an Edwardian supper to accompany Thomas Hardy.
£28 to include buffet supper and wine – buy tickets here.
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