Acclaimed bass-baritone, Henry Waddington, leads a cast of some of the top singers in British Opera in an evening of Grand Opera with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Stuart Stratford, on Saturday 19th December 2015.
The Brighton Centre will play host to this spectacular one-off evening which celebrates the grand tradition of opera as a universal language with the power to make us laugh, cry and better understand our world. Expect some of opera’s most loved arias, duets, and set pieces, including a few festive surprises along the way. Every ticket sold for this special event will help Mencap to continue its vital work supporting people with a learning disabilities, their families and carers.
The Royal Mencap Society Present’s Grand Opera Gala’s stellar cast already includes many stars of the British Opera including:
Sopranos: Giselle Allen, Yvonne Howard, Jeni Bern, Jenni France, Natasha Marsh, Gillian Ramm and Kate Valentine.
Mezzo: Carolyn Dobbin, Vicky Simmonds, Sarah Pring, Gaynor Keeble and Leigh Woolf
Tenor: Chris Turner, Rob Murray, John Graham-Hall, Jeff Lloyd Roberts. David Butt Philip and Nicholas Sherratt.
Baritone/Bass: Henry Waddington, David Kempster, Christopher Maltman, Bradley Travis, Grant Doyle, Brindley Sherratt and Richard Wiegold.
Further details of the evening will be announced in the coming months, as the cast list may change, and you can stay up to date on Twitter via #MencapOpera.
The event is directed and programmed by Henry Waddington and has been organised by an events committee that includes Opera lover, Neil Pollington, who has a learning disability and is supported by Mencap.
Henry Waddington said: “I am so pleased to have been able to help organise and take part in this event for Mencap. I was quite overwhelmed at how many of my friends and colleagues were willing to give up their spare time to take part. It promises to be a wonderful evening of music making and a celebration of British Opera talent and all for such a worthy cause.”
Neil Pollington added: “I love opera and I have always wanted more concerts in Brighton. Neil Hart who supports me at Mencap came to see me at my house, he told me that he was hoping to organise a concert with Opera singers and it made me very excited. Neil helped me find some of the singers on my iPad. Music is really important to me and I listen to it a lot. My friends and family are always surprised how I can name pieces of music after hearing only a few notes. Opera is one of my favourites and I am looking forward to the night in December.
Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap, finished by saying: “We are delighted at the support that Henry Waddington and other singers have shown. This was originally Neil’s dream but thanks to the help of Henry we have created a night that not only will make a difference to the lives of people with a learning disability but will also be hugely special for anyone who comes. We hope you can join us for what promises to be a wonderful evening.”
Tickets, from £35 to £160, are now on sale for this one-off evening at the Brighton Centre on 19th December 2015 and can be booked in person at the Brighton Centre Box Office (Monday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm), online at www.brightoncentre.co.uk or via Ticketmaster, over the phone, on 0844 8471 1515.