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It was a simply stunning event, absolutely perfect. All the performers were terrific, the programme varied and interesting. Thank you so much for asking us; we loved every minute.
Many thanks indeed for an absolutely magical evening
Last night’s concert was pure joy!
Thank you so much. You assembled a brilliant team and it was wonderful. Bravo!
That was the most wonderful show. Audience members wrote and told us they were so impressed ... better than the Met!!
It was a wonderfully beautiful evening and could not have been enjoyed more. So many compliments and such an entertaining team. Thank you all so much. Thanks from the bottoms of our hearts. We could not be happier.
the 2022 tour
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
7.30pm Saturday 14 May 2022
OPERA EVENING
Jenny Stafford soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Alistair Ollerenshaw baritone
Ben Morris Stage Director
Orlando Jopling Music Director
Julian Azkoul & Matthew Ward violins
Jenny Lewisohn viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Daniel-Greep double bass
Theatre by the Lake,
Lakeside, Keswick CA12 5DJ
Coggeshall, Essex
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
6pm Thurs 2 June 2022
OPERA EVENING
Private Garden, Coggeshall, Essex
Garden open from 5pm
Performance from 6pm with picnic interval.
Joanna Songi soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Alistair Ollerenshaw baritone
Ben Morris Stage Director
Orlando Jopling Music Director
Sijie Chen & Matthew Ward violins
Hannah Shaw viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Suggested minimum donation £30, £20 for under thirties and £10 for under twenties.
The Ballroom, Belvoir Castle
The Ballroom, Belvoir Castle
The Ballroom, Belvoir Castle
8pm Thursday 9 June
OPERA EVENING
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Xavier Hetherington tenor
Michael Lafferty baritone
Sijie Chen & Matthew Ward violins
Rebecca Chambers viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
By kind invitation of Emma, Duchess of Rutland
Belvoir Castle
Grantham, Leicestershire, NG32 1PE
Abbey Hall, Suffolk
The Ballroom, Belvoir Castle
The Ballroom, Belvoir Castle
4pm Sunday 12 June
OPERA MATINEE
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Xavier Hetherington tenor
Michael Lafferty baritone
Sijie Chen & Matthew Ward violins
Rebecca Chambers viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
Bring your own picnic, blanket and chairs or order a tasty picnic box from Create & Plate when you book your tickets.
£25
£50 VIP front row seat
Abbey Hall
Hoxne Road Eye IP23 7NJ
Orchard Gardens, Dulwich College
Orchard Gardens, Dulwich College
Orchard Gardens, Dulwich College
8pm Tuesday 14 June
OPERA EVENING
Milly Forrest soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Xavier Hetherington tenor
Ed Danon baritone
Sijie Chen & Will McGahon violins
Rebecca Chambers viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Griffiths double bass
A rare opportunity to see inside the private orchard gardens at Dulwich College.
A fundraiser for the college's Bursary Fund
Bring your own picnic to enjoy in the garden prior to the performance. A cash bar will also be in operation.
You are welcome to arrive from 630pm
£70 / child £15 / family ticket £15
Dulwich College
Dulwich Common, London SE21 7LD
Burford, Oxfordshire
Orchard Gardens, Dulwich College
Orchard Gardens, Dulwich College
Wednesday 15 June
OPERA EVENING
Taynton, near Burford, Oxfordshire
Emily Vine soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Sijie Chen & Will McGahon violins
Rebecca Chambers viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Marianne Schofield double bass
Private performance
Orchard Gardens, Dulwich College
Charlbury, Oxfordshire
Thursday 16 June
OPERA EVENING
Milly Forrest soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Sijie Chen & Will McGahon violins
Rebecca Chambers viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Marianne Schofield double bass
A private performance to friends of the owners.
Charlbury, Oxfordshire
Charlbury, Oxfordshire
Charlbury, Oxfordshire
7pm Friday 17 June
OPERA EVENING
A performance raising funds for the Lawrence Home Nursing charity.
Arrive from 5pm to set up your picnic and enjoy the beautiful and extensive gardens. Music from 7pm, with an hour's picnic interval.
Milly Forrest soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Sijie Chen & Will Mcgahon violins
Rebecca Chambers viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Griffiths double bass
We will provide seating for the performance. Guests are welcome to bring their own picnic seating.
£30 / free tickets for anyone under 16
Rectory Farmhouse, Church Enstone, near Charlbury, Oxfordshire
Colchester, Essex
Charlbury, Oxfordshire
Colchester, Essex
7pm Sunday 19 June
OPERA EVENING
Zoe Drummond soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Xavier Hetherington tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Sijie Chen & Matthew Ward violins
Milena Simovic viola
Sarah Suckling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
A performance on the lawn outside firstsite art gallery,
The finale of the Colchester Diversity Festival.
Firstsite
Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester CO1 1JH
Private performance
Brightlingsea, Essex
Brightlingsea, Essex
Tuesday 21 June
OPERA EVENING
Emily Vine soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Xavier Hetherington tenor
Ed Danon baritone
Julian Azkoul & Sophie Mather violins
Fran McGuinness viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Marianne Schofield double bass
Brightlingsea, Essex
Brightlingsea, Essex
Brightlingsea, Essex
7pm Thursday 23 June
OPERA EVENING
A performance on the lawn in a beautiful private garden.
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Michael Lafferty baritone
Clio Gould & Sophie Mather violins
Fran McGuinness viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
5.30pm Gardens open
7pm Performance
8.30pm Picnics
Please bring picnics, rugs, chairs and candelabras for your magical evening overlooking the Colne Estaury.
£25
Address information on ticket buying page
Private performance
Brightlingsea, Essex
The Walled Garden, Knebworth House
Friday 24 June
OPERA EVENING
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Clio Gould & Sophie Mather violins
Fran McGuinness viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
A 20th Wedding Anniversary celebration
The Walled Garden, Knebworth House
The Walled Garden, Knebworth House
The Walled Garden, Knebworth House
7pm Saturday 25 June
OPERA EVENING
Milly Forrest soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Clio Gould & Sophie Mather violins
Fran McGuinness viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Marianne Schofield double bass
Our debut in this iconic venue
Tickets available soon
Knebworth House
SG1 2AX
Chiltern Open-air Museum
The Walled Garden, Knebworth House
Chiltern Open-air Museum
6.30pm Sunday 26 June
OPERA EVENING
Emily Vine soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Michael Lafferty baritone
Clio Gould & Sophie Mather violins
Fran McGuinness viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Marianne Schofield double bass
You are welcome to arrive from 5.30pm
Performance from 6.30pm until around 7.45pm
You are welcome to stay until 830pm
A return visit to this lovely location, on the village green in the open air.
You are welcome to bring blankets, cushions and folding chairs. There will also be some picnic tables, chairs and benches.
Ample free parking.
Open Air Museum
Newland Park, Gorelands Ln,
Chalfont St Peter, Chalfont Saint Giles HP8 4AB
New Malden, Surrey
Goodnestone Park House, Kent
Fairlight Hall, Sussex
7pm Tuesday 19 July
OPERA EVENING
Joanna Songi soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Michael Lafferty baritone
Ellie Fagg & Will Mcgahon violins
Milena Simovic viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Griffiths double bass
A stunning, intimate private garden in New Malden, Surrey,
You are welcome to arrive from 630pm
There will be a 45 minute interval for picnics.
Raising funds for the Laurie Todd Foundation
Fairlight Hall, Sussex
Goodnestone Park House, Kent
Fairlight Hall, Sussex
6pm Wednesday 20 July
OPERA EVENING
Joanna Songi soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Julian Azkoul & Will Mcgahon violins
Eli Bogdanova viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Griffiths double bass
Promoted by Bridgepoint Music
Fairlight Hall is a private family home set in some 90 acres of pleasure gardens, pasture and woodland, with commanding views across farmland to the English Channel and the Rye Bay peninsula.
Fairlight Hall
Martineau Lane Fairlight TN35 5DR
Goodnestone Park House, Kent
Goodnestone Park House, Kent
Falconhurst, Edenbridge, Kent
6pm Thursday 21 July
OPERA EVENING
Joanna Songi soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Julian Azkoul & Will Mcgahon violins
Eli Bogdanova viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
4pm Gardens open
6pm Performance
6.45pm picnic interval
8pm Performance continues
8.45 / 9pm Performance ends
Goodnestone Park is magnificent, with stunning gardens and steeped in a rich history, including frequent visits from Jane Austen.
Goodnestone Park House
Goodnestone, Kent CT3 1PL
Falconhurst, Edenbridge, Kent
Falconhurst, Edenbridge, Kent
Falconhurst, Edenbridge, Kent
6pm Friday 22 July
OPERA EVENING
Joanna Songi soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Ellie Fagg & Will Mcgahon violins
Eli Bogdanova viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
You will be greeted with a garden cocktail and will then be welcome to enjoy the magical Falconhurst gardens and set up your picnic.
There will then be a 2-act performance followed by picnics.
£40 including a complimentary cocktail
£55 VIP front row seats
Falconhurst
Markbeech, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 5NR
Great Ruffins, Totham, Essex
Falconhurst, Edenbridge, Kent
Great Ruffins, Totham, Essex
6pm Saturday 23 July
OPERA EVENING
Joanna Songi soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Laura Custodio & Will Mcgahon violins
Eli Bogdanova viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
On the croquet lawn in the gardens of Great Ruffins, architect A.H. Mackmurdo's quirkiest creation, in Great Totham, between Chelmsford and Maldon in Essex.
4.30pm Garden open
6pm Performance
7.30pm picnics
9pm Carriages
£35
Bring friends and book 6 tickets for £30 each.
Great Ruffins
Beacon Hill, Wickham Bishops, Essex CM8 3EA
Markshall Estate, Essex
Falconhurst, Edenbridge, Kent
Great Ruffins, Totham, Essex
6pm Sunday 24 July
OPERA EVENING
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Tim Nelson baritone
Julian Azkoul & Will Mcgahon violins
Eli Bogdanova viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Georgia Lloyd double bass
The team at Markshall Estate are planning a beautiful spot in the world-famous and extensive arboretum, which features whole woodland areas from the six continents.
Markshall Estate
Coggeshall, Essex CO6 1TG
Iscoyd Park, Shropshire
Oxfordshire SOLD OUT
Iscoyd Park, Shropshire
7.15 for 7.45pm Thursday 30 June
OPERA EVENING
WITH SUPPER & DRINKS INCLUDED
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Ed Danon baritone
Julian Azkoul & Will Mcgahon violins
Hannah Shaw viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Griffiths double bass
7:15pm Pimms, Prosecco & Canapés
Performance 7:45pm
Bowl food & drinks in the interval
Dessert served and performance recommences at 9:15pm
£75 including opera, supper and drinks
Profits to WarChild www.warchild.org.uk
Iscoyd Park is a beautiful Georgian House, set in beautiful Parkland and Gardens.
It is still a private family house that opens its doors for weddings, parties, company retreats and hosts fun, varied and interesting events - especially food and music-related!
Iscoyd Park
near Wrexham,
Shropshire SY13 3AT
Private garden, London
Oxfordshire SOLD OUT
Iscoyd Park, Shropshire
7pm Tuesday 28 June
OPERA EVENING
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Xavier Hetherington tenor
Ed Danon baritone
Sijie Chen & Matthew Ward violins
Hannah Shaw viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Alex Jones double bass
The performance will be to friends and neighbours of the owners.
Please contact us if you would like to be put on the guest list.
Oxfordshire SOLD OUT
Oxfordshire SOLD OUT
Oxfordshire SOLD OUT
Friday 1 July
OPERA EVENING
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Ed Danon baritone
Sijie Chen & Will Mcgahon violins
Hannah Shaw viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Griffiths double bass
A beautiful private garden in Oxfordshire.
A performance raising funds for Ukraine charities.
£40 suggested donation
Thorington Theatre, Suffolk
Thorington Theatre, Suffolk
Thorington Theatre, Suffolk
7.30pm Friday 8 July
OPERA EVENING
Emily Vine soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Richard Dowling tenor
Ed Danon baritone
Sijie Chen & Will Mcgahon violins
Milena Simovic viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Griffiths double bass
A second night at Thorington Theatre, this time our Opera Evening
Tickets are selling fast for this performance.
Thorington Theatre, near Southwold, Suffolk IP17 3RB
Ditchley Park, Oxfordshire
Thorington Theatre, Suffolk
Thorington Theatre, Suffolk
4:30pm Saturday 16 July
OPERA EVENING
Julieth Lozano soprano
Martha Jones mezzo
Xavier Hetherington tenor
Ed Danon baritone
Sijie Chen & Will Mcgahon violins
Milena Simovic viola
Orlando Jopling cello
Ben Griffiths double bass
A private event marking 300 years of Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire. Saturday
PERFoRMERS
Zoe Drummond
Julieth Lozano
Julieth Lozano
Australian soprano Zoe Drummond has performed with the English National Opera (Papagena in The Magic Flute), Garsington Opera, the Birmingham Opera Company, Scottish Opera (Despina in Cosi fan tutte), West Green House Opera (Clorinda in La Cenerentola) and Bloomsbury Opera.
Zoe is a recent graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, completing a Masters in Music Performance (Opera) and a Concert Recital Diploma. She is also an experienced concert performer, having appeared with chamber ensembles and orchestras all over Australia.
Julieth Lozano
Julieth Lozano
Julieth Lozano
Julieth is a Colombian soprano. Her roles include Vixen in The Cunning Little Vixen for Longborough, Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Verbier Festival, Tytania in Midsummer Night’s Dream for Opera al Parque, Colombia, Despina in Così fan tutte at Cartagena’s International Music Festival, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at Royal College of Music and Norina in Don Pasquale for Random Opera.
She studied at the Royal College of Music and was a Kathleen Ferrier competition finalist, recipient of the President’s award, and participant in Georg Solti’s Academy and Verbier Festival’s Project Opera.
Martha Jones
Julieth Lozano
Richard Dowling
Mezzo-soprano Martha Jones was awarded the Susan Chilcott Scholarship by the Royal Philharmonic Society. She has appeared with English Touring Opera, English National Opera and Grange Festival.
Richard Dowling
Michael Lafferty
Richard Dowling
Tenor Richard Dowling has performed in Buxton International Festival, Birmingham Opera Company and Garsington Opera.
He appeared in a number of innovative online broadcasts during the pandemic lockdown period, including a dystopian staging of Josquin’s madrigals.
Michael Lafferty
Michael Lafferty
Michael Lafferty
Michael studies at Guildhall School of Music and Drama under David Pollard and graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
Finalist for the 2021 Kathleen Ferrier Awards, Michael has performed as Tarquinius for Trinity Laban’s The Rape of Lucretia and in the roles of Dr.Falke (Die Fledermaus) and Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), as well as scenes from Pelléas et Méllisande (Pelléas), and Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni). At Guildhall, Michael has sung roles such as Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), and Prince Andrei (Prokofiev, War and Peace).
Performance highlights include Schumann’s ‘Requiem für Mignon’ as a soloist with Sir John Eliot Gardiner for Salzburger Festpiele and Handel’s Messiah for Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.
Tim Nelson
Michael Lafferty
Michael Lafferty
Tim gained a degree in Physiology from Cardiff University before studying with Peter Savidge at the Royal College of Music International Opera School.
His operatic experience includes Marcello in La Boheme and Lieutenant Gordon in Silent Night for Opera North; Nathan in Pleasure for Opera North/ROH/ Aldeburgh; Sid in Albert Herring at the Grange Festival; Anténor in Dardanus for English Touring Opera; Elviro in Serse for Opera Holland Park; Dr Falke in Die Fledermaus, Mustafa in L'italiana in Algeri and Escamillo in Carmen for Diva Opera and multiple roles at the London Handel Festival.
Ellie Fagg
Will Mcgahon
Julian Azkoul
Ellie’s career has seen her perform around the world as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player and going on to lead the National Youth Orchestra in 2001. She studied at the Royal College of Music and won coveted awards from MBF and Countess of Munster.
She has appeared regularly at the Wigmore Hall with the Scottish Ensemble and Aurora Orchestra and at Kings Place with her Jazz-Classical fusion group, Living Room in London. Ellie has toured extensively with the LSO and with European Camerata.
Julian Azkoul
Will Mcgahon
Julian Azkoul
Julian has appeared as a soloist, orchestral leader, and chamber musician, invited to lead orchestras under Daniel Barenboim and the late Sir Colin Davis.
He has co-lead the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra and performs with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the London Symphony Orchestra. In the UK, Julian has appeared at the Spitalfields, Dartington, Latitude, Easter at King’s, Aldeburgh, Cowbridge and English Music festivals.
A graduate of King’s College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music in London, Julian plays on a Dutch violin by Max Möller made in 1927.
Will Mcgahon
Will Mcgahon
Will Mcgahon
Will graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music. His career has seen him join the Manchester Collective on their UK tour of ‘The Centre is Everywhere’ performing Ligeti, Vivaldi, Bach and a new work by Edmund Finnis. He has played with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Dartington Festival Baroque Orchestra and was chosen as Britten-Pears Baroque Young Artist 2018.
Whilst at RNCM, William performed with the Manchester Camerata as well as the BBC Philharmonic. William has been appointed an extra-player member in the Sinfonia Cymru and won an audition to perform La vie Parisienne with Les Musiciens du Louvre in a month long production in the Theatre de Champs-Elysées in Paris.
Milena Simovic
Milena Simovic
Will Mcgahon
Milena studied violin at the Belgrade University of Arts and Music, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and viola and at the Zurich University of Arts under Lawrence Power.
Milena appears as a soloist in Russia, China, Italy, United Kingdom, Norway, France, Portugal, and through the countries of former Yugoslavia, performing alongside some of the most established personalities of today’s music scene. Milena’s concerts have been broadcasted live on BBC Radio 3, Medici TV, Rai Uno in Italy, Arte etc.
Milena plays a Giovanni Battista Rogeri violin ca. 1680, and Paolo Antonio Testore viola from 1740.
Eli Bogdanova
Milena Simovic
Eli Bogdanova
Bulgarian violist, Elitsa studied at the National Music School “L. Pipkov” in Sofia and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying with Alexander Zemtsov and Rachel Roberts. She has performed with the London Handel Orchestra, Hanover Band, La Nuova Musica, Ensemble DeNote, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
As the principal violist of La Serenissima, who specialise in Venetian music, Elitsa has performed in Italy, Malta and a number of major venues and early music festivals in the UK. On the modern viola, Elitsa has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and Sinfonia Cymru.
Ben Griffiths
Milena Simovic
Eli Bogdanova
Ben is Principal Bass with Aurora Orchestra.
He also works with the LSO, the John Wilson Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia and the Scottish Ensemble. He plays for the COOL Music session orchestra, Isobel Griffiths Ltd, and the English Session Orchestra, recording music for numerous TV and film productions.
He recently performed with the Navarra Quartet at the Presteigne Festival, with the Elias Quartet at the Cheltenham Festival, and a Trout Quintet and Rossini Duo with Adrian Brendel and friends at the Plush Festival in Dorset.