Preston Opera teaming up with symphony orchestra to present concert of popular solos and choruses

Preston Opera performing in a church — Preston Opera recently performed at the Preston Arts Festival launch event

Preston Opera is teaming up with Blackpool Symphony Orchestra to present a concert in an Ashton-on-Ribble church.

Featuring popular operatic solos and choruses, the concert will be conducted by Helen Harrison. Helen recently made her Radio 3 conducting debut with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Preston Opera recently ran a successful Spacehive crowdfunding project to raise additional funds for its May 2025 production of Verdi’s La Traviata.

Kevin Hesketh, Preston Opera Chair, said: “In 2025 Preston Opera will be in its 70th year and we will celebrate it with fully staged performances of Verdi’s La Traviata, with orchestral accompaniment in Fulwood Academy’s theatre.

“There are very few local opera groups in the UK who are able to perform operas as they’re meant to be heard with an orchestra. This provides the opportunity for local amateur singers to perform alongside aspiring and established professional singers.

“Full opera productions such as ours are very expensive to produce, but the combination of sublime music and drama is a profound cultural experience.”

An Opera Gala will take place on Saturday 30 November from 7.30pm at St Michael and All Angels with St Marks Church Preston in Egerton Road, Ashton-on-Ribble.

Priced at £16, tickets are available from TryBooking.

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This story was made possible by you, our readers, and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an arts project or event in the city we should be covering, you can submit it for our event listings and/or send details to contactus@blogpreston.co.uk for us to cover it as a story on the Blog.