Greenlight for Festival
Greenlight for Roadshow
Audiences got a kick out of opera as Buxton International Festival’s first roadshows ended with the Can-Can as a finale.
The shows offer a sneak preview to the Festival’s 40th anniversary programme, including a duet from the world premiere of Georgiana about the scandalous life and loves of the Fifth Duchess of Devonshire – the operatic treatment of the story behind Keira Knightley’s Hollywood film The Duchess.
Performed so far at Hathersage and Ashbourne, the show carries on across Derbyshire and also in to Stockport before a grand finale in Buxton’s newly-restored Octagon on April 4.
Musicians include members of the Royal Northern College of Music and the Northern Chamber Orchestra who will present excerpts from favourites such as Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals as well as accompanying members of the BIF opera company in arias selected from the 2019 programme, rounded off with the music from Orpheus in the Underworld which inspired the Can-Can.
“Opera is now more varied than ever and BIF celebrates this by staging a fiery world premiere, a renowned Russian romance, a dazzling rediscovery, and a popular unpretentious romp,” said Chief Executive Michael Williams.
“We want to share the excitement which is building up as we get ready to celebrate our 40th anniversary, and the Roadshow will feature music from Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Eugene Onegin and songs from Offenbach’s racy opera Orpheus in the Underworld, which gave us the Can-Can.”
The Roadshow programme, which is being supported by the University of Derby, will also include a preview of the 2019 music and book series, which will bring big names such as author Melvyn Bragg, the BBC’s Nick Robinson and TV historian Lucy Worsley to town.
Pictured: greenlight for Roadshow – the opening night took place at the David Mellor design museum in Hathersage, which displays the work of the famous cutlery designer who also created much of Britain’s street furniture, from traffic lights to park benches.
Venues include:
March 2019
Wednesday 13, 7pm to 8pm: Stockport Plaza
Thursday 14, 7pm to 8pm: Members’ Room, Derbyshire County Council Offices, County Hall, Matlock
Friday 15, 7pm to 8pm: Wirksworth Town Hall
Friday 22, 7pm to 8pm: Springbank Arts Centre, New Mills
Wednesday 27, 7pm to 8pm: Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek
Thursday 28, 7pm to 8pm: Baslow Village Hall
April 2019
April 4, 6pm to 7pm: The Octagon, Buxton
To book go to Buxtonfestival.co.uk or ring 01298 70395.
Facebook logo /buxtonfestival
Twitter logo @BuxtonFestival