Saturday Lunchtimes Live in the Park! Northern Ireland Opera

Saturday Lunchtimes Live in the Park! Northern Ireland Opera

Sat 15 July

12:00 – 13:00

Free Outdoor Lunchtime Performance

Pack a picnic, some camp chairs or a blanket, and join us for a Lunchtime Live in the Park performance. We are delighted to welcome Anna Gregg & Jenny Bourke from Northern Ireland Opera to perform at Flowerfield.

Anna Gregg
Anna Gregg is a Northern-Irish soprano, graduated with distinction this year, from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied her BMus(Hons) and Artist Masters under the tutelage of Sarah Pring. Since graduating, Anna has been fortunate to have worked with Opera Collective Ireland and Sestina Music on their award winning production of Handel’s ‘Semele’, conducted by Christian Curnyn. She was also engaged with Sestina’s ‘Music of Celebration’ concert tour, and thoroughly enjoyed singing in Wexford Festival Opera’s season, playing the role of ‘Alice Gibbens James’ in ‘The Master’ (Caruso), as well as chorus roles in ‘La Tempesta’ (Halevy), ‘Lalla-Roukh’ (David), and ‘Armida’ (Dvorák). Most recently, Anna has been performing in a production of ‘L’elisir d’amore’ - Donizetti, with Longborough Festival Opera. Anna has a particular passion for oratorio, has been fortunate this year to have sung the soprano solos in the following works with various choral societies in the UK: Mozart - Requiem, Mozart - Vesperae solennes de confessore, Fauré - Requiem, Handel - ‘Messiah’, Franck - Die sieben letzen Wrote Christi am Kreutz. She is looking forward to covering the role of ‘Elena’ in ‘Elena and Gerardo’ - Bottini, with Random Opera later this season. Anna was thrilled to be an ‘Associate Artist’ with NI Opera last year, and is very much looking forward to joining them in opening their exciting summer concert series.

Jenny Bourke
Jenny is a music graduate of Queen’s University Belfast and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Her operatic roles include Lucy Lockett The Beggar’s Opera, Mother Goose The Rakes Progress, Sorceress Dido and Aeneus, Shepherd boy Tosca, Kate Pinkerton Madame Butterfly, Third Lady Magic Flute, Florence Pike Albert Herring, Queen of the Gypsies Bohemian Girl and Dorabella Cosi fan tutti with Castleward Opera, RCS and Opera Fringe.

Jenny enjoys ensemble singing and is a member of Melisma and the Ulster Consort. She recently performed on the highly acclaimed Belfast Cathedral Christmas and St Matthew Passion, Wilby CDs.

ABOUT NORTHERN IRELAND OPERA

Northern Ireland Opera believes in the power of opera to bring people together, to offer unmatched entertainment and escapism, and to tell universal stories. Northern Ireland’s rich history of song, music and storytelling are the foundations which fuel our ambition to draw communities together to experience the total artform of opera presented through a contemporary Northern Irish voice, and the emotional and social benefits that it can bring.

As Northern Ireland’s national opera company, we are the only professional company in the country producing full scale work on stage and which celebrates and platforms Northern Irish artists, for audiences from their local communities and beyond. We contrast this with nimble smaller scale high quality opera productions which we tour to communities across the country where there is low/no classical music provision. From teenagers experiencing their first opera, to those with a lifelong love of the artform; our critically acclaimed produced work engages audiences in a unique opera experience rooted in a country with a rich history of music.

We are building a community of local and international singers, musicians and creatives and supporting them to develop their craft and progress their professional pathways. Our approach instils generosity as well as aspiration and collaboration as we draw on, invest in and contribute back to our local communities. We capture imaginations and provide the space and tools for people to explore their creative skills and potential. Every person who participates with us, whether as a member of our Northern Ireland Chorus Development Programme, a participant on a creative workshop or Skills Expo session, is given the personalised support which will enable the most impactful outcomes.

SATURDAY LUNCHTIMES LIVE IN THE PARK

SAT 24th JUN - Victor Henriquez

SAT 15th JUL - Northern Ireland Opera

SAT 29th JUL - North Coast Trad

SAT 12th AUG - TBC