Wishing everyone Scottish Opera and Edinburgh International Festival a brilliant opening night of Oedipus Rex National Museums Scotland. Especially my wonderful Kitty Whately as Jocasta! Toi³ all!!!

Two lovely reviews in Opera with Opera News for this summer’s performances. Holst’s Sāvitri with Britten Sinfonia//Britten Pears Arts and Handel’s Acis & Galatea with Opera Holland Park//City of London Sinfonia (CLS). After a much needed break with the family 😎 🏖️ I’m off to 🇬🇷 nationalopera.gr/en/stavros-nia…

I better go superviral for this...

1st day of the new season. 🇬🇷☀️ #Gluck

SOMERSET WIN!!!! An incredible bowling performance as Surrey are bowled out in the final 10 minutes of the final day!

I may have been quiet on here recently but I’ve been beavering away behind the scenes since getting back from holiday trying to #SaveWNO. To say this response from Chris Bryant is disappointing is an understatement. And reneges on Labour’s pledge to review Arts Council England. 1/ 🧵

…The management Welsh National Opera are intent on pushing through their part-time plans for #Chorus & #Orchestra, but in light of Welsh Government’s recent announcement of £1.5m emergency funding for Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru | Arts Council of Wales surely a stay of execution is called for? 2/

…It is baffling that the custodians of #WNO are still maintaining that if they were to receive any emergency funding they would simply pop it into cash flow rather than protect the core of the company. To sustain #WNO a full-time, quality #Orchestra & #Chorus are both vital. 3/

…And a decision as fundamental as diminishing the core of #WNO should not be being taken under interim management when two new permanent General Directors are yet to start until January 2025. What will they be inheriting, having not been involved in any of the discussions? 4/

…Understandably, the musicians at Welsh National Opera are now planning industrial action. The #Chorus will #Strike on opening night of #Rigoletto and the #Orchestra take Action Short of a Strike. And I, for one, cannot possibly blame them. 5/

…Cutting into the musicians’ contracts would spell the beginning of a downward spiral for #WNO, and Welsh Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru | Arts Council of Wales & Arts Council England, London need to recognise that reality and act together to save the company. 6/

…Reviews into both funding bodies need to take place urgently - into their funding models, strategy, behaviours & risk assessments. Quite why Department for Culture, Media and Sport has closed the review into Arts Council England, an unusually positive move by the last govt, is anyone’s guess. More on this later… 7/

…Politicians are hiding behind the “arm’s-length” principle of funding bodies when it is quite clear that there are major issues with both ACE and ACW. Who are the bodies accountable to, if not ultimately to government? Who holds them to account for their decisions? 8/

…I’ve now spoken with many MP’s, MS’s & Lords across all parties who see the bigger picture &agree that the #Musicians of #WNO shouldn’t be made part-time. But why is no one who has the power to step in listening to us? Just £450,000 could save the musicians till Apr 2026… 9/

…This is #Labour’s chance to prove they meant what they said about the arts every time they criticised the previous government & said they’d be different. They control both GOV.UK and Welsh Government now. The future of Welsh National Opera is in their hands. 10/

…If you feel strongly about this, please do sign this open letter to the Chair of the Board of #WNO. And share, share, share… /End equity.eaction.org.uk/writetoWNOboard

Britten’s The Turn of the Screw was premiered Teatro La Fenice 70 years ago today. So lucky to have sung Peter Quint Glyndebourne in 2014. Here’s a little clip I made a few years ago with the brilliant Jan Capiński & Christopher Gould. youtu.be/luvTkqACY90?si… 📸 Robbie Jack

Ollie Pope ✅ Jamie Smith ✅ Lewis Gregory takes two in two!

Some jobs are better than others. #Poros