Top British Opera singer will be appearing at the Brighton Centre on December 19 to raise money for Brighton Mencap.
THE Brighton Centre will play host to this spectacular one-off evening celebrating the grand tradition of opera as a universal language with the power to make us laugh, cry and better understand our world.
Expect to hear 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 continue supporting people with a learning disability, their families and carers.
The event, supported by Mencap, will be directed and programmed by acclaimed bass-baritone Henry Waddington and will be organised by an events committee that includes Opera lover, Neil Pollington.
Henry Waddington, will lead 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.
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”.
The proceeds raised will go to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers and will include the development of a local Mencap service in Brighton and Hove.
Neil Pollington, who is a member of the event’s committee and who has a learning disability, said: ”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”.
The stellar cast already includes stars of the British Opera including:
♦ Sopranos: Giselle Allen, Yvonne Howard, Jeni Bern, Jenni France, Natasha Marsh, Gillian Ramm and Kate Valentine.
♦ Mezzo Sopranos: Carolyn Dobbin, Vicky Simmonds, Sarah Pring, Gaynor Keeble and Leigh Woolf.
♦ Tenors: 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.
Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap, concluded: “We are delighted 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.”
Event: Grand Opera fundraiser for Mencap Brighton
Where: Brighton Centre, King’s Rd, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2GR
When: Saturday, December 19
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: From £35 to £160
To book tickets online, click here:
In person visit the Brighton Centre Box Office, Monday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm located at the front of the venue on Kings Road or telephone 0844 8471 1515.
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