The Grange Festival, founded in 2017 by Michael Chance OBE, has followed in the noble footsteps of Glyndebourne and Garsington Opera to establish an annual music festival with an international reputation for uniting world class musicians and performers in a breath-taking English countryside setting. The Grange, in the heart of Hampshire, is one of the most magnificent neo-classical mansions of its kind, but when you combine this backdrop with music you’d usually expect to enjoy in one of the foremost opera houses of the world with the glamour of an English summer, classic cars gracing the drive and guests looking red carpet-worthy (add a touch of the English eccentric) as they settle down to suitably luxurious picnic hampers on the lawn, and you’re half way to picturing yourself there.
Spacious marquees accommodate guests wishing to picnic for the extended interval, while you can also enjoy the setting of the mansion for a more formal dining experience. But for me, it’s the fact that the theatre is set, not within a purpose-built structure but within the former Orangery of the Grade I-listed property (winner of the 2004 RIBA) that adds a uniquely romantic feel to opera-going at The Grange, not least when you step outside to bright sunshine in the intermission.
This year’s line-up kicks off with Mozart’s inimitable Così fan tutte (8, 10, 16, 18, 24 June) with soprano Samantha Clarke as Fiordiligi, mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately as her sister Dorabella. Baritone Nicholas Lester, whose appearances with The Grange include Ford (Falstaff) returns as Guglielmo, with tenor Alessandro Fisher (winner of the 2016 Kathleen Ferrier Award) as Ferrando. Directed by Martin Lloyd-Evans and conducted by Kirill Karabits, Chief Conductor of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, (the resident Grange Festival orchestra), this Così is a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
But that doesn’t mean it will be easy to make a selection this year. A tantalising early music double-bill of Gluck’s deeply moving Orfeo Ed Euridice, first performed in Vienna in 1762, and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, first performed at a London girls’ school in 1689, pays tribute to two of the most important operatic works in the repertoire. A thrilling pairing, Orfeo Ed Euridice / Dido and Aeneas (9, 17, 22, 28 June) is directed by Daniel Slater and sees the welcome return of Harry Christophers, founding director of The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra, following their acclaimed performance in Belshazzar in 2019. Heather Lowe (a Samling Scholar who previously performed at the festival in 2021 as Angelina in La Cenerentola), sings Orfeo, whilst Alexandra Oomens (a Harewood Artist with ENO) makes her festival debut as Euridice, and Caroline Blair sings as Amore. The three singers also appear in Dido and Aeneas.
Photography by Craig Fuller
In what is an undoubted coup for this year’s festival, Dame Josephine Barstow will take centre stage as the countess in The Queen of Spades (23, 25, 29 June & 2 July), Tchaikovsky’s dramatic opera based on a Pushkin short story. Directed by Paul Curran and conducted by Paul Daniel, the cast is led by Ukrainian tenor Eduard Martynyuk in the central role of Herman, with the acclaimed Armenian soprano Anush Hovhannisyan (a former Jette Parker Artist) as his love interest Liza. A second Ukrainian, baritone Andrei Kymach (winner of the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition 2019) makes his Festival debut as Count Tomsky.
Ellington: From Stride to Strings (30 June & 1 July) promises to be a memorable celebration of the musical legacy of American pianist and composer Duke Ellington, following on from The Grange’s hugely popular foray into jazz last year. Featuring iconic Ellington numbers such as ‘Mood Indigo’, ‘Satin Doll’ and ‘Take the A Train’, a sextet of musicians, led by trumpeter Dominick Farinacci will be joined by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra opening the second half of the evening with ‘New World A-Comin’, featuring virtuoso pianist Mathis Picard.
Photography by Craig Fuller
This year’s Grange Festival programme brings together renowned names and dazzling new talent as the cast and creative team delight in the intoxicating atmosphere of this extraordinarily beautiful and majestic venue, whether revisiting beloved works or introducing audiences to those no less great for being infrequently performed – in fact it makes it all the more of a treat. Considering The Grange Festival is in relatively infancy as music festivals go, it’s testament to Artistic Director and founder Michael Chance’s vision that international stars are clambering to leave their usual city venues to perform in this rural corner of England. And so they should be.
The Grange Festival on selected days from 8 June – 2 July 2023 at The Grange, Northington, Alresford, Hampshire SO24 9TZ. For more information and tickets please visit the website.
