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Overture The newsletter for Friends & supporters of Buxton International Festival Issue Six  October 2018
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Alzira Verdi “...unexpectedly sublime...” Theatre Cat
“...consistently dramatic with superb singing...” Tim Ashley – The Guardian
“Any Verdi fan would have come away well satisfied.” Daily Telegraph
Idomeneo Mozart “Visually powerful, psychologically compelling, and superbly well sung.” Theatre Cat
“Paul Nilon’s central performance of great dramatic sincerity, it made for a powerful metaphor in straightforward staging...” Bachtrack “...this is a cast unafraid to put their vocal firepower wholly at the service of the drama.” The Arts Desk
Cover image: Hooray Cabaret in the Spiegeltent
Issue Six – October 2018
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Dear Friends three thousand pounds to support The Koombu project.
Message from the CEO After experiencing my first festival I now understand a great deal more about why BIF is so well-loved by so many. Seventeen days of glorious sunshine, opera in a Matcham theatre, stimulating discussions and book talks, sparkling music concerts and vampire cabaret in the Spiegeltent. When I wasn’t attending an event I was talking to our visitors and listening and learning at every opportunity. We will never separate the book events from the main programme again; we will provide (at a small cost) individual programmes for each of the operas and music items; we will try not to programme too many overlapping events. I took the risk of speaking briefly before each of the opera performances. We received two containers which have become the official “BIF Warehouse” at Longcliffe Quarry (a special shout-out to Robert Shields, Derek Raphael and Bill Tyson) and Funders
The plans for next year’s 40th Anniversary are advanced and I will be submitting a budget at the end of this month for final approval. Adrian Kelly and I are working hard on nailing down aspects of the opera productions and the book and music series and we have a few surprises in store. One of which I can let out of the bag here: We are postponing the production of Spontini’s La Vestale as we have the exciting opportunity of working with La Serenissima on a production of Antonio Caldara’s Lucio Papirio dittatore (Do I detect a flurry of fingers doing a Google search?) which had its premiere at the Hoftheatre in Vienna in 1719. Adrian is exploring the possibility of touring BIF to Austria next year with this production to celebrate the 300th Anniversary of its premiere. Thank you for all of your support during the 2018 edition of the Buxton International Festival. Michael Williams CEO, Buxton International Festival
Message from the Chairman of the Festival BIF goes from strength to strength. 2018 won critical acclaim and enthusiastic audience appreciation for four very different operas. Stephen Barlow and Elijah Moshinsky’s
powerful UK premiere of Verdi’s Alzira had everyone wondering why it has been ignored for so long. Stephen Barlow ended his tenure with Buxton on a real high and his contribution to opera at BIF has been nominated for recognition in the UK Theatre Awards with special mention of Alzira. We thank him profusely for seven years of glorious opera and music. We are delighted to welcome, from the Salzburg Landestheater, Adrian Kelly as our new Artistic Director. Adrian is one of the most experienced and exciting young conductors in Europe. He and our new Chief Executive Michael Williams are hard at work on 2019 and our 40th Anniversary. For the first time Buxton has commissioned a new work, a pasticcio, celebrating the life of Georgiana, the glamorous 5th Duchess of Devonshire. Despite much success, this year we made one big mistake and I want to apologise to everyone for our decision to delay publication of the book programme. We got that wrong and we will never do it again. Next year, a full programme of best selling authors will be published at the same time as our calendar of Operas and music. Thank you, Friends, for all your support. We look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary together in 2019. Felicity Goodey CBE DL Chairman, Buxton International Festival
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2018 Festival in pictures
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BIF Book Weekend 2018 23 & 24 November
BIF’s Book Weekend will return on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 November, to the Pavilion Arts Centre. At the time of this newsletter going to press, we are finalising the details of our speakers. However, we can reveal our two headliners. On Friday 23 November at 7.30pm politician turned awardwinning author Alan Johnson looks back over the beloved popular music that has been the soundtrack of his life, and transports us to a London that has long gone – a world of Dansettes and jukeboxes, of heartfelt love songs and heartbroken ballads, of smoky coffee shops and dingy dance halls. Then, on Saturday 24 November at 7.30pm, the star of Countdown and The Apprentice, Nick Hewer, takes a brilliant, amusing and evocative journey from A to Z of his life. As one of Lord Sugar’s closest advisers, Nick came late to wider public attention when he was recruited to work with him on The Apprentice. He quickly developed a reputation for his wry sense of humour, while his astute insights into the foibles and failings of the apprentices won
him a cult following. Now the host of the massively popular Countdown, Nick is equally at home on Question Time or Have I Got News For You, in the boardroom or chatting to a Mongolian policeman. Adrian Tinniswood uncovers five centuries of life at the English court, exploring life as it was lived by clerks and courtiers, clowns and crowned heads on five centuries, and Peter Moore looks at the life of the ship Endeavour, from the oak tree it was made from to its last voyage in the American War of Independence, and its time as the most significant ship in the history of British exploration; Kate Hubbard explores the colourful life and the iconic houses of Bess of Hardwick who, through canny choices, four husbands and a will of steel rose from country squire’s daughter to one of the richest and most powerful women in England. We also explore the world of crime writing from a female perspective with authors Sarah Ward and Kate Griffin. Full details of the Book Weekend can be found online at buxtonfestival.co.uk, and you can book tickets at the Buxton Opera House Box Office on 01298 72190.
Falling in love again… Just like Marlene Dietrich, Buxton fell in love with a Spiegeltent at the 2018 Festival… The century-old tent with its mirrored interior looked like a nightclub crossed with a circus big top, and it fulfilled its promise to attract new and younger audiences. Built in Belgium at the beginning of the 20th Century, the Buxton Spiegeltent is one of a handful of originals left, sister to the one in which Marlene Dietrich first sang her signature song, Falling in Love Again. The Pavilion Gardens helped by creating a space in the park, and a big thank-you is due to all their staff and to Shackleford Pianos and Thornbridge Brewery for their support. “The Spiegeltent is a joy and a wonder,” one audience member said. “Even when empty it is an art installation. Hope to see it next year: I would contribute to a fund to pay for it!”
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BIF welcomes new Artistic Director Our international credentials received fresh confirmation with the appointment of Adrian Kelly as Artistic Director, pledging to bring top talent and new audiences to the town when we celebrate our 40th anniversary next year. “He had visited a couple of years ago, and had been particularly taken with the Matcham theatre itself, but also with the town of Buxton and its spectacular setting in the Peak District. “The renovation of the Crescent and the Festival’s 40th anniversary represent an exciting opportunity – a chance to celebrate everything that the Festival has achieved over the years, and to continue to build on its tradition of excellence.”
Adrian joins the Festival after spending most of his career with European companies, including the Salzburg Festival, Hamburg State Opera, Theater Erfurt and Oper Zürich. He is currently Music Director of the Salzburg State Theatre. His experience adds to Buxton’s already impressive global reach: “On a recent trip to South Korea, I was introduced to the artistic director of an important music festival,” said Adrian. “When I told him about my recent appointment in Buxton, his face lit up.
Adrian trained as a Choral Scholar at King’s College Cambridge and later at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He was invited to join the Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House where he collaborated with Hallé Director, Sir Mark Elder, and Sir Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera House. “I am looking forward to the challenge of planning and delivering a truly diverse programme of opera and concerts. I also share Michael Williams’ desire to bring opera to a wider audience.”
Farewell to Stephen He was also responsible for programming the early Verdi trilogy, with three times Olivier award-winning opera director Elijah Moshinsky, culminating with Alzira, given its first major UK staged production at Buxton this summer. He has also helped Buxton International Chorus members to progress to principal roles, offering Buxton as a performance platform for up-and-coming artists. “I shall miss enormously the exhilaration of the festival atmosphere and the scintillating immersion in operas, concerts and books that enlivens the lovely spa town and wider region each summer, but look forward to returning as a visitor in whatever capacity.”
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Georgiana: a pasticcio One of the intriguing but unjustly neglected aspects of baroque and classical opera is the practice of pasticcio. Yes, the Italian word means mess or hotchpotch, but it also denotes something full of tasty ingredients put together unexpectedly. An operatic pasticcio is made up of lots of musical nuggets: a selection of the best arias, duets and ensembles from various operas arranged to form a deliciously satisfying whole. Operatic pasticci were common during the 18th century, and were usually arranged by someone other than the original composers. The compilation process – like that of all good chefs – was both personal and somewhat arcane. Singers loved pasticci, because they could perform just their favourite arias,
and leave out the boring bits! Without giving away too many secrets, I can reveal that our Buxton Festival pasticcio will include music by Martín y Soler, best known as the composer of Una cosa rara (an aria from which is quoted in the supper scene of Don Giovanni); by Stephen Storace, the brother of Nancy; Mozart’s Susanna, by Thomas Linley, who was known as “the English Mozart,” and – of course – by the composer who now overshadows the lot of them, Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart himself. Although the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire was something of a messy pasticcio, our re-telling of her extraordinary story will be anything but a hotchpotch. I’m having a wonderful time putting the music together, and since the proof of the pudding is in the eating I look forward to seeing you next July! Mark Tatlow Conductor
Eugene Onegin Artistic Director Adrian Kelly will put his stamp on Tchaikovsky’s sweeping tale of unfulfilled love, based on the classic Pushkin novel in verse which explores life, death, ennui, convention and passion. Sung in English with English surtitles Running time approx. 2 hours 50 mins
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Friends at the Centre Supporting the Festival for 40 years
A Message from the Chairman! “Will it last?” I asked of the weather in my Friends email just before the Festival began. Well, of course, it did; and we were able to stroll around a sun-drenched Buxton between Opera House, Arts Centre, St John’s Church and the new revelation, the Spiegeltent, to revel in another year of wonderful opera, music and word. Buxton International Festival re-affirmed its unique charm and attraction and set the stage for next year’s Fortieth. On your behalf I would like to thank all the volunteers and interns who looked after us all so warmly and who, I know, thoroughly enjoyed their conversations with you. And you will all have now seen Michael, our new Chief Executive, in action and witnessed his unstoppable energy and enterprise. It will be no surprise that planning for 2019 is already well underway. It will be very special! In the Friends pages of this edition you will find not only details of our forthcoming events but also information about next year’s membership rates; a new level of Friends membership; a longawaited announcement that you can now pay your subscriptions by direct debit. We are supporting the Festival Foundation in promoting the Festival Legacy scheme and include a short piece by Jane Davies about the unique contribution to the Festival of Malcom Fraser. This year we will again have contributed over £200,000 to the Festival’s finances and, as always, I thank you all for your generous and continuing support and commitment to a unique celebration of the arts which we all hold so dear. David Brindley, Chairman friendschairman@buxtonfestival.co.uk
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Friends round-up Romantic Music Breaks the Friends’ Silence at Derbyshire’s “Sleeping Beauty” Beautiful music in Haddon Hall’s historic Long Gallery broke a 30-year silence when the Friends of Buxton Festival returned to the home of Lord and Lady Edward Manners to present a concert by the Northern Chamber Orchestra. Romantic Haddon – the setting for Hollywood films ranging from The Princess Bride to Franco Zefirelli’s Jane Eyre – hosted the Friends’ fund-raiser at which the Orchestra’s string quintet presented music by Mozart, Haydn and Dvořák.
It is three decades since the Friends last held an event at Haddon Hall, which “slept” for 200 years until the 1920s when the 9th Duke of Rutland restored the house and gardens after it had lain dormant because it had been considered unfashionable.
Friends Chairman David Brindley thanked Lord and Lady Manners for welcoming them to their home.
Guests met in the Banqueting Hall before heading to the Long Gallery for the music, and explored the Rose Garden and the grounds in the interval.
Renew by Direct Debit We now have an arrangement with Go Cardless to enable subscription renewals by Direct Debit. All members on email will receive an invitation shortly to switch to DD payments and we would encourage as many members as possible to take up this option and so significantly reduce our administrative load.
2019 Membership Rates Next year’s rates remain unchanged. Please consider upgrading your level of membership if you possibly can.
Single
Joint
Friend
£30
£40
Gold Friend
£60
£85
Patron
£175
£250
Gold Patron
£330
£440
Benefactor
£500
£600
Directors Circle
£1,500
£1,500
Contact the BIF office for details of payment options.
New level of membership We have a new level of Friends’ membership, the Gold Patron. For full details go to www.buxtonfestival.co.uk/friends/ become-a-friend
Give As You Live One Friend has just reported that they have raised an additional £80 for the Friends in one year simply by registering all their internet purchases with Give As You Live. There’s a smart phone app, too. It’s so easy and there are no catches. Find out more at: www.giveasyoulive.com
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Forthcoming Friends Events Donald Maxwell’s Final Fling Friday, 19 October 2018 at 6.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton Former Patron Donald Maxwell is celebrating 40 years of Festival friendship with a musical Final Fling.
Friendship is what the Festival is all about, said Donald, an operatic baritone and teacher who has sung with all of the leading British opera companies, as well as La Scala, Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opéra, Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and Théâtre Musical de Paris.
Sponsored by
Coffee Morning talk with Shirley Williams Friday, 23 November 2018 at 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton
“The Festival’s survival is an astonishing thing, and a lot of that is to do with the Friends,” he said. “There is a body of support, a lot of it local, which has kept it going when things were a little bit rocky over the years.
Donald, who sang in the very first Festival, has also been its Artistic Director and Artist in Residence, and this concert and dinner in the Pavilion Arts Centre will feature highlights from across the years. Accompanying him in the evening of song will be musical friends including, on the piano, Wyn Davies who took over as Patron this year; former Festival Chief Executive Glyn Foley, who will be returning to his first love, the bassoon; and Juliet Montgomery, soprano, recently graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music and a Festival Young Artist in 2017.
“It’s got a family feel. As a performer we see people in the audience who you see year after year, and I’ve got to know a lot of local people and formed lasting friendships with them.” Donald and friends will be performing music to reflect his 40 years in what he called “a pot-pourri of nostalgia with a nod towards the next generation”. Places costs £45 each including concert and dinner.
Festival Friend Baroness Shirley Williams follows the footsteps taken by her mother Vera Brittain in her memoir Testament of Youth to the graveside of her uncle Edward Brittain in the foothills of the Italian Alps. Through letters sent between Edward and Vera, and a journey to the trenches of Northern Italy, Shirley Williams looks back at the forgotten Asiago campaign on the Italian Front at the very end of World War I and the tragic circumstances leading to Edward’s death 100 years ago. Places cost £10 each including coffee.
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An Evening at Bonhams
Christmas at Gorton Monastery
Monday, 3 December 2018 at 7pm New Bond St, Mayfair, London
Monday, 10 December 2018, 11am – 3pm Gorton Lane, Manchester
Starter Roast butternut squash soup, served with warm bread
Monks, mulled wine and mystery in one of Manchester’s most fascinating buildings is the setting for a Christmas outing with a difference.
Main Roast turkey breast, served with roast potatoes, creamed potatoes, honey glazed carrots & parsnips, sautéed button sprouts, homemade apricot and sage stuffing, pigs in blankets and rich jus
Friends of Buxton Festival have been invited to join a select gathering at one of the world’s most renowned auction houses this December for a preview of the Bonhams Old Masters auction and the 2019 Festival opera Georgiana. Chief Executive Michael Williams will be demonstrating how the Festival’s world premiere of its specially commissioned opera Georgiana captures the spirit of its age. Founded in 1793, Bonhams is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers of fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The auction house has kindly offered the Friends the venue on the eve of a major Old Masters auction, with paintings on sale for anything from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of pounds. Michael will introduce the secret history of the life and times of Georgiana, the Fifth Duchess of Devonshire, on which the pasticcio opera named after her will be based. There will also be a recital of some of the music from the opera. A minimum donation of £50 each requested for this event. Drinks and canapés reception included.
Gorton Monastery was built in the 19th-century by Franciscan friars who came to minister to the workers powering the Industrial Revolution which made Britain the Workshop of the World. Its architect Edwin Welby Pugin was the son of A W N Pugin, who built the Palace of Westminster. Now restored, its fascinating history and mysterious alignment of the saints with the movements of the temporal heavens will be the subject of a talk which will follow a mulled wine reception and a Christmas lunch.
Annual General Meeting Friday, 8 February 2019 at 10.30am coffee, 11am meeting Octagon Hall, Pavilion Gardens, Buxton The Annual General Meeting will be one of the first opportunities to see the inside of the newly restored Octagon at the Pavilion Gardens. This wonderful Victorian building, which has hosted concerts by the Hallé and The Beatles, has been taken back to its original design and colour scheme.
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Vegetarian Alternative The Monastery’s festive nut roast served with traditional trimmings and seasonal vegetables Dessert Christmas pudding with brandy sauce
Places £35 each including lunch, talk and music
AGM Recital Friday, 8 February 2019 at 12 noon Octagon Hall, Pavilion Gardens, Buxton Following the business of the AGM members will have the opportunity to stay for a recital; programme to be announced. Please sign-up for the members e-newsletter to receive details. Places cost £10 each.
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AGM Lunch
Last year this ever-popular concert was quite prophetic: it included pieces from Eugene Onegin, which will be one of the 2019 Festival operas.
Friday, 8 February 2019 at 1.15pm Octagon Hall, Pavilion Gardens, Buxton Following the recital, Friends are invited to a two-course lunch with a glass of wine and coffee. Places cost £25 each.
Places cost £40 each which includes lunch.
Georgiana Returns to Chatsworth
English Touring Opera Recital
Saturday, 6 April 2019 at 4.30pm Chatsworth House, near Bakewell
Saturday, 23 March 2019 at 11.30am Moorcroft House, Lismore Road, Buxton English Touring Opera continue their love affair with Buxton – one of the few venues to which they tour all their productions – with a concert at the home of Friends members Pat & Philip Holland just across the park from the Opera House.
History comes full circle on 6 April when Georgiana returns to her home, Chatsworth House. Festival Chief Executive Michael Williams will host an evening of music from the 2019 world
premiere of our specially commissioned opera Georgiana in the stately home’s very own Georgian theatre. There will be a recital on the stage of this exquisitely decorated private theatre. This rare opportunity to see Chatsworth as it was in Georgiana’s time begins with afternoon tea in the Coach House. Guests will then walk through the gardens to the theatre, and following the performance will split into small groups to take part in guided tours rotating between the portraits of Georgiana and the sculpture gallery, passing through the corridors of the House, with expert commentary, before enjoying a glass of prosecco. Places cost £80 each for what can truly be described as a unique event
We’re proud to partner Buxton International Festival To discuss our services, please call James Lanchbery 0114 275 5100, email james.lanchbery@investecwin.co.uk or visit our website investecwin.co.uk
Member firm of the London Stock Exchange. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Investec Wealth & Investment Limited is registered in England. Registered No. 2122340. Registered Office: 2 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QP. Offices at Bath Belfast Birmingham Bournemouth Cheltenham Edinburgh Exeter Glasgow Guildford Leeds Liverpool London Manchester Reigate Sheffield
Issue Six – October 2018
Friends Holidays 2019 Trieste and Ljubljana 7–11 February
Buxton International Festival 11–14 July
Llandudno 24–27 April
Munich 24–28 July
Lisbon 8–12 June
Drottningholm early August
Leipzig 26 June–1 July
Verona 2–6 September
Would you like to organise a booking for a group with which you are involved to come to the Festival next year? We have already had much interest from groups for next year’s programme and if you have a group of 10 or more people you can have a ten per cent discount on tickets. For more details, get in touch with John Phillips at the Festival office john.phillips@buxtonfestival.co.uk
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Date for your diary Recital at the home of Sir Philip Haworth on 29 September 2019, Free Green Farm, Lower Peover, Cheshire. Further dates for future Friends events will be announced in the next newsletter and on the Festival website.
The gift that keeps on singing... Looking for a Christmas gift which will last until next summer? Why not buy a Festival voucher. To place an order, go online at www.buxtonfestival.co.uk
Malcolm Fraser’s Legacy We are grateful to Judith Tanner, a loyal Friend of the Festival for many years, for her suggestion that we should link the name of Malcolm Fraser, one of the founders of the Festival, with our legacy campaign. Successful projects are always the result of the efforts of a wide range of individuals, but there is often one person with the energy, determination to overcome all obstacles and infectious enthusiasm who inspires the rest. For the Buxton Festival this person was Malcolm Fraser. It was he who in 1976 realised that the combination of a small gem of an opera house and Buxton’s location near several centres of population had the potential to support an annual festival of opera that we are still enjoying 40 years later.
Unlike Malcolm, most of us are unlikely to make a lasting impression on the cultural life of this country. So to secure Malcolm’s legacy for the future, please will you consider donating a legacy gift to the Buxton Festival Foundation. Jane Davies Chairman, Festival Foundation
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Children get a handle on Handel, the man who put the score into football’s Champions League Five hundred schoolchildren and parents filled Buxton Opera House with song after learning all about the man who wrote the musical score for everything from the European Champions League to British coronation ceremonies – George Frideric Handel.
Left to right Viv Russell with Festival team members (seated) John Phillips, Michael Williams, Lucy Marsden; standing: Lee Barnes and Lucie de Lacy.
Quarry firm Longcliffe takes the drama out of Opera Company’s dilemma One corner of quarry firm Longcliffe’s Peak District operation is now home to a bit of darkest Peru after the company came to the rescue when BIF needed space to store its stage props. Peruvian flags from the 2018 production of Alzira, set in the South American country; chairs and tables; scenery and other theatre equipment which can be recycled now have a home in a secure container at Longcliffe’s Brassington site. “Buxton Festival has no storage space of its own, so every year we have had to throw away items like this which could quite easily be re-purposed for other productions,” said Chief Executive Officer Michael Williams.
“Longcliffe’s generosity will save us a lot of money by allowing us to build up a store of really useful stuff – although it might be a while before we use the Peruvian flags again!” Longcliffe Group Managing Director Viv Russell said he wanted to help as quarry firms were not only stewards of the Peak District landscape, but also stewards of the local communities.
Backed by top professional baroque orchestra The English Concert, the children from five local schools performed a tribute to Handel from their seats in the auditorium as the climax of Crazy Composers, a fun educational programme presented as part of Buxton International Festival. Over the previous two months they had learnt about Handel’s work, history and importance.
The container was donated to the Festival by supporter, Derek Raphael. Another, donated by Directors Circle members Bill and Sue Tyson, will also be used for storage. Pictured: Robert Howes conducting the English Concert. The pupils had a vote on a nickname for Handel, and came up with “Jeff”!
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Handel’s Messiah is one of the best known musical works in the world, but the children also learned that Zadoc the Priest was the theme tune to the Champions League and has been played at every British coronation since it was written. “One of the main points of Crazy Composers is to make children explorers, searching out facts about the great Baroque composers,” said Robert Howes, The English Concert’s principal timpanist who created the programme. This is the fifth time Crazy Composers has come to Buxton, and demand grows each year. The children were from junior and infants schools in Buxton, Burbage, Harpur Hill and Fairfield. After the show, one parent said: “I never thought I’d see my daughter singing with an orchestra in the Opera House!”
Burbage Band premieres Outreach children’s masterpieces Burbage Primary School was the venue for a very special world premiere when pupils heard their own musical compositions performed for the first time. The Festival’s Celia Dunk had taught the youngsters how to write short pieces of music during outreach sessions at the school, and invited Burbage Band, one of the oldest brass bands in the world, to come and play them.
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The Band gave a masterclass in how music is created, with an extremely funny but highly professional break-down of how each section works together, with the classic circus theme The Big Top as the finale. “I think this is brilliant,” Band Musical Director Steve Critchlow said of the outreach programme. “I’m very impressed with what the kids have been learning. To see them writing music is very impressive, and it was a real joy to put their notes to music and watch their faces.”
The English Concert’s Chairman George Burnett said that Crazy Composers was all about getting people to cross the threshold of the Opera House – and enter the world of music at the same time. “The Opera House is for everybody in Buxton,” he said. Crazy Composers is backed by the Festival, the Sir Michael Tippett Musical Foundation, the Arts Council and The Bingham Trust.
Georgiana at The Duchess Theatre Thursday 24 January at 7pm Chatsworth Arts Centre, Long Eaton, Nottingham
Enjoy extracts from the pasticcio opera, Georgiana, in a recital with music by Mozart, Martín y Soler, Paisiello, Linley and Storace with an introduction into the creation of a new work based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish, 5th Duchess of Devonshire. Tickets: £15
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Harpist tugs on the heartstrings with musical memories
Festival chosen to help music charity celebrate 70 years
Pensioners have told Buxton International Festival that its musical outreach programme has made them feel alive again.
National charity Music in Hospitals & Care picked the Festival as one of the 70 events chosen across the country nationwide to celebrate its 70th anniversary of using music to raise spirits, reduce stress and bring pleasure to sick and vulnerable adults, children and their families.
Their Musical Memories programme brought harpist Eleanor Hudson to Queen’s Court Day Centre in Buxton where Derbyshire County Council and the NHS provide social contact and health care to elderly people who meet for a meal, conversation and entertainment. “It made me feel alive again,” said one pensioner after Eleanor, who was the Principal Harpist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for 17 years, played and explained music – and even had people dancing during her six sessions at the Centre.
Buxton resident Fiona McIntosh, who is one of the charity’s trustees, organised concerts to coincide with the Festival in all care homes in Buxton. “We were trying to get 70 events like BIF, which is so prestigious, for our celebration,” said Fiona, who was a violinist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Manager of the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester until her retirement.
Eleanor trained in dementia awareness and currently leads the music therapy provision for NHS Merseyside, including work at the high security Ashworth Hospital. “I do it because it brings high-level music-making to people who wouldn’t otherwise experience it,” said Eleanor, who was born in Gretton Road, Fairfield, just round the corner from the Centre. Musical Memories was sponsored by the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
The interns play a vital role in making the Festival flow, from helping to organise and marshal events to arranging flights for performers. Hugh Morris, who is studying trombone and conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music said “It’s been fantastic seeing so much opera, which I love, and being able to enjoy it.” Nikki Martin said her work as an intern would give her a head start if she decided to go into arts administration: “It helps with knowing what goes on backstage and how everything works.” The most exciting aspect for creative writing graduate Ava MacPherson was meeting the authors in the book series. She also had to introduce them onstage, which was terrifying but earned her some rave reviews from the audience members But the interns were also stars in their own right. This year’s Morning Melodies performed in the Spiegeltent by interns studying singing were a huge success. “Somebody e-mailed afterwards about some possible work as performers,” said Ellie Hull.
Festival interns get to know the business inside out Being an intern during the Festival helped students get a unique view of the world of music and entertainment – whether it was backstage, on stage or as part of the audience.
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She spent 15 years with the Royal Opera House, first as Stage Manager, managing over 60 productions before taking a leading role in its organisational development, designing and developing their first Internal Engagement Programme. The National Opera Studio creates partnerships and initiatives to increase diversity and training in the industry.
Emily Gottlieb joins the Festival at an exciting time in its story Opera is story-telling at its best, says Emily Gottlieb, Buxton Festival’s latest recruit to the board of directors who is excited to find out what happens next at a turning point in its 40-year history. “I’m interested in coming at a time of development,” said Emily, who joined soon after new Chief Executive Michael Williams and Artistic Director Adrian Kelly were appointed. “There is a desire for change and a real impetus to do things that are different and unusual.” Emily, who has been Chief Executive of the National Opera Studio since 2015, fell in love with opera as a six-year-old when her grandmother took her to see Tales of Hoffmann at the Royal Opera House in London. “Opera is story-telling at its best,” she said. “And especially for young people, it can be all about dragons and love and death and magic – you don’t always have to sit through a three-hour extravaganza to get into it.”
Emily has also worked in leading opera companies including Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Victoria State Opera, European Union Opera and Grange Park Opera. But Buxton has a special place in the opera world: “Buxton Festival has always been a part of the fabric of the musical life of the UK, and is well-regarded for doing a lot of exciting things which attract high quality people. That’s one of the reasons I’m interested in Buxton.” During the 2018 Festival she talked to many members of the Friends, who she said were so important to its future: “People really feel like it’s their Festival. It’s good to get the community engaged in what the Festival ought to look like.”
Dream job for theatre director on stage where he starred as a child BIF once again proved it has a leading role in creating the theatre professionals of the future when the British premiere of Tisbe was directed by a local man who began his career as a 12-year-old in the event’s youth programme.
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Taking part in a children’s opera led Mark Burns to a career in musical theatre, working extensively as a Director and Assistant with The Royal Opera, Glyndebourne, English Touring Opera, Opera North, Royal Academy Opera, Silent Opera, Bury Court Opera and Opera Danube. Now 30, London-based Mark came home to direct the British premiere of Tisbe, a rarely-performed but highly regarded opera by Brescianello, performed by baroque music specialists La Serenissima as part of the 2018 Festival. And he will return in 2019 to direct our children’s opera, The Oprhans of Koombu.
New Artistic Administrator appointed We are delighted to announce that Caroline Hewitt has been appointed the new Artistic Administrator of BIF. Some members might know Caroline as the Orchestra Manager for the Northern Chamber Orchestra and has worked closely with the Festival during her time in that position.
BIF Poetry Competition The BIF Poetry Competition is resting this year, but we’re looking forward to bringing it back, in a new, invigorated form, in 2019.
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Overture
Take a leading role in next year’s Festival Building on this year’s opera syndicate, we are launching three new groups for 2019: two syndicates which are groups of people who come together to support productions and enjoy unique insights into how we put the Festival together; and a chance to support young people through the Koombu Group (see separate feature). – Join the opera syndicate and follow our new opera Georgiana, commissioned for our 40th anniversary, as part of the creative process from the beginning right through to the opening night. – Sign up to the orchestra syndicate to receive invitations to closed working rehearsals and find out more about the orchestra members and conductor. – Kick-start the Koombu Project and take opera to the next generation You can join the opera and orchestra syndicates by supporting us at the following levels Dress the story – costumes & wigs
£100
Set the scene – design, scenery & lighting
£500
Adopt a player in the orchestra
£500
Adopt a chorus member
£1000
Support a soloist
£5000
Support the Conductor
£10000
Once you have joined the syndicate you will receive: – Acknowledgement in the 40th anniversary festival programme – Regular updates in the run-up to the 2019 festival performances with details of characters and costumes – Access to behind the scenes tours to see set and costumes from a new perspective – A dedication included in cast member’s biography if supporting a performer. – Credit on the supporters’ page of our website As a Syndicate member, you play an important role in supporting a production from start to finish, with unique insights into the planning and rehearsal process. Most importantly, this year you will be supporting BIF’s specially commissioned opera Georgiana and our brilliant musicians as we reach out to new audiences.
Issue Six – October 2018
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Festival Circle The Festival was a huge risk when it started 40 years ago, but has proved to be one of the Buxton’s most sound investments. Research by the University of Derby into its economic impact demonstrated that it brings more than £3 million a year into the local economy. Definitely something to sing about, and proof that whoever you are in Buxton and the High Peak, you’ve probably benefitted from the Festival. We’re now asking businesses to join our Festival Circle in the run-up to our 40th Anniversary Festival.
The Koombu Project Taking opera to the next generation by putting young people at the centre of their own opera. We also need your support to give young people across the High Peak a voice as we pull together a fabulous cast of directors, singers, musicians and designers to work with schools in and around Buxton. BIF will present The Orphans of Koombu, a mini opera designed to put young voices at the centre of the performance. Devised and written by BIF CEO Michael Williams, this production will inspire young people and show them how an operatic piece comes together, involving them in design, drama and music.
Do you run a business, or do you know a business owner who would be interested in joining? Members of the Festival Circle support the continued development of our education and outreach projects and help to maintain the highest artistic standards across the Festival. Members receive benefits as part of their membership, together with the opportunity to promote their business in the local community.
Festival Circle Benefits – Year-round website advert restricted exclusively to Circle members on our website – Quarter page advert in the Programme Book with the opportunity to upgrade to a full or half page advert at a discounted rate – Two tickets to a BIF event of your choice – Access to priority booking for other BIF events – Complimentary programme book – Invitation to launches and events For more information or to sign up to the Festival Circle contact lucy. marsden@buxtonfestival.co.uk
The Orphans of Koombu is a combination of opera, musical theatre and African harmonies which will engage young people and help schools to fulfil their music curriculum requirements. Many pupils in the High Peak have limited experience of seeing musicians play live and have never visited, let alone performed at, the Buxton Opera House. This project will bring the arts to life for over 200 young people with memorable and life-changing experiences. For a donation of £250 to £1,000 towards this project you will receive: – acknowledgement in the 40th anniversary festival programme – two tickets for a performance of The Orphans of Koombu at the Opera House
Remember, if you donate to any of these projects and you are a tax payer we can claim gift aid on your donation. For more details, please contact: joanne.williams@buxtonfestival. co.uk or call 01298 70395
In July 2019 the Buxton International Festival will celebrate forty years of music-making in the town of Buxton. The 40th Anniversary Festival will include new productions, a Festival Foundation Concert and guest productions as well as programmes of Music and Book events.
EUGENE ONEGIN / TCHAIKOVSKY Tchaikovsky’s inspired melodies light up Pushkin’s classic tale of first love and painful rejection, of broken friendships, loss and regret.
GEORGIANA / MUSIC FROM THE ENLIGHTENMENT The World Première of a specially commissioned 40th Anniversary opera pasticcio, celebrating the life and times of Georgiana Cavendish, the 5th Duchess of Devonshire.
L U C I O PA P I R I O D I T TAT O R E / C A L D A R A This forgotten gem by the Italian composer Antonio Caldara, full of virtuoso arias and dazzling chorus writing, is a perfect vehicle for the dynamic, Grammy Award-winning baroque ensemble La Serenissima.
ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD / OFFENBACH Due to popular demand, Opera della Luna return to Buxton with their ‘rumbustious, unpretentious and jolly version’ of Offenbach’s operetta.
N E W V O I C E S / F E S T I VA L F O U N D AT I O N C O N C E R T Featuring talented young singers from Royal Northern College of Music and Cape Town Opera – an opportunity to get to know the opera stars of the future. 5 - 2 1 J U LY 2 0 1 9