Sheffield City Opera are delighted to make its first appearance at the Bradfield Festival, in the month of its tenth anniversary. SCO was formed in June 1999 to produce grand opera and operetta to the highest standards of amateur performance. Many concerts have been produced since then, and SCO has staged five operas, including Carmen and Elixir of Love, with La Boheme to come this autumn. Their programme for the festival will include:

Mascagni - Easter Hymn (from Cavalleria Rusticana)

Saint-Saens - “Softly Awakes my Heart” (from Samson and Delilah)

Puccini - Flower Duet (from Madame Butterfly)

Richard Strauss - Trio from Der Rosenkavalier

Mozart - Voyagers’ Chorus (from Idomeneo)

Rossini - Prayer from Moses

Wagner - Bridal Chorus (from Lohengrin) and “Wach Auf” (from Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg)

The Meirion Chamber Ensemble was originally founded from members of the Halle Orchestra and still containing many leading members of that great orchestra. This is their fifth appearance at the festival, where their programme will be:

G.F.Handel - Concerto Grosso

J.S.Bach - Cantata No. 51 Praise God in all Lands! (soprano, trumpet and strings)

W.A.Mozart - Divertimento in B flat, K. 137

A.Corelli - Concerto Grosso No. 2 in F Major, Op. 6

Thomas Davey - Three Songs for Soprano, Trumpet and Strings

G.F.Handel - Let the Bright Seraphim (from Samson) HWV 57

Gustav Holst - St. Paul’s Suite

Festival President Julian Lloyd Weber returns to the festival again this year, with pianist Pam Chowhan. Their programme will include a reading from Julian’s book, “Travels with my Cello”, which will be followed by a question and answer session with the audience. Musical items will include:

Bach - Adagio in G

Bridge - Scherzetto

Britten - Scherzo Pizzicato and Marcia from Sonata in C, Op 65

Faure - Elegie

Saint Saens - The Swan

Debussy - Sonata (1915)

William Lloyd Webber - In The Half Light

Julian Lloyd Webber - Song for Baba

Andrew Lloyd Webber - Music of the Night

Piazzolla - Oblivion

Oscar Rasbach - Trees

Elgar - In Haven

Emma Johnson & Friends (Emma Johnson - Clarinet; Phillip Dukes - Viola; John Lenehan - Piano). Emma and John are both past favourites with the Bradfield audiences. Phillip Dukes completes the trio, whose programme will include:

Brahms - Clarinet Sonata in E flat major, Op 120 no. 2

Mozart - Trio in E flat major

The Wihan Quartet of Prague are making their first appearance at Bradfield. They will be joined by cellist Gemma Rosenfield, in a programme that includes:

Hadyn - Emporer Quartet

Smetena - Quartet no. 1

Schubert - String Quintet

The Gilbert & Sullivan evening is entitled: “W.S.Gilbert - this Was Your Life” - a sideways look at the topsy-turvey world of Gilber and Sullivan