“Exhilarating, an experience brimming with life!” 2023 Opera Participant

The thrill and excitement of being part of a fully-staged live opera production really is something extraordinary. If you haven’t experienced opera before but enjoy performing or you enjoy the music/production and just want to know how it feels to experience it first hand, this opera project could be the one for you!

Blackheath Halls Opera has been producing operas annually since 2007, involving members of our community, professional opera singers and production teams, and students from our parent organisation Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance. It is a unique project that brings together performers from all walks of life to create high-quality operas accompanied by a full orchestra.

Blackheath Halls Opera 2023

Our Community Opera this year will be Handel’s SemelePerformed very little during Handel’s lifetime, the opera now enjoys regular performances on opera stages worldwide. With it’s mythological story and rousing chorus numbers, it is the perfect fit for Blackheath Halls Opera. Our world-class cast includes Francesca Chiejina in the title role, Thando Mjandana as Jupiter, Matthew Rose as Cadmus and Somnus and Katie Bray as Juno. We are very excited to welcome back seasoned Blackheath Halls Opera Director Harry Fehr alongside Christopher Stark as Musical Director.

Support Blackheath Halls Opera 

It is thanks to our Friends and Patrons of Blackheath Halls that we are able to continue to offer Blackheath Halls Opera for the whole community to enjoy. If you would like to become a Friend or Patron more information is available here.

 

Our 2022 Production | Candide by Leonard Bernstein

Last year we were thrilled to to present a modern take on Leonard Bernstein’s extraordinary operetta Candide, first performed in 1956, but based on a 1759 comic novella by the French philosopher Voltaire.

The production enjoyed 4 sell-out performances and received some well-deserved fantastic reviews for our production and music teams, professional singers and very enthusiastic community chorus!

Read more here

Reviews:

**** Fiona Maddocks | The Guardian

Miles Hedley | Greenwich Visitor

 

Candide Nick Pritchard

Cunegonde Ellie Neate

Pangloss Frederick Long

Old Lady Sarah Pring

Maximilian Matthew Kellett

Governor James Liu

 

Director Seb Harcombe
Musical Director Christopher Stark
Designer Elliott Squire
Lighting Designer Tracey Gibbs

Blackheath Halls Chorus
Blackheath Halls Orchestra
Blackheath Halls Youth Opera Company
Students from Greenvale School and Charlton Park Academy

If you are interested in more information about Blackheath Halls Opera, please email Rose Ballantyne.

There is no need to be able to read music or have any previous opera experience to join our opera chorus; you will be assisted by our amazing professional music and production team and welcomed by a wonderful musical community.

**** If heart, soul and inspirational music-making are more your thing, this is the place

Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian

Previous Blackheath Halls Opera productions

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2022: Candide | 2021: Venus and Adonis | 2020: Lockdown opera including The Rake’s Progress and Tosca | 2019: La belle Hélène | 2018: Dido and Aeneas and Noye’s Fludde (Children’s Opera) | 2017: Der Freischutz and Paws and Padlocks (Children’s Opera) | 2016: Carmen and Noye’s Fludde (Children’s Opera) | 2015: Idomeneo and Brundibar | 2014: The Adventures of Count Ory and The Little Sweep (Children’s Opera) | 2013: Macbeth and Noye’s Fludde (Children’s Opera) | 2012: Cinderella | 2011: Eugene Onegin | 2010: The Elixir of Love | 2009: Orpheus and Euridice | 2008: La Boheme | 2007: Carmen

 Supported through individual supporters and private donors.

D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust logo

Get in touch

Community Engagement Manager

Rose Ballantyne

[email protected]

020 8305 3890

Community Engagement Officer

Kate Howden

[email protected]

020 8305 3894