English National Opera Visit

On Monday, fifty children from Years 5 and 6 were invited to visit the English National Opera at the London Coliseum. This was a very exciting opportunity for the children to see the largest theatre in London’s West End and home to the opera company who are currently preparing HMS Pinafone by Gilbert and Sullivan as well as Cosi Fan Tutti by Mozart. 

As part of the day, the children took part in an opera workshop with a vocal coach and repetiteur (piano) to learn about the music from Carmen by Bizet. They also toured the theatre, including backstage, and took to the gantry to see how a theatre works during ‘showtime’. Two further parts of the day, which were unique opportunities, were to meet an opera singer, learning how she fills the theatre with her voice and no microphone, and a talk by a milliner from the costume department. To top it off, the children were given free access to rails of costumes and accessories to try! What a dress-up treat! 

The children and adults were truly spoilt by such a magical experience. Here’s hoping we get a chance to do it again!