63RD FESTIVAL | 22 OCTOBER – 2 NOVEMBER 2014 News for Friends PRIORITY BOOKING FOR FRIENDS OPENS 1 MARCH 2014 This is Wexford… ‘Opera did not help me to improve my social situation, nor did it enrich my experiences as a tourist. It was more serious than that. It simply entered my spirit and it lingered there and it became powerful. It offered me a relationship to soaring beauty, to the idea that there was a world beyond the visible world. It suggested mystery, as human relations are filled with mystery, as light is filled with mystery, as sound is filled with mystery. It paved the way for a life lived more sonorously, a life open to possibility and otherness and strangeness.’ (Colm Tóibín) From the Artistic Director Dear Friends, This year, the 63rd season of Wexford Festival Opera, is my tenth as Artistic Director. What an invigorating ten years it has been! We have performed thirty-one operas at ten Festivals in four venues (the Theatre Royal, Dún Mhuire, Johnstown Castle and the Opera House) and twenty-six ShortWorks productions. We have created our own Wexford Festival Opera Orchestra and Chorus of which we are justifiably proud. Oh, and we have built a new opera house! This year’s programme is a piquant mix Mark’s libretto for Silent Night. This of some of Wexford’s most appetising will be screened during the Festival, as ingredients. Don Bucefalo by Antonio in 2012 when Delius’s opera A Village Cagnoni is a forgotten comic opera Romeo and Juliet was complemented written as a student graduation work by screenings of Ken Russell’s film Song which was astonishingly successful. of Summer. Not only have the opera Salomé and This year the ShortWorks return to its composer, Antoine Mariotte, been Whites Hotel and we are happy to forgotten, but Richard Strauss’s Salome report that last year’s successful has overshadowed any other operatic experiment of assigned seating will interpretation of the story. It is too early continue in Whites. to make an historical assessment of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night by The decision to advance to 1 March the Kevin Puts, but on present evidence this Priority Booking for Friends stems from moving evocation of the spontaneous an ongoing desire on the part of many Christmas truce in World War I will only of our international patrons to be able to continue to grow in stature. make their travel plans earlier in the year. Our production of Silent Night will be I look forward to greeting you all at this its European premiere and marks the year’s Wexford Festival. centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. We are honoured that Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell, composer and librettist, will be giving the Dr Tom David Agler Walsh Lecture. Of additional interest Artistic Director, Wexford Festival Opera is the film Joyeux Noël, which inspired From the Artistic Director 1 Our Sponsors and Supporters Principal Funder Grant Funders Production Supporters Corporate Sponsors Community & Education Partners Accommodation Partners Hospitality and Media Partners 2 Our Sponsors and Supporters Friends’ Benefits 2014 PHOTOS: PATRICK BROWNE We encourage you to avail of all your existing and new benefits to enhance your Festival experience. Friends enjoy the following: • Priority Booking • Invitations to the ‘In Conversation’ series • Exclusive ticketing offer for Friends: in Dublin and London if you purchase more than six tickets • Invitations to Friends’ Recitals and during priority booking for the main Events in London, Dublin and Paris stage operas, you will receive a 15% • Complimentary tickets to Friends’ discount on all additional tickets Parties, Buffet and Lunches during purchased – NEW the Festival • 10% discount on accommodation • Priority Booking for the Wexford for bookings made during priority Festival Opera Annual New York booking with our hotel partners for Dinner Gala – NEW the Festival period. Quote ‘Wexford • Complimentary Festival programme Friends’ to receive this exclusive offer – available for collection during the • Friends’ Welcome Mornings: Festival from the Friends’ Lounge complimentary tea, coffee & scones (12:00–16:00) or Friends’ Desk in the during the Festival – NEW Opera House Foyer (evening) • Access to the Friends’ Lounge in the • Free subscription to Friends’ online Opera House during the day and magazine and exclusive access to during opera intervals Friends’ area of the website for news • Friends’ Newsletter and ‘Discover the and behind-the-scenes updates Repertoire’ CD • 15% discount on all Wexford Festival • Access to Friends’ overseas opera tour Opera merchandise – NEW to Paris • Friends’ Loyalty Card and Friends’ Pin Friends’ Benefits 2014 3 Just for Friends HELENA DIX AND DAVID STOUT, CRISTINA, REGINA DI SVEZIA PHOTO: CLIVE BARDA/ARENAPAL European Friends of Wexford Opera Event London Friends’ Recital EMBASSY OF IRELAND, PARIS ST JOHN’S SMITH SQUARE Friday 25 April – 19:00 Tuesday 11 March – 19:00 We return to St John’s Smith Square Dublin Friends’ Recital this year for a very special evening. NATIONAL CONCERT HALL, DUBLIN The recital will be given by soprano Wednesday 4 June – 20:00 Helena Dix, who took Wexford by storm In our continuing partnership with the at the 2013 Festival with her powerful Friends of the National Concert Hall, performance in Cristina, regina di this year’s Summer Recital will be given Svezia, and David Stout (baritone), by Helena Dix (soprano), accompanied who sang Axel Oxenstjerna in Cristina. by Rosetta Cucchi. Helena was the David was also the memorable and eponymous heroine in Cristina, regina di charismatic Dark Fiddler in A Village Svezia in 2013. Romeo and Juliet in 2012. They will be accompanied by Rosetta Cucchi, the director of Salomé. 4 Just for Friends PHOTOS: PATRICK HOGAN Friends’ ‘In Conversation’ Series Our ‘In Conversation’ Series of talks aims LONDON ‘IN CONVERSATION’ to provide expert insight into specific Wednesday 17 September elements of the 2014 productions. Join Embassy of Ireland – 18:30 (subject to us as we go behind the scenes to learn confirmation) more about the challenges that face directors and designers as they work to Please note that this event is by realise their concept of an opera and to invitation only. If you are based outside bring it to life on stage. the UK but would like to attend, please contact Lucy before Wednesday DUBLIN ‘IN CONVERSATION’ 13 August. Tuesday 2 September We will provide further information Venue to be confirmed about the speakers closer to the time of the events. To attend, please contact Lucy Durack, Development Executive, by email at [email protected] or phone +353 53 916 3525. Friends Welcome Receptions We invite Friends, new and old, to join you to our Friends for your support and is us for complimentary tea or coffee and an opportunity for you to meet each other scones to welcome you to the 63rd and to talk to members of our team. Wexford Festival Opera. These informal Wednesday, 22 October – 10:00–10:30 events will be held in the Foyer of Wexford Saturday, 25 October – 10:00–10:30 Opera House at the beginning of each Tuesday, 28 October – 10:00–10:30 three-day opera cycle. This is a small thank Friday, 31 October – 10:00–10:30 Just for Friends 5 Just for Friends Friends’ Parties, Buffet and Lunches We look forward to meeting you at our GREENACRES CLOSING WEEKEND special Friends’ Events during the 2014 GALA PARTY Festival. Enjoy delicious food, much of Saturday, 1 November – 22:30 it produced in Co. Wexford; relax in the company of other Friends and mingle Join the cast from Don Bucefalo and with the artistic team and singers. members of the Wexford Festival Opera The post-opera Friends’ Parties at team and enjoy another evening of Greenacres have become the social superb food, champagne and wine with hub of the Festival. Surrounded by fine James and Donal at Greenacres. contemporary art in the stunning gallery FRIENDS’ LUNCHES – TERRACE space at Greenacres, you and your RESTAURANT, WHITES HOTEL guests will relax in style! Thursday, 23 October – 14:00 GREENACRES OPENING NIGHT Monday, 27 October – 14:00 BANQUET Our popular daytime Friends’ Lunches are Wednesday, 22 October – 22:30 once again on the menu. Enjoy a delicious Celebrate the opening of the 63rd lunch and glass of wine at Whites of Festival at the opening night post-opera Wexford and take the opportunity to party at Greenacres. The event includes meet members of the artistic teams and locally-produced food, traditional cast from the day’s Lunchtime Recital music, wine, great company and the performance. opportunity to catch up with Friends FRIENDS’ BUFFET – you may not have met since the previous TALBOT HOTEL Festival. Wednesday, 29 October – 17:30 GREENACRES BANK HOLIDAY CELEBRATION PARTY For an elegant pre-opera dining experience come to the Friends’ Saturday, 25 October – 22:30 Buffet at the Talbot Hotel and enjoy a Join our Artistic Director and members sumptuous three-course buffet meal of the cast from Salomé and enjoy post- with fine wines. opera food, champagne and wine in the beautiful surroundings of Greenacres. 6 Just for Friends PHOTOS: PATRICK BROWNE HOW TO BOOK Friends’ Lounge Do not forget to book your We hope you will enjoy using the complimentary tickets to the Friends’ Friends’ Lounge in Wexford Opera Parties, Buffet and Lunches through House during the Festival. Open from the box office. Your complimentary 12:00 to 16:00 every day, it provides tickets can be used for whichever events an opportunity to relax in comfortable you wish to attend during the Festival. surroundings in the company of other As part of the membership benefits, Friends. Volunteers are on hand to Ensemble Friends are entitled to four answer questions and to help with any complimentary tickets, Aria Friends are restaurant or other bookings you wish entitled to six complimentary tickets to make.