Now that the weather has at last turned warmer and the sun has come out, our attention obviously turns to the autumn and winter. As the next few weeks are a bit of a fallow period for a few of the established venues, I thought that I would give you the heads up on what to look forward to once we get back into the groove. First up is Opera North who have lots of goodies in the pipeline.
As Opera North is such a diverse organisation I will split the events into groups – because I can!
The main raison d’être is obviously opera and the end of the year sees a trio of offerings, which are about as different as you could get. The first, running from 27th September 2024 until 29th March, 2025, is a classic, The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is a fairy tale which contains all the elements required; love, battles, trials and tribulations and a happy ending – hopefully!
Next, from 12th October to 20th November, 2024, is a more modern example of the genre, being an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Benjamin Britten. It is about a Fairy King and Queen from the country, who, along with a quartet of lovers in Athens, become intertwined in their relationships. It is one of the Bard’s comedies so sure to be a laugh a minute!?
The third is a light opera from Gilbert and Sullivan, called Ruddigore. Baronet, Sir Despard Murgatroyd, has been wrongly cursed, as he has an elder brother who should have inherited the hex, which is that he should commit a crime a day or die in agony. Is there a way to break the curse or will it end in screaming and writhing? It is staged between 26th October and 21st November.
29th October until 16th November, sees an interactive show for children aged 5 to 12 years old, in which they solve riddles and clues, whilst meeting characters from opera. There is also a singalong so a great way to get the kids involved in the genre. Just don’t blame me if one of them finds they have a voice like Pavarotti or Kiri Te Kanawa and shatter all the best wine glasses when they get home. The show is called The Big Opera Adventure.
All of the above mentioned works are being performed at multiple venues, namely Leeds Grand Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, The Lowry, Salford Quays and Theatre Royal, Nottingham, except for The Magic Flute which also includes Hull New Theatre; and The Big Opera Adventure, which is at Leeds Grand Theatre, Huddersfield Town Hall and The Lowry, Salford Quays. Confused? Me too. I think our best bet is to go to https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on and take it from there.
If you have never been to the opera before and you are near Leeds, Hull, Manchester or Nottingham, please don’t forget Try it ON, Opera North’s taster programme where you can get a ticket with extras for only £20. Full details are at https://www.operanorth.co.uk/your-visit/new-to-opera/tryiton/
Whilst you are on that page, why not check out the last offerings in the Staycation Festival.
For those of you who prefer orchestral music, from duos to the full-blown ensemble, there is the Kirklees Concert Season, which caters for your taste from 9th September, throughout the autumn, winter and beyond, at Huddersfield and Dewsbury Town Halls.
The season comprises evening and lunchtime concerts featuring both the members of the Orchestra of Opera North as well as special guests, there is even a brass band playing on 9th and 11th December.
Please go to https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/kirklees-concert-season-2024-25/ for the full programme.
Finally we come to Howard Assembly Room which is fast becoming my second home. The musical genres here defy categorisation covering all bases. Again, they are held at various times of day, with afternoon performances, evening ones and late nighters.
A few to pick out are; Songs of Alchemy, a 30 minute piece, sung by performers from the Opera North Youth Company, to coincide with a sculpture exhibition, named Alchemies. It is performed at Howard Assembly Room at 6.00pm on Saturday, 3rd August, and then again at 1.45pm and 3.15pm the following day at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where the works of art are being displayed.
There is Late Night In Havana on Saturday, 24th August which runs from 7.45pm until midnight and includes a Cuban Dance Class, Timba Británica feat. Mayo Rivera, followed by Cuban Vinyl DJ at 10.30.
There is another one on Friday, 20th September, this time a Slumber Party, from 7.30pm when there will be a screening of 10 Things I Hate About You, followed by Dance class at 9.30 and Miss Very Cherry spinning the platters at 10.30pm.
For something completely different there is the phenomenal Jasdeep Singh Degun on Thursday 10th October at 7.30pm. I saw him a couple of weeks ago and he was superb – as ever.
Manchester Collective: Sirocco is on Wednesday 13th November with Norwegian Trumpeter Ave Henrikson and Dutch Pianist, Harmen Fraanje playing pieces from their debut album Touch of Time on Wednesday, 20th November.
For details of these and all the other performances, too many to mention in full, please go to https://www.operanorth.co.uk/event-tag/har/ and keep checking back in case of late additions
All images supplied by Opera North
Tyke It To The Limit 