On Thursday 26 September 2024, our new Opera Lovers Group had its first meeting and there was an ovation from those present for what had been achieved!

Zsuzsanna, who is the Group Leader, had wisely chosen a light comedic opera for our start, and some 20 people were present for the first meeting. The chosen work was Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti which had been performed at Glyndebourne Opera House in 2013 with an all star cast.

The session started with an exploration of the characters in the opera, getting to know who they are and what they are about, and that was followed by a behind-the-scenes meeting with the principal artists and their understanding of the dynamics of their characters.

And in no time, we were into the Overture and under way. We had an interval between Act 2 and Act 3 for refreshments, and then we were into the finale in no time. The Opera has an entertaining theme that still has relevance for society today, and all the characters were portrayed in a sympathetic light. Spoiler Alert: it all ended with everyone happy and contented with their outcome.

We congratulate Zsuzsanna on getting this group started, and the technical support team for getting wonderful video and amazing sound on the equipment at the Harrow District Masonic Centre. You can see a 40 second taster of the opera at this location on the Internet.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 28 November 2024, and the opera to be seen on that date will be chosen by the members of the group.