Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
After a mini lockdown due to my recovering from a knee replacement operation and the lack of new shows opening since Christmas, it was great to get back to the beautiful Grand Theatre for a classic opera, albeit in modern dress – both the opera and me. As usual, the work covered love, betrayal, murder,…
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It seems that the only sopranos I haven’t met this week are the ones who would fit me with a concrete overcoat and take me swimming in the Hudson River. Tonight it was the turn of Katherine Broderick to impress me with her vocal prowess, along with pianist Kathryn Scott and Paul Whittaker who translated…
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What better way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon in Leeds than in Howard Assembly Room being serenaded by two brilliant sopranos. Daisy Brown and Fflur Wyn have been appearing in Opera North’s production of Orfeo ed Euridice, which I reviewed at the end of last month, so I was looking forward to seeing them…
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Here I am again at the wonderful Howard Assembly Room. I am not complaining, you understand, quite the opposite, the place has expanded my musical knowledge beyond all expectations. This evening we left the world of experimentation behind for a concert of works by Beethoven, Haydn and an encore from Elgar. The Doric String Quartet…
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To quote from the blurb on Howard Assembly Room’s website for this event, ‘Unquiet is the progressive new live experience devised by acclaimed conductor and composer Robert Ames and brought to life by the world renowned Manchester Camerata alongside a rotating cast of artists’. Can’t argue with that. Manchester Camerata’s website describes it as ‘A…
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Just a reminder that Orpheus, from Opera North and South Asian Arts, is now able to be viewed on Operavision. It is free, and available until 30th April 2023 so why not pour a glass of wedding fizz and give it a look. See my review at https://tyke-it-to-the-limit.com/2022/10/16/orpheus-from-opera-north-and-south-asian-arts-at-leeds-grand-theatre/ and judge for yourself at https://operavision.eu/performance/orpheus
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Another week, another Orpheus. You would think I would be getting a bit bored by the story by now after having reviewed so many takes on it in so short a time, but each has put its own twist on the tale making it seem fresh every time. The story started life as a myth…
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On Monday, 17th October, it will be 60 years to the day since a spotty, overweight East Leeds slum kid sat down with his mum after tea to watch the local ITV regional news programme, People and Places. There were only two channels back then, both in black and white, and very little popular music…
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The Opera North Winter/Spring Season has kicked off with a classic. La traviata by Verdi has all the the core ingredients of an opera; forbidden love, death, redemption, family fall-outs, big scenes, quiet moments and bangin’ tunes! The story is that of a glamorous Parisienne courtesan, Violetta, who, let’s just say, enjoys a good night…
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Thursday, 29th September sees the start of the 2022-23 Opera North Season with a staging of La traviata at Leeds Grand Theatre. I have taken my posh frock to the cleaners in anticipation. This is the first of six operas being staged between now and next March with a mixture of classic and less well…
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Tyke It To The Limit 