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  • DIDO and AENEAS AUDITIONS
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  •  Date Posted: Fri, 23 Feb 2024
    DIDO and AENEAS AUDITIONS
    Somerset Opera present Dido and Aeneas at the Museum of Somerset in partnership with the Taunton Sinfonietta

    Directed by Guido Martin Brandis and with Musical Direction by Noah Mosely, Somerset Opera will be performing Purcell’s 17th century Dido & Aeneas, next to the 4th century Low Ham mosaic, in the Great Hall, at The Museum of Somerset this July. The mosaic depicts the tragic love story of Dido & Aeneas which is the oldest object in Britain that tells a complete story. The Museum of Somerset is a unique building that acts as a prism for Somerset’s rich local heritage and a gateway to the stories that the mosaic and other installations represent. This makes it the perfect venue for our show which will combine contemporary tropes and 17th-century music with the story’s Roman Britain backdrop. We will explore themes of time, fate, and determinism as well as delivering the music to a professionally high standard and creating opportunities for young people to take part in and experience opera in an accessible and engaging way.

    Performances are on the 10th, 11th and 12th of July at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton
    Principal rehearsals in St George’s Hall Taunton:
    Evenings of 20th of June and 27th of June (7:00pm-9:30pm)
    Day time: 30th June-4th July (10:00am-6:00pm)
    Full Day Sitzprobe: 6th July (10:00 am-6:00pm)
    Full Day: Tech and Dress: 7th (July 9:00am-5:30pm)


    We are looking for 5 Opera singers from Somerset or with a strong connection to the South West for the following roles. A figure of £500 is guaranteed with travel covered and the option of accommodation if needed as well. However, we have submitted an application for Arts Council funding and should we be successful then pay will rise to £1500 per singer for the engagement.

    Dido
    Soprano/ Mezzo-Soprano

    Aeneas
    Tenor/ Baritone

    Sorceress and others
    Mezzo-Soprano/ Contralto/ Counter-tenor

    Belinda and others
    Soprano/ Mezzo-Soprano

    Second Woman / Attendant  and others
    Soprano

    The following parts: First Witch, Second Witch, Spirit, and Sailor will be shared amongst the singers we cast and with our fabulous Chorus.

    Auditions will be in Taunton on the 2nd of April. Please register your interest at chairman@somersetopera.org.uk 

    Please prepare a short aria in English that is baroque or classical era and be ready to have your piece worked on dramatically.

    Somerset Opera are aiming for this process to be open, flexible, and collaborative, as such we are looking for artists who are comfortable and enthusiastic about working with people of all levels of experience.

  • Dido & Aeneas at the Museum of Somerset
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  •  Date Posted: Thu, 15 Feb 2024
    Dates confirmed for Dido & Aeneas at the Museum of Somerset in partnership with the Taunton Sinfonietta


    We are excited to confirm the three performance dates for Somerset Opera's production of Dido & Aeneas this summer as the 10th, 11th, and 12th of July.

    We are planning to perform Purcell’s 17th-century Dido & Aeneas, next to the 4th-century Low Ham mosaic, in the Great Hall, at The Museum of Somerset. This mosaic depicts the tragic love story of Dido & Aeneas which is the oldest object in Britain that tells a complete story. The Museum of Somerset is a unique building that acts as a prism for Somerset’s rich local heritage and a gateway to the stories that the mosaic and other installations represent. This makes it the perfect venue for our show which will combine contemporary tropes and 17th century music with the story’s Roman Britain backdrop. We will explore themes of time, fate, and determinism as well as delivering the music to a professionally high standard and creating opportunities for young people to take part in and experience opera in an accessible and engaging way.

    We will soon be announcing Audition details so stay tuned...
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  • WSG
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  •  Date Posted: Mon, 22 Jan 2024
    WSG
    W S GILBERT? – THIS WAS YOUR LIFE!

    SOMERSET OPERA MARCH 2024 TOUR

    Somerset Opera are delighted to present their raucous new production of W.S Gilbert? The G&S operas are very well known, but the relationship (occasionally stormy) between playwright Gilbert and composer Sullivan in their long collaboration is sometimes overlooked.  Gilbert often felt undervalued and Sullivan longed to be regarded as a much more ‘serious’ composer.  Robert Traynor has put together a highly amusing ‘history’ of the partnership, using Gilbert’s own words in many places, and illustrating the whole thing with highly appropriate songs and quotations from the beloved operas throughout.  D'Oyly Carte's own Robert Traynor will perform the role of Gilbert, together with soloists and chorus from Somerset Opera. The show will include familiar numbers from ten Gilbert & Sullivan Operas including The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, Patience, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe and Gondoliers. There are over 25 numbers including ‘Three Little Maids’, Poor Wandering One, Cock & Bull, the Nightmare Song, A Wand’ring Minstrel I and I am the Very Model of a Major General.

    WS Gilbert?- This Was Your Life will tour to eight venues across Somerset from 14-24 March, finishing at Taunton School at 3pm on 24 March.


    Join us for a night of music and jollity and experience the story behind the stories we all know and love!
  • Safeguarding Policy and Data Protection and Retention Policy
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  •  Date Posted: Tue, 13 Oct 2020
    The Somerset Opera Safeguarding Policy and Data Protection and Retention Policy have been updated and are now able to be viewed in our members area.
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