Byre Opera

Byre Opera Byre Opera is the University of St Andrews' resident opera company

Byre Opera is the Music Centre's opera company, renamed in 2014 to reflect its new base in St Andrews' award-winning Byre Theatre. The company was formed by Michael Downes in 2008 as St Andrews Opera, to provide opportunities to gain experience of singing on stage and to offer high-quality operatic performances to St Andrews audiences. The company’s singers are drawn mainly from the undergraduate

and postgraduate student bodies, but casts have also included young professionals from throughout the UK, University staff, and singers from the local community. The company's singers have benefited from regular coaching from numerous distinguished international opera singers including the University's Honorary Professor of Singing, Brian Bannatyne-Scott. The company’s projects have included four highly acclaimed productions in the Byre – Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (2012; a co-production with the London group Bloomsbury Opera) and Britten’s R**e of Lucretia (2010) – both directed by Kally Lloyd-Jones of Company Chordelia and Scottish Opera, Britten's Albert Herring (2014), directed by Tania Holland Williams, which opened in the Byre before touring to the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock and Perth Concert Hall (read reviews here), and most recently Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride, in a new English translation specially produced by Honours Modern Languages students taking an opera translation module under the guidance of Dr Julia Prest. In 2013 the company performed Handel's Acis and Galatea in the Younger Hall and Perth Concert Hall, directed by Jane Pettegree with choreography from Sarah Morton and specially commissioned artwork from Jean Duncan.

Our friends over at MusSoc are looking for a conductor!
31/07/2019

Our friends over at MusSoc are looking for a conductor!

Three hours until curtain up in Berwick-Upon-Tweed! Don’t miss out on your last two chances to see this 4* Times Reviewe...
29/06/2019

Three hours until curtain up in Berwick-Upon-Tweed! Don’t miss out on your last two chances to see this 4* Times Reviewed double bill!

After a slight boat based mishap and 7 hours with little to do on the Isle of Skye, our team finally made it to Benbecul...
25/06/2019

After a slight boat based mishap and 7 hours with little to do on the Isle of Skye, our team finally made it to Benbecula late last night and are currently rehearsing hard for performance tomorrow!

We were thrilled to be joined by Madeleine Dring expert Wanda Brister last night! If you want to see what made these smi...
19/06/2019

We were thrilled to be joined by Madeleine Dring expert Wanda Brister last night! If you want to see what made these smiles so very big, come along to Guardbridge, 7:30pm tonight and tomorrow!

Introducing our final cast members! FLORAWho? Flora Betts, Marine Biology GraduateRole? DancerFun Fact? Though she's now...
18/06/2019

Introducing our final cast members!

FLORA
Who? Flora Betts, Marine Biology Graduate
Role? Dancer
Fun Fact? Though she's now graduated, since her first year at St Andrews, Flora has performed in 19 different shows!

HANNA
Who: Hanna Mirgorodschi
Role: Dancer
Fun Fact? Hanna once accidentally ended up on Zambian TV!

T- 3 hours till curtain up! Online ticket sales for opening night have now closed, but you can still buy tickets on the door - just remember to bring some cash!

18/06/2019

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR GUARDBRIDGE PATRONS:

The Biomass Plant is an industrial site, nested within a construction zone, so there is no parking on site, and you can’t access the venue on foot. We will be providing a complimentary bus service from local car parks. Please take a few moments to read these instructionsto make the most of your experience of this extraordinary location

GETTING THERE
Please note that there is no patron's car parking on the Biomass site, except for three disabled parking spaces. When these are taken you will be asked drop off your passenger and return off site to park your car in the car parks as above and be bussed onto site.We advise taking public transport to Guardbridge where will pick you up in a shuttle bus and get you on site.If you are driving, park your car in the car park opposite the old paper mill, near the Eden Mill pod, in Guardbridge.

Public transport: Guardbridge is served by several services. A steward will be there to meet you at the INNERBRIDGE STREET BUS STOP. You will then walk back on foot the very short distance to the Eden Mill Shop Car Park, (on the side of the road opposite the Eden Campus EnergyCentre).There, a shuttle bus will take you on the 2-minute trip to the venue. You might have a short wait while the bus fills.

Car: Please park in the Car Park in Guardbridge signed OPERA CAR PARK(on your left heading toward Leuchars) then make your wayon foot the sort distance to the Eden Mill Shop Car Parkto take the shuttle bus to the venue. If this car park is full you will be advised to drive to Leuchars Stationand park there (price £1) where a shuttle bus will be waiting to take you to the venue 3 minutes away.

Access to the performance space is by shuttle bus only.The shuttle bus leaves the car park opposite the old paper mill in Guardbridge every fewminutes from 6.30pmwith the last bus leaving at 7.15pm.

Doors open 7.15pmAt the end of the performances shuttle buses will take you back to the appropriate car park.
PLEASE ALLOW A LITTLE EXTRA TIME IN YOUR JOURNEY FOR YOUR OPERA BUS RIDE!

TICKETS:
If you have booked in advance, you can pick up your ticket from our temporary box officeon the night.The box office is CASH ONLY. If you are paying on the night, please bring cash. The nearest cash machine is in Leuchars.

ONCE YOU ARE THERE:
Make sure that you are dressedfor the weather, and the waterside, often chilly and draughty location. Bring something waterproof in case of a Scottish summer shower.

Please wear flat or low-heeled shoes to the event as some elements of the outside surfaces underfootmaybe uneven.

The Eden Mill onsite, al fresco bar sells a range of drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic before the show and at the interval. Please note that drinks are not allowed in the performance space.

ACCESS:
There aredisabled toilet facilities on site andthebar is accessible for wheelchair users. Assistance Dogs are welcome on-site. There is no hearing loop at this location

Don’t mind me, just a corpse taking a call
16/06/2019

Don’t mind me, just a corpse taking a call

Introducing our Alto Chorus for Riders to the Sea: MIRAWho? Mira Mansfield, second year Modern Languages student Role? A...
15/06/2019

Introducing our Alto Chorus for Riders to the Sea:

MIRA
Who? Mira Mansfield, second year Modern Languages student
Role? Alto Chorus, Riders to the Sea
Fun Fact? For the past year Mira has been branching out from classical singing, and is also a member of all-female a capella group The Hummingbirds!

MARIA
Who? Maria Goikhberg, first year English and Modern History student
Role? Alto Chorus, Riders to the Sea
Fun Fact? When she’s not singing, Maria is often found lurking round the rehearsal space with a camera, and has taken all of our headshots!

Address

Music Centre, Younger Hall, North Street
St Andrews
KY169AJ

Telephone

01334 462226

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Byre Opera is the Music Centre's opera company, renamed in 2014 to reflect its new base in St Andrews' award-winning Byre Theatre. The company was formed by Michael Downes in 2008 as St Andrews Opera, to provide opportunities to gain experience of singing on stage and to offer high-quality operatic performances to St Andrews audiences. The company’s singers are drawn mainly from the undergraduate and postgraduate student bodies, but casts have also included young professionals from throughout the UK, University staff, and singers from the local community. The company's singers have benefited from regular coaching from numerous distinguished international opera singers including the University's Honorary Professor of Singing, Brian Bannatyne-Scott. The company’s projects have included four highly acclaimed productions in the Byre – Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (2012; a co-production with the London group Bloomsbury Opera) and Britten’s R**e of Lucretia (2010) – both directed by Kally Lloyd-Jones of Company Chordelia and Scottish Opera, Britten's Albert Herring (2014), directed by Tania Holland Williams, which opened in the Byre before touring to the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock and Perth Concert Hall, Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride (2015), in a new English translation specially produced by Honours Modern Languages students taking an opera translation module under the guidance of Dr Julia Prest, Britten’s Turn of the Screw (2016) again directed by Tania Holland Williams, Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen (2017), directed by P.J. Harris, and most recently, Handel’s Xerxes that will be performed this summer in the Byre Theatre, Maltings Theatre (Berwick) and the Priory Church of the Order of St John (London). In 2013 the company performed Handel's Acis and Galatea in the Younger Hall and Perth Concert Hall, directed by Jane Pettegree with choreography from Sarah Morton and specially commissioned artwork from Jean Duncan.