tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62886115573382152182012-02-16T16:44:09.150ZOpera North's Spring season features three new productions based on Shakespeare plays: Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Roméo et Juliette. With three powerful operas on offer, all with the common theme of Shakespeare, we thought it was an ideal opportunity to get talking about Shakespeare, music and opera.Opera Northnoreply@blogger.comBlogger91100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-19150175364227213092008-06-18T09:47:00.001+01:002008-06-18T09:54:22.072+01:00

Well here we are in the last week of the tour. We spent last week in the rather space-age Lowry Centre in Salford Quays. It was great to get back to Manchester to have a look round all my old haunts and to pop in to see the in-laws. Manchester has changed a lot over the years I hardly recognised the city centre and especially the new look Royal Northern College of Music where I studied for six

Opera Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434492544905548034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-75118141568099668752008-06-05T16:06:00.001+01:002008-06-05T16:07:54.471+01:00

Two hours from Gatwick is a little known piece of holiday heaven known as Whitley Bay Caravan Park. Six of us are staying in two Gold Caravans; well we would be if it weren’t for admin errors!! So we settled for a Silver and a Gold, and being the kind gentlemen that we are, the ladies have the Gold. Needless to say it rained all day and so our Silver was marooned in a sea of mud, most of which

Opera Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434492544905548034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-61329387613805737252008-05-22T13:28:00.002+01:002008-05-22T13:33:54.822+01:00

Well it’s been a while, but I had a few days off so raced home to Kent to spend time with the family. I’m now back in Leeds, with all rehearsals finished and just performances left. Mind you tomorrow I have a rehearsal for a different A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Not the Britten but a concert of the Mendelssohn incidental Music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We’re not singing but just acting!

Opera Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434492544905548034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-29166746871630725442008-05-13T10:13:00.004+01:002008-05-13T10:23:21.596+01:00

We’re now in our final week of rehearsals and the sun has been shining on us. I spent another weekend in Leeds and a few of us got in the car and drove to the countryside. The National Trust is an opera singers best friend while on tour. The bluebells and wild garlic were intoxicating and the ice cream with two flakes and chicken salad for dinner has left me raring to go. We have four ‘stage

Opera Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434492544905548034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-28327208159306290092008-05-06T14:30:00.012+01:002008-05-13T10:17:45.511+01:00

I’ve been running like a mad thing between a forest in Athens and a wedding in Verona!It was the first night of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Saturday. The audience seemed to enjoy our efforts very much and everyone was very pleased. The asses head and tank-top are two of the hottest things I’ve worn on stage, it’s like having your own personal sauna. The weight is falling off, hurrah! (Photos of

Opera Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434492544905548034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-8200710171002697312008-04-29T10:51:00.004+01:002008-04-29T11:09:35.409+01:00

Another week has flown by, and what a week. On Monday I went to the dress rehearsal of Macbeth. What an evening! Some fantastic singing and the Opera North chorus at their best. The production is very powerful and dramatic. On Tuesday we spent the day out at West Park with the orchestra for the ‘Dream’ sitzprobe. It was a great day. Stuart Stratford is on fine form and got some great music

Opera Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434492544905548034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-59459324771165053242008-04-22T16:08:00.003+01:002008-04-22T16:14:20.854+01:00

Well Friday was our last day in the rehearsal room for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We ran the entire opera and all seemed to go very well. It was a chance to sit and enjoy the other scenes and I must say it was great fun.Everyone is very excited about moving on to stage and getting into costume and onto the set. I crept into the theatre the other day where Martin (Duncan) and his team were

Opera Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434492544905548034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-87556980271209023962008-04-15T10:35:00.008+01:002008-04-24T16:59:05.280+01:00

Nearly 20 years ago I sang Bottom in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. It was directed by the then Head of Vocal Studies Joseph Ward, who was the original Starveling at the world premier in 1960. He told me that it would be a very useful opera to know and indeed it has been. I have sung ‘Quince’ in five different productions all over

Opera Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434492544905548034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288611557338215218.post-24144727825087557412008-03-27T16:13:00.000Z2008-04-01T15:24:38.674+01:00

Opera North's Spring season features three new productions based on Shakespeare plays: Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Roméo et Juliette. All three are masterpieces, yet each is a very different response to the original; a tribute both to the originality and imagination of the composers and to Shakespeare’s infinite variety.

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