Back to the Bard: Longborough's Fairy Queen

Rachel Speirs (Titania)

The Fairy Queen

Naomi Burrell in The Fairy Queen

By Roy Westbrook, 30 July 2023

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“Rachel Speirs sang Titania with charisma and authority”

Reviewed at Longborough Festival Opera, Moreton-in-Marsh on 29 July 2023

Purcell, The Fairy Queen

Longborough Festival Opera

Harry Sever, Conductor

Polly Graham, Director

Nate Gibson, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Tim Mitchell, Lighting Designer

Longborough Festival Opera Orchestra

Longborough Festival Chorus

Naomi Burrell, Violin, Director

Rachel Speirs, Soprano

Eleanor Broomfield, Soprano

Alys Mererid Roberts, Soprano

Annie Reilly, Mezzo-soprano

Angharad Rowlands, Mezzo-soprano

Lars Fischer, Tenor

Luke Horner, Tenor

Peter Edge, Bass

George Robarts, Baritone

Suzie Purkis, Mezzo-soprano

Rhydian Jenkins, Tenor

Dorman’s Wahnfried receives its UK premiere at Longborough

Mark Pullinger, 27th May

Longborough Festival Opera, built on Wagnerian foundations, stages the UK premiere of Avner Dorman’s ambitious cautionary tale about the Wagner clan and establishing the composer’s legacy.

***11

An enthralling Walküre at Longborough Opera Festival

David Karlin, 18th June

Who wouldn't relish the chance of seeing a Ring cycle at close quarters? Longborough's Die Walküre isn't perfect, but it consistently delivers on the story and on character interpretation.

****1

Don't look back: Longborough's new L'Orfeo

Roy Westbrook, 11th July

Olivia Fuchs directs Monteverdi's early opera in a sparse staging with a consistently fine cast.

***11

Fame and feuding on the Rhine: Longborough's new Götterdämmerung

Roy Westbrook, 29th May

Longborough's Ring Cycle reaches completion in the Cotswold's, effectively staged by Amy Lane.

****1

Grief compellingly explored: Die tote Stadt at Longborough

David Karlin, 27th June

An outstanding performance from Rachel Nicholls lights up Carmen Jakobi's compelling production of Korngold's exploration of grief.

****1

Fearlessly heroic: Siegfried gets the Longborough Ring back on track

Matthew Rye, 30th May

Longborough Festival Opera’s ongoing Ring cycle returns to its fully staged form with a triumphant new Siegfried.

****1

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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.