November News
November was a busy month for Opera Prelude
We began at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery with a performance of Storace and Soane: Icons and Influencers at the Turn of the 19th Century — a narrated concert exploring the creative relationship between soprano Nancy Storace and architect Sir John Soane.
Hosted inside Pitzhanger itself, the house designed, built and lived in by Soane, the setting became part of the story. Surrounded by the spaces that shaped his work, audiences experienced the music in direct dialogue with its historical context.
The performance featured Lewis Gaston (conductor), Shafali Jalota (soprano), and Brenton Spiteri (tenor), whose performances brought this artistic partnership vividly to life.
Our second event of the month was an instalment of our OperaBites series in Barnes. We were joined by tenor Matthew Curtis, who shared a selection of arias from Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and beyond, exploring the rich world of Italian opera. Accompanied at the piano by Adrian Salinero, Matthew delivered a warm and generous programme filled with much-loved repertoire, creating a relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Later in the month, we welcomed Ross Cumming twice. First, Ross presented his lecture-recital It’s All Greek to Me at Holy Trinity Church, Chelsea. Having previously heard this programme in Henley, we were delighted to host it again. Audiences were captivated by Ross’s thoughtful insights into Greek mythology and its influence on opera, combined with characterful and engaging performances.
Ross returned at the end of November for a separate recital in Fawley, Songs for the Wandering Heart. This programme explored themes of longing, love, friendship, and reflection, featuring music by Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Donizetti, and others. It was a beautifully shaped evening, full of tenderness and atmosphere.
Elsewhere, our Young Artists were busy throughout November. Hugo Herman-Wilson (baritone) appeared at the Tung Auditorium in Liverpool as Hansel in Harvey Brough and Carol Hayman’s new opera The Hive. Natasha Agarwal(soprano) toured with English Touring Opera in productions of L’elisir d’amore, The Rape of Lucretia, and the children’s opera Little Terror. Meanwhile, Georgie Malcolm (soprano) toured the UK as cover Gianetta in Opera North’s The Big Opera Mystery.