Sat 23 & Sun 24 November 2024

Our 50^th anniversary celebrations will culminate in not just one but two Opera Galas this year – an evening performance on Saturday 23rd, attended by Clonter’s new Patron, Sir Mark Elder CH, CBE, and a matinee on Sunday 24th November, and to make it extra special, it will be with orchestra, with a programme which will include the overture and champagne chorus from Johann Strauss II’s best loved opera, Die Fledermaus, as well as arias and ensembles from other well-known composers from the world of opera and operetta.

Arguably the most popular event in Clonter’s annual operatic calendar consists of a variety of well-loved opera arias, duets and ensembles, in a well-established operatic prelude to Christmas, and is ideal for anyone who has not been to an opera before, but would like to dip their toe in the water, before committing to a full-blown one. Each item is set into context, so no prior knowledge is necessary.

This year, the Opera Gala will be accompanied by surtitles and MC.

Programme

Overture – Die Fledermaus – Johann Strauss
Porgi d’amor – Le nozze di Figaro – Mozart
Voi che sapete – Le nozze di Figaro – Mozart
Au fond du temple saint – Les pêcheurs de perles – Bizet
Je veux vivre – Roméo et Juliette – Gounod
Soave il vento – Così fan tutte – Mozart
Il mio tesoro – Don Giovanni – Mozart
Song to the moon – Rusalka – Dvorak
Wolfram’s aria – Tannhäuser – Wagner
Aria and Evening Prayer – Hänsel und Gretel – Humperdinck
Barcarolle – Les contes d’Hoffmann – Offenbach
Una furtiva lagrima – L’elisir d’amore – Donizetti
Hai già vinta la causa – Le nozze di Figaro – Mozart
O mio babbino caro – Gianni Schicchi – Puccini
En fermant les yeux – Manon – Massenet
Nacqui all’affanno – La cenerentola – Rossini
Pa,pa,pa! – Die Zauberflöte – Mozart
Czardas – Die Fledermaus – Johann Strauss
Champagne: Act 2 finale – Die Fledermaus – Johann Strauss

The Company

Erin Rossington – Soprano

Soprano Erin Rossington is Associate Artist for 2024/25 at the Welsh National Opera where she is currently Cercatrice in Suor Angelica. In the spring, she will sing the role of Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro for WNO. This summer she sang the role of Micaëla in La Tragedié de Carmen for Buxton International Festival. A regular on the competition platform, she won International Voice of the Future at Llangollen International Eisteddfod and the prestigious Elizabeth Harwood Memorial Prize at the RNCM in 2019. Erin was also selected as a finalist for the Vincerò competiton in Verona in 2023. Her roles include; Maguelonne Viardot’s Cendrillon, Miss Fortune Miss Fortune, Mimí La Bohemé and Fiordiligi Così fan Tutte. Erin made her Snape Maltings debut as Ina in TIDE in 2022, a new commission for Aldeburgh Festival and performed Lady Billows in Albert Herring for Clonter Opera.

Bethan Terry – Soprano

Bethan Terry is a lyric-coloratura soprano based in London, with Yorkshire roots. Bethan’s professional engagements range from full-scale operas to intimate recitals. In July, she made her debut in the role of Belinda in Somerset Opera’s innovative production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Other highlights from the past year include Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Bach’s Magnificat in the iconic Ely Cathedral. Bethan’s recent appearances also include: Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte (North Wales Opera Studio); Young Artist at Leeds Lieder Festival 2023; Clonter Opera’s Spring Opera Showcase in 2023; a series of recitals in Italy, with pianist Francesca Lauri; a tour of Merry Opera’s staged Messiah; and a special BBC Immersion concert of George Walker’s art songs, led by Alison Buchanan and broadcast on Radio 3. Among her upcoming performances, Bethan will debut the role of Rosalinde in Merry Opera’s 2025 tour of Die Fledermaus.

Camilla Seale – Mezzo Soprano

Praised for her ‘unaffected simplicity’ (Classical Source) and ‘velvety mezzo’ timbres (The Telegraph), Camilla made her operatic debut at Buxton International Festival as Prince Charming in Viardot’s Cendrillon before joining the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus the following season. During 2023-24 she was a Young Artist on the National Opera Studio’s Global Talent Programme, as well as a Britten-Pears Artist, and a member of Felicity Lott’s Wigmore French Song Exchange. With NOS, she has performed at WNO, Opera North, Scottish Opera, Glyndebourne, and with ENO’s orchestra. Previous Clonter performances include the Autumn gala and the Betty Bannerman prize winner’s recital for French Song at Clonterbrook Music Room. Camilla came to music at an early age, signing with the cross-over group, Angelis, under Sony BMG. Before training at RNCM, she read English at Girton College, Cambridge and then Social Inequality at LSE. She looks forward to touring Die Fledermaus in early 2025 as Orlofsky with the Merry Opera Company.

Michael Gibson – Tenor

Scottish tenor Michael Gibson was a member of the Jetter Parker Artists Programme at the Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden, between 2022 and 2024. During his time in London, his roles included Borsa (Rigoletto), Young Servant (Elektra), Normanno (Lucia di Lamermoor), Heinrich (Tannhäuser), Pong (Turandot), Gastone (La Traviata) and Ruiz (Il Trovatore) and in the Linbury Theatre, Charles Byrne (Giant), Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia) and Varo (Arminio). In the 2024/25 season, he will return to Covent Garden as Jaquino (Fidelio) and Pong (Turandot), and Erster Jude (Salome) in Teatro Massimo Palermo. Michael is a graduate of the Royal College of Music’s International Opera Studio, where he held the Aldama scholarship. Prior to this he graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, completing a Bachelor of Education in Music, and the Royal Northern College of Music, where he studied for his Master of Music with Peter Alexander Wilson.

Adam Jarman – Baritone

Originally from Kent, Adam Jarman is a baritone and graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Holloway, University of London. Whilst at the RNCM Adam appeared as Blansac La Scala di Seta, Dr. Falke Die Fledermaus, Bartolo Le Nozze di Figaro, Der Lakai Ariadne auf Naxos and Father Frost The Snow Maiden. Other roles include The Speaker of the Temple The Magic Flute (Clonter Opera) and cover Host Of The Garter Inn Sir John in Love (British Youth Opera). He has performed in the chorus for Opera Holland Park, Buxton International Festival, British Youth Opera and most recently The Grange Festival where he also covered the role of Angelotti in Tosca. On the concert platform, Adam has sung the roles of Pilate in Bach’s St John Passion, Judas in Elgar’s The Apostles, and Sargeant Bunn in Joanna Marsh’s Pearl of Freedom in a recording for Signum Classics.

Mark Lanahan – MC

Amongst his many jobs, Mark was a Hotel Manager in London at the tender age of 20 years old and a Security Officer and Steward at the Royal Albert Hall for over 8 years. He applied for the Irish Guards, Lifeguards Mounted Division, Royal Horse Artillery… He changed his life to follow his dream of acting and singing and in 1994 trained at the prestigious Drama Studio London. His most notable straight acting role was at the Royal National Theatre as ‘Launce’, alongside his dog Norm as ‘Crab’ in Two Gentlemen of Verona, appearing at the Cottesloe Theatre. He was also a guest artist at the Royal Festival Hall in ‘Sandi Toksvig & Ronnie Corbet Christmas Show’, stopping the show as a pizza delivery guy who ends up singing ‘That’s Amore’ and ‘The Pearl Fishers’ duet. He appeared regularly at the Players Theatre Old Time Music Hall in the West End, was a principle artist in operas such as I Pagliacci  and Die Fledermaus at the Barn Theatre Southwick, and he appeared in TV commercials and toured in plays all over Britain and Europe, most notably with Vienna’s English Theatre. In 2000, he started singing with the original surprise singing waiter act ‘The Three Waiters’ when it arrived on the UK shores from Australia, singing for royalty, heads of state and all manner of celebrities, such as Princess Anne, Rod Stewart, Robert Plant, Wayne Rooney, Shirley Bassey, and to such places as Dubai, New York, the Seychelles, South Africa, India and, most recently, he returned from Australia in October this year alongside Ruthie Henshall on the Bravo Cruise. Through his career, Mark has been involved with just about every event situation, from escorting HRH the Queen Elizabeth II and international dignitaries, to ‘helping’ Father Christmas!

Clive Timms – Music Director

Clive Timms studied at Birmingham University and the London Opera Centre.  He subsequently worked as a member of the music staff with Welsh National Opera and Sadler’s Wells/English National Opera, where he was soon offered the chance to conduct, both at the Coliseum in London and on tour.  He was appointed Assistant Music Director of Opera North on the company’s inception, conducting many performances of a broad and varied repertoire.  He was appointed Head of Opera Studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 1989 where he developed the prestigious Opera Course and in recognition was in 2007 awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education. He was responsible for many notable productions, often of unusual and stimulating repertoire, the majority of which he conducted. He has now conducted a repertoire of over 100 operas and also provided translations for many.  His long association with Clonter Opera dates from 1989 and he was Musical Director for the company from 2009 until 2019, conducting the annual opera productions and taking an active role in all of Clonter’s operatic activities. He continues to coach advanced and aspiring singers at the Guildhall.

Clonter Sinfonia

Violin 1 – Liz Rossi
Violin 2 – Georgina MacDonnell Finlayson
Viola – Josephine Wells
Cello – Amy Jolly
Bass – Aaron Berrera-Reyes
Flute – Jennifer George
Oboe – Bethan Roberts
Clarinet – Sarah Masters
Bassoon – Rosie Burton
Horn – Matthew Crossley
Percussion/Timpani – Andrea Vogler
Harp – Rhian Hanson

Ticket Pricing & Booking Information

Sat 23 November

Tickets £55, £65, £70, £75, FREE for 26-year-olds and under (ID may be required)
Group Discount (10% Discount) 10+
U3A Discount (10% Discount) Available by phone only – 01260 224514
Doors Open 6pm
Performance Starts 7pm
Performance Ends Approx. 10.15pm
Interval 70 minute supper interval; pre-order supper, or bring your own picnic