Opera By the Lake

Opera by the Lake 2020

Since the first edition of ‘Opera by the Lake’ in 2015, there has always been an appetite for more. Sir Thomas Allen, Durham University's Chancellor and internationally renowned baritone, agreed to headline a second run of the hugely popular format not long after the first had concluded, but it wasn’t until summer 2019 that a date that would work for Sir Tom, the College and key musicians was identified. Opera by the Lake would take place again on Saturday 22 February 2020 and it was to be a musical spectacular!

Sir Tom had a selection of favourite show-stoppers lined up, and each of our soloists added their own specialities to the programme. Months of preparation included the appointment of the two Musical Directors; Matthew Morgan and Matthew McCullough, and this was quickly followed by the confirmation of the three alumnae soloists; Sarah Baillie, Bridget Tomlinson, and Eleanor Penfold.

For months one of the most challenging aspects of the preparation was securing an orchestra but with the support of local musician and violin teacher Chris Hartley, we were able to pull together The Feather Orchestra which would come together for just two rehearsals ahead of the performance.

Music sorted; we needed a choir. Invitations were sent out to Van Mildert College students, staff, alumni and friends of the college and to contacts across the wider north east community. Every Tuesday evening in the lead up to the performance, the chorus gathered in college. There was a range of staff, students, and locals who joined us, some being seasoned singers, and some not reading music at all; ability didn’t matter and as a chorus we ploughed through some wonderful music, feeling confident and in control by the time of the concert.

Many weeks, many emails, many rehearsals, and many firsts (have you ever asked to borrow two anvils and safety goggles for a concert?) later and it was showtime! Chorus prepared, orchestra in shape, anvils borrowed, conductors prepped. The Ann Dobson Hall had been transformed by the incredible team of College Porters (who were also central to the sourcing of anvils!) and with the enormous dedication and tireless work of all the staff in Van Mildert College, there was a buzz in the air and a real feeling of anticipation.

The concert opened with the College Principal, Professor David Harper, and Sir Thomas Allen addressing the audience, which numbered over 300 people. Mozart’s Overture to ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ kicked off the music and we were underway.

Five years on, the 2020 performance had been long anticipated and was warmly received by a packed Ann Dobson Hall. The carefully thought-out programme ensured that there was something for everyone including some recognisable opera favourites such as Purcell’s Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas, Mozart’s Queen of the Night aria, and The Bird-Catcher from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The evening concluded with a standing

ovation from a delighted audience. Indeed, Opera by the Lake became more than just another concert – it was a moving and poignant evening which many of those present will never forget!

Little did we know at the time just how close this very special evening would be to the announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown just a few weeks later. For many, this makes the memories of Opera by the Lake 2020 even more special and few will forget the significance of the final piece; You’ll Never Walk Alone, a real tear-jerker! A full review can be found on our College website, an extract is included below. It is a project of which we are both immensely proud and one which we are delighted to have been involved with.

Victoria Brown

Van Mildert College was the perfect place to be on a wet and windy February evening last Saturday. The venue provided a welcome escape from the ravages of the weather, with the Ann Dobson Hall resounding in the glorious operatic sound world of Puccini, Mozart, and Verdi - to name but three of the noble army of composers on offer. Sir Thomas Allen - the University's beloved Chancellor was in wonderfully entertaining form, as he engagingly took us through the plots which lay behind the various solos, duets and choruses. He himself sang with his characteristic compelling demeanour, delighting the audience with his magisterial account of 'Avant de quitter ces lieux' from Gounod's 'Faust'. He was more than ably supported by three soprano soloists, all of whom are Durham graduates - Sarah Baillie, Eleanor Penfold, and Bridget Tomlinson. With Matthew Thomas Morgan (moonlighting as tenor soloist) and Matthew McCullough taking turns to conduct the stellar Feather Orchestra (expertly led by the dependable Christopher Hartley), and the resplendent Feather Choir, it was an evening of musical excellence.

It was an evening of so many treats that it was difficult to discern a particular highlight, as every item all made an impression. We had a terrific, if slightly terrifying, Queen of the Night in Eleanor Penfold, a sensual duet from Monteverdi's 'Coronation of Poppea', again with Penfold and Bridget Tomlinson, the sublime Dido's Lament with Sarah Baillie, the incomparable Pearlfishers' Duet with Matthew Thomas Morgan and Sir Thomas, and a hapless Papageno with the Chancellor coping (hilariously) with a faulty set of pan pipes (all credit to Michael Cave for filling in the cue on his faultless piccolo). A great night, indeed, and one which was enthusiastically received by a grateful audience with a standing ovation.

The Dimensions Programme

At Van Mildert College, we are committed to offering a student experience that is inspiring, challenging and accessible to all.

Our Dimensions student enrichment programme aims to support this endeavour, providing opportunities for students to develop their intellectual curiosity, personal effectiveness and enable a stronge sense of belonging and responsibility.

Following on from the expansion of the programme last academic year, in 2018/19, the dedicated work of our Van Mildert Dimensions interns, and thanks to the generous financial support of an alumnus of Van Mildert College, we have been able to run interesting and dynamic events, workshops and sessions that are open to all students this academic year.

We continue to run the Dimensions programme based across three key themes –

Engage and Inspire – motivational and inspirational speakers with a story to tell. Sometimes academic in nature, sometimes not, but always providing an opportunity to discuss hot topics or unique personal experiences

Find your Future – opportunities to dip into the reality of future career paths and hear from the people who really know what it is like to do your dream job! Sessions often include one-to-one meetings or group discussions and are frequently run by our Mildert alumni

Wellbeing and Community – these sessions will challenge you to think about the importance of looking after your wellbeing in order to make the most of your time in Durham. A particular focus of this theme is the Dimensions Freshers Programme which focuses specifically on wellbeing in relation to the transition from School to University.

This year, our Dimensions Programme kicked off as we welcomed first year students to Van Mildert College. Every new student was gifted a copy of ‘Resourcefulness @ University’ written by student mental

expert, Dr Dominique Thompson.

The book, part of a series of mental health resources aimed at University students, was popular amongst our students, and we were delighted to welcome Dr Dom Thompson to the College to talk more on this topic with a fascinating presentation entitled ‘What I learnt from 78,000 GP consultations with students’.

This wellbeing and community focus has continued throughout the year with a series of workshops and wellbeing sessions in Yoga, Mindfulness and Japanese Martial Art, Aikido aimed at promoting physical and mental wellbeing.

We were delighted to welcome back many of our inspirational Van Mildert alumni to the College this year, including a talk from alumnus Paul Sennett, former Managing Director of Deutsche Bank, who also hosted a series of mock interviews and cv-review sessions with individual students. In January, we also welcomed back Van Mildert alumnus, Lord Anthony Hughes, who met with many of our law students. We hope that these events have provided a platform for students to curiously and creatively explore hot topics and paths of interest to them.

Alongside this, we also introduced sessions for students interested in exploring a career focus in PR and marketing, and the third sector, as we welcomed Mildertians with a wealth of different experiences and career focuses back to the College to participate in discussion panel style events.

A particular highlight of the Dimensions programme this year took place in November, when we welcomed the Mayor of Tubingen, Herr Palmer, to Van Mildert College as part of celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Durham and Tubingen twinning project.

Herr Palmer gave an insightful talk to a packed Ustinov Room discussed Tubingen’s efforts to become more environmentally sustainable, a sentiment that resonated with many of us at the College.

Following the talk, student representatives, College and University staff, Tubingen and Durham council members, the Vice-Chancellor and Mayor of Durham, came together to discuss the talk and hear from the College’s Green Committee representatives.

Whilst the upcoming academic year certainly presents new challenges as in light of the COVID-19 pandemic we look to expand our programme to the digital world, we are looking forward to developing new activities as part of our Dimensions student enrichment programme, and, as ever, we welcome suggestions from both our current students and our wider College community.

Liz Ryder