Page 388 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

I often think she should be running the country (Covid would surrender instantly). And at the very least she
should be running English National Opera, which has had no effective leadership for a long while, was falling
apart even before the pandemic, and is going to need radical rescue pretty soon. Only problem: I don’t think
she’d want the job.

What triggered the CBE, though, was her emergence among the musical heroes of 2020, refusing to despair
and turning the Grange Park website into a dazzling resource that didn’t just show films of old productions but
generated masses of new work, designed for online viewing and freely accessible. If you haven’t seen this
website, you’ve missed something – though much of it is still there at www.grangeparkopera.co.uk offering hours
of quirkily informative delight to anybody interested in voices. A must-see.

• Meanwhile, the free online productions from the Vienna State Opera continue with the next instalment
of its Ring cycle, Siegfried, on December 10: www.wiener-staatsoper.at. And on the New York Met
website next week is a celebration of Renee Fleming, the pre-eminent American soprano of the past 30
years, now effectively retired from the stage though still a glamorous and charismatic figure.

• The Met are screening some of her finest performances, with a Figaro December 11, Thais December 12,
Rosenkavalier December 13, and Rossini’s Armida December 14. All on demand, and free, so you can watch at
almost any time of the day. Details: www.metopera.org

• Finally, a call to young composers aged 14 to 18. The Guildhall School of Music is running an online
course with one-to-one tuition, group workshops, and the opportunity for performance by GSMD staff
and students. It’s not free, there are fees. But it’s a serious opportunity for serious candidates. And the
deadline for application is December 12. Details: www.gsmd.ac.uk/youth_adult_learning