Opera

Figaro at  Caterham 1983 with Stephen Hope

St Margaret's music hall 

The programme for Figaro at Streatham Hill school May 1983

Louise in Croydon minster robes. 

Don Basilio 

On the right is Susanna played by Veronica Stephen Rose played for this

With David Smith St Margaret's hall

With Bartolo and the Count

As Bardolpho in Falstaff

Louise in Croydon Minster robes

p.428 review of Madam Butterfly my "fussy Goro which was an exemplar of marriage broking Japanese style". The second Figaro   was with orchestra and Paul Kelly a t Harlequin Redhill. Oct 89 Clive Letchford sang the count.Dennis had beaten the bounds of the Tower of London again. I think the chronology might be wrong here as Butterfly was definitely our last opera with COSi because we ran out of money. I recall twice singing Figaro, Falstaff and Butterfly. I also sang the circus master in Act 2 of Bartered Bride at the Harlequin theatre Redhill, October 1987. One of the performances was delayed because of a bomb scare. In the end we went ahead without an interval. I think Dennis was with me. Paul Kelly conducted. Donald Madgwick did not mention me in his review but commented on Keith Chaundy (also in the chorus) and Veronica Gilbert and the excellent dancers. I also recall going to La Boheme at St Margaret's hall with piano sung by the tenor who sang Curzio. I sang the toy seller in our production and the chorus gathered round my empty tray where I had the words! Verdi's Falstaff is an ensemble piece and great fun. The problem was a producer who knew Shakespeare but had little knowledge of opera. I saw Falstaff at Covent Garden a few weeks after our version and realised how much more I could have done with my drunken character. p.429 photo of me in Butterfly so the date must be 1990. p. 449 Josie and Teresa visited and more cassettes. p. 449 mentions the Queen Mother's 90th birthday parade. I have found an account of this for the St John's church magazine.

Thanks from Clarence House

 It really was the most marvellous day and we sang in the choir for the RSCM. John Scott conducted. p.451 children on cassette. My trip to La Scala Milan to sing the B minor mass with Giulini. Visited Lake Como. The organist at these 3 performances was dreadful and played wrong notes! p.455 me playing for a confirmation. I used to go and meet the candidates and it was a great joy when one asked for the Gathering Mass because he liked it and also requested that we did not sing Taize Ubi caritas as it was sung so much at St Joseph's college! p.459 mention that Mum liked the intermezzo from Cavalliera Rusticana a lot on her radio show a favourite of my Grandma. p.461 Louise singing Rutter at Midnight Mass this was Angel's carol which has become a firm favourite at our Christmas singing sessions at the piano. Louise was in the Croindene singers with Chris Phyllis and went to Truro with them. At one point we were driving between St John's, Croydon Parish church (later became the Minster) and Addiscombe dropping Louise at the PC and Dennis at St John's. Dad mentions my new appointment. This was the long awaited promotion from senior assistant to branch librarian at York Road library. A large building to the North of Clapham Junction. The separate children's library at Winstanley had been closed so we had a children's section and a large hall where we ran an over 60s club. I used to buy cheap presents for the raffle and biscuits. One table complained that they never won! I was there for 3 years and turned it around. The locals were very anti-Council having elected Labour councillors only to find the Tories were moving people out and selling their flats after refurbishment. Of course it was a perfect place to live right near the main station. There was certainly poverty and anything involving food attracted flocks of kids!

Figaro 1989

1980

Tom did all our electrics. I played a Hungarian hymn at the funeral

At Louise's wedding 2007

Wedding day! 

The year began with a RSCM evensong at Chichester cathedral. I think the organ broke down but we continued! An evening with Queen Victoria at the Old Vic featured Prunella Scales and Ian Partridge. Years later I issued Prunella her freedom pass at the library! We began to go to Chorus again the Missa and Beethoven 9. Maazel conducted the Missa. We went to  St Mary Cray for a good concert featuring a viola and Fr Farmer. M and D celebrated 40th wedding anniversary. March 22. Clare Kedves delivered Louise and later Bruce and was a great support for Liz feeding the babies. In those days the Maundy service was broadcast on radio and it was from Worcester cathedral. Our colour TV came on April 3. April 26 went to see Laurence Irvine in New Moon at Stanley Halls - I later worked with him at Earlsfield library. Tall and gangly and always nice. He married at Trinity church Tooting -  at Trinity church I met my doom he would say and they had a daughter. Years later he was mugged for his wedding ring. May 7 first swimming lesson with Dennis and enjoyed it. This was the spur to learn and I had absolute trust in Julie Smith. She had been an Olympic swimmer in Melbourne Olympics and I went every week to Crystal Palace to learn. Even saw Duncan Goodhew training! We regularly went to Oxford Gardens or Mum and Dad came over. Sang in Lobgesang - Muti was ill so Adam Fischer stepped in. He was excellent. In July to Boscombe with trips to Romsey Abbey, Broadlands, Marwell zoo. July 19 Rosemary and Lyn Callan got married. We knew Lyn from St John Ambulance at the hall and had been to his Earlsfield home for dinner. Brendan came from Hobart and we took him to Greenwich and into Kent looking for oast houses. He is an architect. In September we went to Basle to sing Mahler 8. Charles Spencer had convinced the promoter that we could manage both choruses and we did it! We stayed on a boat on the river and visited the zoo and art gallery. Boat trip on Rhone and up the Jura. In October I was one of the lucky ones who sang Judas Maccabeus at La Scala, Milan with Mackerras. The locals did not like this English choir appearing and insisted that there had to be a gap between the rows for the safety curtain! Visited Isola Bella and Lake Como. Oct 18 to Christ in Croydon and my group was good.

 Basle