THE NEW LONDON OPERA GROUP
THE NEW LONDON OPERA GROUP
presents
Around the world in eighty minutes
(and a bit!)
An operatic circumnavigation
Katherine Graham (Soprano)
Kirsty Bennett (Mezzo-Soprano)
Kirsti Whitlocke (Mezzo-Soprano)
Robert Felstead (Tenor)
Chris Cann (Baritone)
Graham Rogers (Bass-Baritone)
Paul Guinery (Piano)
Devised by Chris Cann & Paul Guinery
Lighting Designer: Steve Greenwood
Stage Management: Ben Austin & Jon Greener
Poster Design: Tony Bannister
Programme: Chris Cann
The New London Opera Group
Welcome to this evening’s concert, an operatic tour of the world taking in a wide variety of locales, from the snowy Alps to the Sahara and the South Pacific. The concert features a blend of the familiar and the new, with something (we hope) to please everyone. This is the sixth annual Spring Concert given in Louth by The New London Opera Group (newLOG).
newLOG is an amateur company dedicated to producing high-quality musical theatre in London and on tour around the country. It was founded in October 2003 by members of the disbanded University of London Opera Group who sought to preserve the heritage and ethos of the society, whilst expanding both the membership base and repertoire.
Although based in London, the group has a very happy second home at Louth Playgoers’ Riverhead Theatre. In June 2003, the University of London Opera Group brought its final production (Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe) on a very successful tour to Louth, playing to capacity audiences. A positive relationship was formed with the theatre, and when newLOG was founded, the annual visit to Louth naturally became the cornerstone of the Group’s calendar. Since then, The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Cox & Box, Ruddigore, Patience and The Sorcerer have been given in Louth, together with concerts of G&S, Viennese and French operetta. In addition, newLOG has given acclaimed concert performances in London of Rutland Boughton’s Nativity opera, Bethlehem and Michael Balfe’s beautiful romance The Bohemian Girl.
We hope you enjoy this evening’s performance. For more information about newLOG, or to join our FREE mailing list, do e-mail us at info@newlog.org.uk or log onto our website:
www.newlog.org.uk
The New London Opera Group
Performance History
2004
Here’s a how-de-do! (A celebration of Gilbert & Sullivan)
The Mikado or The Town of Titipu by WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
2005
A Viennese Soirée (A celebration of Viennese operetta)
The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty by WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
Bethlehem(A Choral Drama) by Rutland Boughton (Concert performance)
2006
Cox & Box or The Long-Lost Brothers by Arthur Sullivan & FC Burnand
A Night at the Savoy (A celebration of the operas of Sir Arthur Sullivan)
Ruddigore or The Witch’s Curse by WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
The Bohemian Girl by Michael Balfe (Concert Performance)
2007
La vie Parisienne (A celebration of French operetta)
Patience or Bunthorne’s Bride by WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
Trial by Jury and Savoy Concert (Gilbert & Sullivan)
2008
Never mind the why or wherefore! (A celebration of Gilbert & Sullivan)
The Sorcerer by WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
The Zoo (Sullivan & Rowe) & Savoy Concert (Gilbert & Sullivan)
Around the World in 80 minutes (and a bit!)
Part I
England
“The Yeomen of England” (Merrie England)
Paris
“Music’s playing” (The Merry Widow)
“Two millionaires on the Rue d-amore” (Bohemian duet) (The Count of Luxemburg)
The French Riviera
“Take my advice when deep in debt” (the Roulette Song) (The Grand Duke)
The Alps
“Roses from the Tyrol” (The Bird Seller)
Vienna
“My happiness in blighted” (Die Fledermaus)
“Vienna Mine” (Countess Maritza)
“Marquis Renard” (the Laughing Song) (Die Fledermaus)
Venice
“We’re called Gondolieri” (The Gondoliers)
“In masquerade, we’ll be arrayed” (A night in Venice)
“Women, I can’t understand” (Lagoon Waltz) (A night in Venice)
The Balkans
“Vilja” (The Merry Widow)
Greece
Invocation to Venus (La Belle Hélène)
North Africa
“My Desert is waiting” (The Desert Song)
Egypt
“Cleopatra” (Salad Days)
The Middle East
“A popular Persian tune” (The Rose of Persia)
INTERVAL – 20 MINUTES
Part II
China
“You are my heart’s delight” (The Land of Smiles)
Japan
“A more humane Mikado” (The Mikado)
“Three little maids from School are we” (The Mikado)
“I’m the sweetest little Geisha in Japan” (“Chon Kina”) (The Geisha)
“The Jewel of Asia” (The Geisha)
The South Pacific
“Society has quite forsaken” (Minstrel song) (Utopia Limited)
South America
Bolero (La Périchole)
“I’ve dined so well” (the ‘Tipsy Waltz’) (La Périchole)
The Caribbean
“This doesn’t look very much like the Indies” (Christopher Columbus)
“You take a gallon of water” (Robinson Crusoe)
London
“I like London” (The Arcadians)
“I’ll meet you at half-past-two” (The Arcadians)
“All down Piccadilly” (The Arcadians)
Around the World in 80 minutes (and a bit!)
Synopsis of Musical Numbers
Merrie England – Edward German (1862-1936)
(Premiered at the Savoy Theatre, 1902)
The Earl of Essex Chris Cann / Graham Rogers
The last of the original Savoy Operas was a patriotic romp through the England of Elizabeth I. In this song, The Earl of Essex expounds on the martial prowess of “The Yeomen of England”.
The Merry Widow – Franz Lehár (1870-1948)
(Premiered at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 1905)
Hanna Glawari (a wealthy widow) Kirsti Whitlocke / Kirsty Bennett*
Count Danilo Danilowitsch Chris Cann
Lehár’s most celebrated operetta is set in turn-of-the-century Paris and concerns the on-off romance between the wealthy widow, Hanna Glawari, and her old flame, Count Danilo. After a lengthy battle of wits, Danilo finally confesses his love in the famous waltz “Music’s playing”. Earlier, Hanna entertains her house guests with the charming Balkan legend of the wood-nymph, known as the “Vilja”*
The Count of Luxemburg – Franz Lehár
(Premiered at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 1905)
Armand Brissard (an artist) Robert Felstead
Juliette (his model and muse) Katherine Graham
After The Merry Widow, Lehár recaptured the Parisian atmosphere in his next operetta, The Count of Luxemburg. The struggling artist, Armand, and his lover and model, Juliette, sing of the delights of their frugal bohemian life (“Two millionaies on the Rue d-amore”).
The Grand Duke – WS Gilbert (1836-1911) & Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)
(Premiered at the Savoy Theatre, 1896)
The Prince of Monte-Carlo Graham Rogers
Although the last Gilbert and Sullivan opera is set in Germany, it does feature the husband-hunting Princess of Monte-Carlo and her father. The cash-strapped Prince has managed to make a fortune by inventing the game of Roulette. Sullivan injects the Prince’s roulette song “Take my advice when deep in debt” with wonderfully spirited Gallic élan.
The Bird Seller – Karl Zeller (1842-98)
(Premiered at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 1891)
Christel (a postmistress) Katherine Graham
The village postmistress, Christel yearns for the roses of her native Tyrol in the rapturous aria “Roses from the Tyrol”.
Die Fledermaus – Johann Strauss II (1825-99)
(Premiered at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 1874)
Gabriel von Eisenstein Chris Cann
Rosalinde (his wife) Katherine Graham
Adele (their housemaid) Kirsty Bennett / Katherine Graham*
Gabriel von Eisenstein pretends that he is about to go to prison for some small offence and bids an emotional farewell to his wife, Rosalinde, and his maid, Adele (“My happiness is blighted”). However, he is really sneaking off to a grand ball held by the Russian millionaire, Prince Orlofsky. Disaster almost strikes when he runs into Adele, who has also gate-crashed the ball. Eisenstein denounces her as his maid, but Adele brazens it out and taunts him in the celebrated Laughing Song*.
Countess Maritza – Emmerich Kálmán (1882-1953)
(Premiered at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 1924)
Count Tassilo Endrödy-Wittemburg Robert Felstead
Reduced to penury by a stock market crash, the dashing Count Tassilo reminisces about his former life of luxury in the exquisite aria “Vienna Mine”.
The Gondoliers – WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
(Premiered at the Savoy Theatre, 1889)
Marco Palmieri Robert Felstead
Giuseppe Palmieri Graham Rogers
In this sunniest of the Savoy Operas, the eponymous Gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe introduce themselves in the celebrated duet “We’re called Gondolieri”, little aware that one of them is the long-lost King of Barataria.
A Night in Venice – Johann Strauss II
(Premiered at the Friedrich Wilhelmstadisches Theater, Berlin, 1883)
Annina (a fish seller) Katherine Graham
Ciboletta (a cook) Kirsty Bennett
Caramello (a barber) Robert Felstead / Chris Cann*
Pappacoda (a macaroni chef) Graham Rogers
This most romantic of Strauss’s operettas conjures up the romance of the famous Venice carnival. Two couples prepare to disguise themselves for a masked ball (“In masquerade, we’ll be arrayed”). However, all is not well and the jealous Pappacoda believes (falsely, as it happens) that his belovèd Ciboletta has been seduced by the licentious Duke of Urbino. He reflects on the fickleness of women in the beautiful Lagoon Waltz*
La belle Hélène – Jacques Offenbach (1819-80)
(Premiered at the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris, 1864)
Helen of Troy Kirsti Whitlocke
Doomed to be loved by any man that sees her, Helen begs the goddess Venus to release her from the curse of her fatal beauty (“O Goddess Venus”)
The Desert Song - Sigmund Romberg (1887-1951)
(Premiered at the Casino Theatre, New York, 1926)
Margot Bonvalet (a French traveller) Kirsty Bennett
The Red Shadow (chief of the Riffs) Chris Cann
On holiday in Morocco, the tourist, Margot, is wooed by the Chief of the warlike Riff tribesmen, The Red Shadow. They sing the eponymous desert song “My desert is waiting”.
Salad Days – Julian Slade (1930-2006)
(Premiered at the Bristol Old Vic, 1954)
Nightclub Manager Graham Rogers
This smash hit British musical comedy of the 1960s contains a celebrated nightclub scene in which the manager of the seedy club regales his guests with the ballad of “Cleopatra”.
The Rose of Persia – Arthur Sullivan & Basil Hood (1864-1917)
(Premiered at the Savoy Theatre, 1899)
Sullivan’s last completed operetta, The Rose of Persia, ends with a jolly ensemble celebrating the happy ending for all characters, set to a thoroughly inauthentic, but very charming “Popular Persian tune”.
The Land of Smiles – Franz Lehár
(Premiered at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 1929)
Prince Sou-Chong Robert Felstead
The land of the title is China, where Prince Sou-Chong has been appointed Prime Minister. However, his Austrian wife, Lisa is unwilling to stay in the Orient and decides to return to Vienna. Before she leaves, the Prince pours out his heart in the celebrated aria “My heart belongs to you”, written for the great tenor Richard Tauber.
The Mikado – WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
(Premiered at the Savoy Theatre, 1885)
The Mikado of Japan Graham Rogers
Yum-Yum Katherine Graham
Pitti-sing Kirsti Whitlocke
Peep Bo Kirsty Bennett
The bloodthirsty Mikado of Japan describes some of his many appropriate punishments for those who offend his singular sense of justice (“A more humane Mikado never did in Japan exist”). Meanwhile Yum-Yum and her sisters return from school, singing the capricious trio “Three little maids from school are we”.
The Geisha – Sidney Jones (1861-1946)
(Premiered at Daly’s Theatre, London, 1896)
Molly Seamore (disguised as Roli-Poli San) Kirsti Whitlocke
O Mimosa San Kirsty Bennett
The Mikado started a fashion for oriental operas. The most successful of these other works was The Geisha. Miss Molly Seamore travels to the Far East to spy on her fiancé, Lieutenant Reggie Fairfax, a sailor, currently based at Japan. She disguises herself as a geisha, Roli-Poli San, and gains employment at the tea-house frequented by Reggie. Molly introduces herself as “The smartest little geisha in Japan”. The chief geisha, O Mimosa San, in more romantic mode, sings the beautiful legend of “The jewel of Asia”.
Utopia Limited – WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
(Premiered at the Savoy Theatre, 1893)
King Paramount of Utopia Chris Cann
King Paramount rules the South Pacific island of Utopia, which he plans to re-model on English lines. To this end, he imports a team of English advisors, ‘The Flowers of Progress’. In the sparkling mock-minstrel song “Society has quite forsaken”, the king reports on the radical reforms.
La Périchole – Jacques Offenbach
(Premiered at the Théâtre des Variétés, 1868)
La Périchole (a street singer) Kirsti Whitlocke
Piquillo (another singer, in love with her) Robert Felstead
Don Pedro (Spanish Governor of Lima) Graham Rogers
Panatellas (his Lord-in-waiting) Chris Cann
The penniliess singer La Périchole has to undertake a blindfold marriage in order to become a lady-in-waiting to the Spanish Viceroy of Peru. To strengthen her resolve, Périchole takes a drink and arrives at the ceremony drunk (“I’ve dined so well”). Périchole’s lover, Piquillo is in Prison, where he is visited by Don Pedro and Panatellas, who mock the captive with a brilliant South American bolero: “We husbands bowed our heads in silence”.
Christopher Columbus – Jacques Offenbach (arranged: Patric Schmid)
(Premiered at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 1976)
Mrs Gretel Columbus Katherine Graham
Mrs Laurette Columbus Kirsty Bennett
Mrs Rosa Columbus Kirsti Whitlocke
Christopher Columbus was devised for the bicentenary of the United States of America in 1976, using music from some of Offenbach’s less well-known operettas. Columbus is a polygamist who sails for the Indies to escape justice and his three wives. However, they follow him, ending up in the swamps of Manhattan. Much to their distress, the wives discover that the future New York is not quite the tropical paradise they were expecting (“This doesn’t look very much like the Indies”)
Robinson Crusoe – Jacques Offenbach
(Premiered at the Théâtre des Variétés, 1868)
Jim Cocks (a castaway and cannibal chef) Chris Cann
Toby (Robinson Crusoe’s Servant) Graham Rogers
Suzanne (his fiancé) Kirsti Whitlocke
Toby and his fiancé Suzanne, search for their master, the shipwrecked Robinson Crusoe, but are marooned on the same island. They are captured by the local tribe and are introduced to their chef, Jim Cocks, another castaway, who gives them his unique recipe for hotpot! (“You take a gallon of water”).
The Arcadians – Lionel Monkton (1861-1924)
(Premiered at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1909)
Chrysæa Kirsty Bennett
Eileen Cavanagh Katherine Graham
Jack Meadows Graham Rogers
Simplicitas Robert Felstead / Chris Cann
The Arcadians was the biggest stage hit of the Edwardian era, with an opening run dwarfing even The Mikado. A group of Arcadians leave their idyllic home and travel to London, which they find to be a far nicer place than they expected (“I like London”). Man-about-town Jack Meadows is pursuing the lovely Eileen, but she finds a number of excuses not to meet, before finally relenting (“I’ll meet you at half-past two”). Meanwhile, another Arcadian, Simplicitas, delights in the attention of London society ladies (“All down Piccadilly”).
Cast Biographies
Kirsty Bennett (Mezzo-Soprano)
Kirsty studied at Trinity College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music and has spent the last ten years working as a freelance actor, director and singer. Her company, Cabaret Direct, has recently been touring with their production of Diary of a Nobody, (in which Kirsty plays Carrie playing most of Mr Pooter’s friends and relations!) and received excellent reviews at the Edinburgh Festival last year. For more information about this show see www.cabaretdirect.co.uk
She was a member of the original University of London Group where she created the role of Flora Poste in Cold Comfort Farm and directed Fiddler on the Roof. She first appeared with newLOG four years ago in A Viennese Soirée, returning to play Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance and for La Vie Parisiènne. In November 2008, Kirsty sang the role of Eliza Smith, the manager of the refreshment stall in The Zoo by Arthur Sullivan and Bolton Rowe. Other Gilbert and Sullivan roles include the Fairy Queen (Iolanthe), Pitti-Sing (The Mikado) and Mad Margaret (Ruddigore). In between theatrical productions she looks after her three sons, Tom, Felix and Arthur.
Chris Cann (Baritone)
Born in Devon, Chris first came to London as a student in 1992. He has performed in all the extant Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Principal roles include The Judge and Defendant (Trial by Jury), Alexis Pointdextre (The Sorcerer), Major-General Stanley (The Pirates of Penzance), Bunthorne (Patience) The Lord Chancellor, Lord Mountararat, Strephon and Private Willis (Iolanthe), Cyril (Princess Ida), Pooh-Bah (The Mikado), Dick Dauntless and Sir Despard Murgatroyd (Ruddigore), The Duke of Plaza-Toro and Don Alhambra del Bolero (The Gondoliers), King Paramount (Utopia Limited) and Ludwig (The Grand Duke). Chris has directed productions for the University of London Opera Group, New London Opera Group and the Centenary Opera Company. Productions include The Sorcerer (three times), HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe (twice), Princess Ida, The Mikado and Ruddigore (twice). He has also directed the newLOG spring concerts of G&S, Viennese and French operetta and has also appeared as Mr Box in Cox and Box/A Night at the Savoy. As founding Artistic Director of newLOG, Chris produced the acclaimed concert performance of Rutland Boughton’s Bethlehem in December 2005, in which he also sang the dual roles of Jem the Shepherd and Zarathustra the Wise Man.
For Christmas 2006 he produced a rare concert performance of Michael Balfe’s beautiful romantic opera The Bohemian Girl. Next month, Chris will sing the role of the Judge in a new updated version of Trial by Jury for the Minotaur Music Theatre in London
Robert Felstead (Tenor)
Robert is very excited about performing in his first spring concert in Louth, having performed three times before in the summer shows playing Samuel (The Pirates of Penzance) in 2005, Dick Dauntless (Ruddigore) in 2006 and Alexis Pointdextre (The Sorcerer) last June. Other G&S roles include Ralph Rackstraw (HMS Pinafore) and Marco (The Gondoliers) for King’s College G&S Society. As well as Gilbert and Sullivan, Robert has enjoyed playing various roles in a number of musical theatre productions including Tony (West Side Story), Freddie (Chess), Seymour in (The Little Shop of Horrors) and Edgar (Batboy) to name a few. Robert is also a fan of choral music and has recently enjoyed solo parts in Handel’s Messiah, Walton’s Belshazaar’s Feast and a performance of Gerald Finzi’s Dies Natalis in Southwark Cathedral. When not singing or acting, he works as a postgraduate researcher at Imperial College, working in the field of Chemical Biology where he will be for the next three years when he hopes to have completed his PhD. Robert enjoys life in London but also relishes the chance to escape to the country once in a while so you’ll be seeing more of him soon.
Katherine Graham (Soprano)
Of Scottish parents, Katie grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Following a year at the School of Music at the University of Illinois she transferred to London take up a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music. Roles performed at the Academy include Handel’s Semele and Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel. She later continued her training as a light lyric soprano with Guildhall School of Music professor David Pollard.
She has sung roles with St. Albans Opera, Guildford Opera, early music ensemble ‘The Musicall Compass’ (performing at the Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House), Opera East, and at the Iford Arts Festival in Bath. Memorable recital engagements include a Lieder recital at Steinway Hall in New York as part of their platform for young performers, a new work for soprano and double bass by Richard Dubugnon at La Salle de la Cite des Arts in Paris, and in London at Fenton House, Burgh House, and St. Martin in the
Fields. Last summer she took part with six other pianist and singer duos in masterclasses on Schubert and Poulenc with celebrated accompanist Roger Vignoles, culminating in a public concert at the Stadttheater in Gmunden, Austria as part of the Salzkammergut Festival week 2008. This is her first appearance with newLOG.
Future engagements include Papagena (The Magic Flute), a recital with tenor for the London Handel 250th anniversary celebrations at the Foundling Museum, and appearances with Grange Park Opera for the 2009 summer season. Alongside music Katie is also a keen linguist. She is fluent in French and German, and is getting there with Italian and Russian!
Paul Guinery (Piano)
Paul Guinery studied the piano at the Royal College of Music where he was awarded an ARCM and won the Accompanist’s Prize (adjudicated by Gerald Moore). He was also a coach/répétiteur for the RCM Opera School. From there he went on to read for a Degree in Modern Languages at Queen’s College, Oxford, performing regularly in the Holywell Music Room; taking part in master classes with Jacqueline du Pré; and coaching the first UK performance of Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco for the Opera Club.
Paul has worked extensively with the wind quintet Harmoniemusik as their regular pianist. For the last twelve seasons he’s taken part in their annual summer festival at St. Columb in Cornwall where his many performances include that of soloist in piano concertos by Mozart. Paul has also been on tour with the group at home and abroad, notably in Belgium and Germany but also in France where the group have been invited to play twice at this year’s Oloron Festival. He made his first CD with Harmoniemusik in 2007. Recently Paul gave a piano recital for the Delius Society of music by 20th century English composers; and has been involved with theatre companies on a range of opera and operetta productions.
For many years Paul was a staff announcer and presenter for the BBC, working latterly for Radio 3 and hosting a wide variety of long-running classical music programmes, including Concert Hall, Your Concert Choice, Sacred and Profane and Choirworks, as well as live Proms and concerts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Singers at home and abroad. He can still be heard on air as a radio newsreader.
Graham Rogers (Bass-Baritone)
Graham has taken part in all of newLOG’s Louth performances so far; this is his twelfth appearance at the Riverhead Theatre, and he is very pleased to be back! Most recently he conducted the highly successful performance of The Sorcerer last summer. Stage appearances here include Strephon (Iolanthe) in 2003, the eponymous Mikado of Japan in 2004, Mr. Cox (Cox and Box) in 2006 in Archibald Grosvenor (Patience) in 2007, as well as concerts including A Viennese Soirée, A Night at the Savoy, and La Vie Parisiènne. Graham works for BBC Radio 3, and also writes on music: he contributed to the recently published book 1001 Classical Recordings to Hear Before You Die, and regularly reviews concerts and CDs for the website classicalsource.com. As Music Director of newLOG Graham has conducted other productions in Louth of The Pirates of Penzance (2005) and Ruddigore (2006). He will be returning to the pit in June to conduct The Gondoliers – one of the most well-loved of all the Gilbert & Sullivan operas.
Kirsti Whitlocke (Mezzo-Soprano)
Kirsti completed her tertiary qualifications in 1999 with distinction for her Graduate Diploma of Opera at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She has performed principal roles in conjunction with Opera Australia, Opera Queensland and The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. Kirsti has most recently performed the roles of Hebe, (HMS Pinafore), Fleta (Iolanthe) and Pitti-Sing (The Mikado) for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Savoy Theatre in London. Other roles include Olga (The Merry Widow) with the Queensland Philharmonic, Orlovsky (Die Fledermaus)and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly) for the 4MBS Festival of Fine Music. In conjunction with Opera Australia Kirsti sang the role of Giacinta in the Australian première of Mozart’s La finta semplice in 1996 and the role of Penelope in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria. For Opera Queensland Kirsti was a touring principal in the Australian opera The Serpent. As a concert artist Kirsti has appeared with The Sydney Symphony Orchestra at The Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and in recital for the Bach, Mozart and Schubert Societies of Australia. Kirsti made her Louth debut as Phyllis in the University of London Opera Group’s production of Iolanthe in 2003. Her first appearance with newLOG was in the concert A Night at the Savoy at the Riverhead Theatre in March 2006. She has subsequently given a “wickedly comic” (Grimsby Telegraph) performance as Mad Margaret in Ruddigore and also appeared in the spring concerts of French operetta (2007) and G&S (2008). In London, Kirsti sang the villainous Queen of the Gypsies in Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl with newLOG in 2006.
The New London Opera Group would like to thank the following for their assistance with this concert:
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
&
Holy Trinity Church, South Kensington
for their generous provision of rehearsal spaces
All at Louth Playgoers’ Riverhead Theatre, and especially Tony Blackmore, for their warm welcome and great assistance