Chorus of Opera North

The Chorus of Opera North is both versatile and talented. A fundamental part of the Company since its foundation in 1978, the group has achieved success and a covetable reputation through performances with Opera North and independently. Performing in a wide range of concerts and making a number of outstanding recordings.

“…choral singing that pins you to the back of your seat….”
Hugh Canning (Peter Grimes) The Sunday Times

The Chorus In Focus

The Chorus of Opera North is a hugely versatile, accomplished and adaptable group of people. The 36 fixed members of staff are experts at adapting to Opera North's development into different styles of music, theatre and performance.

Over a third of the chorus members have now been with the Company for over 25 years and continue to provide part of the critically acclaimed sound that is Opera North. The sheer number of people who have reached their silver anniversaries at the company is a tribute to their own dedication to music and Opera North’s nurturing environment.

The Chorus On Tour

The Chorus have appeared with the Company across the North of England and in Scotland at the critically acclaimed Edinburgh Festival. Foreign tours have included:

Weber’s Oberon at La Fenice in Venice
Aida, Midsummer Marriage and Macbeth at the Wiesbaden May Festival
Boris Godunov in Dortmund
Attila and Billy Budd in Rotterdam
World Premiere of Benedict Mason’s “Playing Away” in Munich
Gran Teatre Liceu Barcelona with Britten’s Gloriana and Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen

They have also been involved in a number of performances outside of the Opera arena including the world premiere of Takemitsu’s My Way Of Life and Philip Wilby’s A New World Dancing, Brahms' German Requiem in York Minster and most recently St John Passion in Harrogate in Easter 2008.

Highly regarded and reputable within the industry, the choristers have been part of many radio and television broadcasts including Phyllida Lloyd’s Emmy Award-winning film Gloriana, and more recently the world premiere of The Adventures Of Pinocchio, an opera by Jonathan Dove and Alasdair Middleton.

The Chorus, Who's Who

* Indicates Opera North Company member for 25 years or more.

Sopranos
Miranda Bevin
Sarah Blood
Irene Evans
Gillene Herbert
Kathryn McGuckin
Rachel Mosley
Victoria Sharp
Angela Sorrigan*

Mezzo-sopranos
Vivienne Bailey*
Hazel Croft
Rebecca Currier
Cordelia Fish
Victoria Mclean
Claire Pascoe
Shirley Thomas*
Nicola Unwin

Tenors
Peter Bodenham *
Stephen Briggs*
David Llewellyn
Keith Mills*
Arwel Price
Paul Rendall
Campbell Russell
Harold Sharples*
Nicholas Watts

Basses
A.Galloway Bell*
Trevor Bowes
Nicholas Butterfield
Stephen Dowson*
Garrick Forbes
Paul Gibson
David Owen-Lewis*
Jeremy Peaker
Gordon Shaw
Edward Thornton*

Chorus Master: Timothy Burke
Chorus Manager: Helen Blythe