So it’s time to start looking at music for your Wedding!? The Ceremony.

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Wedding Ceremony Opera Singers

The Wedding Ceremony

There is such a wide range of music to choose from and it can be dauting knowing where to start.  Our advice, for experience, is to make a list of what music has a special meaning for you and do not be afraid to ‘think out of the box’.  Depending on the location and style of wedding you are planning there may be various times of the day where you need different types of music.  You may have a dinner the evening before you Wedding Day and on the day itself you may need music for the Ceremony and Wedding Breakfast or Dinner.  You may then wish to dance the night away with a Disco at the end of the evening.

Opera can bring a multi-faceted entertainment that could be the perfect ingredient for the various stages of the celebrations.  Also, opera transcends language and could be the perfect entertainment for multi national gatherings as well as brining a unique element of sophistication.

For many weddings London Festival Opera has supplied a soloist or group of singers to perform at a key moment of the Wedding Ceremony, perhaps during the signing of the register, where something extra special and emotional is required.  Some Brides and Grooms choose something religious such as a version of ‘Ave Maria’ but others choose something secular like ‘Summertime’ or perhaps an operatic aria by Mozart or Puccini, or an operatic version of a Pop Song.

Please do call London Festival Opera to discuss arranging an extra-special element of live music at your Wedding Ceremony. 

Call us now to discuss on 07802 183847 or send an email to philip@londonfestivalopera.co.uk

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Opera at HMP Brixton…

In November the company presented a programme of popular opera at HMP Brixton, the first time in the history of the prison that opera had been heard within the walls. In two sittings, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, over 200 inmates and staff listened to celebrated arias and ensembles from the operas of Mozart, Bizet, Verdi, Puccini and Gilbert and Sullivan in a programme inspired by opera featured in classic films. It was a powerful experience. The majority had not heard live opera before and many were amazed at the sheer volume of the singers enhanced by the excellent acoustics of the 19th century chapel.

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Opera raises charity funds!

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An Opera Evening is an excellent way to raise funds for a charity, and London Festival Opera has a wealth of experience in creating programmes of opera, operetta and musicals to link perfectly with a dinner or reception. The company has been the vehicle to help charities raise many hundreds of thousands of pounds. These images are from a sell out dinner in a magnificent church raising funds for a hospice. The performance was accompanied by orchestral backing tracks.

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Goldsmiths’ Hall Opera Gala

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It was a great pleasure, as always, to return to the magnificent and historic Goldsmiths’ Hall in the City of London for an ‘in-house’ opera gala for the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths’ and their guests.  The evening began with a surprise burst of opera in the Drawing Room during the drinks reception, and then continued with the main performance during the courses of dinner in The Hall.  The performers wore Victoria evening gowns for an added visual impact.  The Goldsmiths’ Hall has one of the finest grand pianos in London: our pianist, Jenny, loves it so much she declared she would be prepared to lodge underneath it permanently! 

The Goldsmiths’ Company has been located on the site since 1339.The present Hall, by Philip Hardwick, was built in the 1830’s and remains much as he designed it.  The Hall and other state rooms have been used for a host of films including most recently for Buckingham Palace in ‘The Crown’. 

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Wedding Opera in Gstaad!

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Magical opera in an enchanting setting!

London Festival Opera has a wealth of experience in creating the perfect selection of opera for a weddings. We recently returned from a very special wedding in Switzerland at the Gstaad Palace Hotel (pictured) one of the most enchanting settings in the world! Gstaad has long been a destination for high society and the international jet set is part of the municipality of Saanen and is known as a major ski resort.

We worked closely with the Bride and Groom and looked at the wide range of repertoire available. One Bride for a wedding in London wanted something very different and made her entry into the ceremony accompanied by the rock classic ‘Highway to Hell’ with a superb electric guitarist! After other arias (including from ‘La Traviata’ and ‘The Barber of Seville’) the grand final piece was an operatic version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with singers and guitarist.

In Gstaad, after the surprise waiter start, the cutting of the cake was accompanied by a rousing opera version of ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’!! There is so much repertoire to choose from and live music never fails to add something extra-special and really memorable to the day…

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Travelling to far off places…

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One of the exciting part of performing opera is the opportunity to travel.  Performances overseas have taken us across Europe and as far afield as Hong Kong, Mumbai, as well as Canada and Barbados.  We travel extensively in Europe often presenting a ‘surprise opera’ entertainment where waiters or fellow party guests burst into song to the amazement of the real guests.  We are currently planning to return to Italy working with the client to create the perfect programme for the celebratory dinner – including special requests.  On this occasion that includes the Drinking Song from Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’ and ending the evening with an operatic version of a pop song (the final decision will be between ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’!)

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New Year Party at Sketch!

The Lecture Room at Sketch, London

On New Year’s Eve London Festival Opera dovetailed celebrated opera arias with the exceptional feast served in the Lecture Room at Sketch.  Sketch is an amazing complex within the original Georgian town house on Conduit Street, and was built in 1779 by James Wyatt. Formerly it hosted the HQ of suffragette movements in the early 20th century and was then the workshop of Christian Dior.  In the late 90s it caught the eye of Mazouz and since 2023 has been owned by Mazouz.  It has 5 highly decorated ‘fantasy’ eateries, including 3 restaurants in the building: the Parlour, the Lecture Room & Library, the Glade, the Gallery, and the Eastbar & Pods. The Lecture Room & Library holds 3 Michelin stars.

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Singing Waiters bursting into song!

People love the element of surprise that ‘Singing Waiters’ can create. The scenario can be very simple: guests are assembled for drinks or enjoying a meal, after the clink of a glass, a tenor in magnificent voice bursts into a celebrated operatic aria. He can then be joined by a soprano soloist (and for larger events a mezzo-soprano and baritone) for extra impact and variety of repertoire. The programme can include well-known operatic arias, other pieces from the world of the operetta and musicals. London Festival Opera works with a client to create the perfect programme and include special requests of course. We can even end with an operatic ‘Happy Birthday’!

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Palace of Westminster – Opera Gala Dinner

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London Festival Opera presented a surprise Opera Gala in the magnificent setting of one of the member’s intimate Dining Rooms in The Palace of Westminster. It was impossible to have a piano so, once again, our orchestral backing tracks provided the perfect solution and made the musical entertainment possible. A cast of four superb opera singers treated the assembles guests to a programme featuring arias and ensembles from the operas of Handel, Mozart, Verdi and Puccini – the evening ended with an operatic ‘Happy Birthday’ for the special occasion. Entry into the Palace was through the great and historic Westminster Hall – what an entrance!

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Opera with Orchestral Backing Tracks

An opera gala at homeOpera Interludes Ltd

Opera always needs an accompaniment. With some venues it is impossible to have a piano, and it’s here that orchestral backing tracks can provide an excellent solution. Hiring a good piano can be very expensive too! The performance you are planning may be in a garden or other unusual setting, and we have our own amplification equipment making it possible to present an opera performance literally anywhere. Whether it is in a pod on the London Eye, on the terrace of a country garden, in your drawing room at home, or as a surprise burst of opera in a hotel lobby – orchestral backing tracks work a treat!

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