A gala concert with the Cardiff Cotswold Opera Company.

This summer we’re bringing the magic of opera to the heart of the Cotswolds. We will be joined by professional soloists to bring you a dazzling selection of choruses and arias from the great composers, including Verdi, Bizet and Tchaikovsky.

To add to the sense of occasion, performers will be in evening dress. We’re not expecting the audience to follow suit – but if you’d like to, please feel free!

The event will celebrate the 5th anniversary of local children’s literacy organisation ‘Read with Me’ who will be telling us about their wonderful work and achievements.

Conducted by Andrew Hopwood and accompanied by Julian Elloway.

Doors open at 7pm for pre-concert drinks before the concert starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets £15 (18 & under free) available from TicketSource and M&B Stores, Minchinhampton.

Programme

Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin Waltz Scene (Chorus)

Mozart’s Don Giovanni Catalogue Aria (Soloist Andrew Hopwood)

Bizet’s Carmen
Habanera (Chorus, soloist Grace Maria Wain)
March of the Toreadors (Chorus)

Verdi’s La Traviata Sempre Libera (Soloist Joelene Griffith)

Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci Vesti la Giubba (Soloist Thomas Wood)

Mastagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana Easter Hymn (Chorus, soloists Joelene Griffith and
Grace Maria Wain)

INTERVAL

Verdi’s Nabucco Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Chorus)

Verdi’s Don Carlo Canzone del Velo (Soloist Grace Maria Wain)

Verdi’s Macbeth
Chorus of the Scottish Refugees (Chorus)
O figli, o figli miei (Soloist Thomas Wood)

Cat Duet (Joelene Griffith and Grace Maria Wain)

Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers Pearl Fishers duet (Thomas Wood and Andrew Hopwood)
Verdi’s La Traviata Brindisi (Chorus, soloists Joelene Griffith and Thomas Wood)

Biographies

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Hopwood – Choral Director
Andrew was born in Yorkshire and began his musical career there, singing in the local church and school choirs. His formal training took him to the Birmingham School of Music (now the Birmingham Conservatoire) where he focused on both performance and teaching. He then moved to Opera North whilst giving private voice lessons and conducting a choir in
Herefordshire.
His extensive experience also includes numerous collaborations with
orchestras and conducting professional musicians from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Andrew’s performance career has involved singing with Opera North and Scottish Opera and as a soloist in various choirs, taking him to Germany, Netherlands, France, Poland and Malta. He has had the privilege of singing alongside leading artists, including Susan Chilcott and James Gilchrist.

 

 

 

 

 

Julian Elloway – Accompanist
Julian Elloway studied piano in Oxford with Lucy Van-Jung Page, at the Guildhall School of Music with Cimbro Martin, and subsequently specialized in piano accompaniment with Paul Hamburger. At the age of 14 he played a Beethoven piano concerto in the Royal Festival Hall. He was organ scholar at Sussex University and worked in Brighton as keyboard player, choir conductor and répétiteur, before becoming Music Editor and Manager of the Music Department at Oxford University Press. He frequently appeared as organist, harpsichordist and pianist with the City of Oxford Orchestra and the Academy of Oxford, and became chorus master of the choirs associated with both orchestras.
Julian now lives in Minchinhampton where he works as a freelance musician and editor.

 

 

 

 

 

Joelene Griffith – Lyric Coloratura Soprano
Australian soprano Joelene Griffith debuted in 2013 with Pacific Opera in the role of Cherubino in ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ and this was soon followed by roles in Australian productions including Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan Tutte) and the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte).
In 2017 she was invited to undertake a masters in advanced vocal studies under the guidance of Dennis O’Neill in Wales and this led to her international debut as Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare) with Cardiff Opera. In 2019 Joelene also debuted the role of Violetta in ‘La Traviata’ with the Teddington Society London, a role that she reprised in 2022 with North Wales Opera.
Joelene’s oratorio performances have included work by Carl Orff, Handel, Beethoven, Haydn and Brahms.This year Joelene has sung with Bath Opera and Red Earth Opera and is also presenting a series of Lute Song recitals at festivals across the United Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

 

Grace Maria Wain – Mezzo soprano
Grace hails from The Fens and currently resides in Lanarkshire. She graduated from Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with an MA in Opera Performance.
She has had roles in a number of operas by Wagner, Barber and Puccini and sang in the world premiere of The Ballybruff Trilogy by Byrne & Keane.
Grace’s concert performances have included work by Beethoven, Handel, Haydn, Mozart and Rutter.
She was selected in 2022 for a masterclass with director John Fulljames; in 2023 she won the Carole Rees Award (Wagner Bursary) and in 2024 she was a semifinalist for the Elizabeth Connell Prize 2024. Upcoming engagements include Wellgunde (Götterdämmerung) with London Opera Company and as a soloist to celebrate the 125th anniversary of British composer Alan Bush with Birmingham Clarion Singers.

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Wood – Tenor
Thomas is an Irish/Australian tenor. He performed in West Australian musicals, short films and concerts before his professional opera career began as Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte with the West Australian Opera which then provided him with many opportunities to develop as an emerging artist.
Thomas has been noted for his fierce characterisation and stage craft and combined with his interest in the psychological underpinnings of character development, he continues to focus on a preference for verismo (‘realistic’) operatic roles including Don Jose (Carmen) and Turridu (Cavalleria Rusticana).  Thomas has also had operatic roles in music by Wagner, Mozart, Verdi, Andrew Lloyd Webber and many others.
In addition to performing, Thomas has directed and produced works, including directorial roles for festival opera productions of Rimsky Korsakov’s Mozart and Salieri & Puccini’s Tosca.

Save the date for our Christmas concert where we’ll be joined by the Capriol Chamber Orchestra to bring you Vivaldi’s Gloria and a host of carols.