Edinburgh Grand Opera was Scotland's oldest existing grand opera company, founded in 1955 by Richard Telfer. This society was run by its non-professional chorus with advice and support from the professional Artistic and Musical Directors and Designers it engaged. It was originally known as the Edinburgh Grand Opera Group, and it has also been referred to as Edinburgh Grand Opera Company. Its soloists were a mixture of amateur, semi-professional and professional singers from Scotland and abroad, many of whom were students or graduates from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (previously the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dance). It was the first amateur company to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre.The Herald Newspaper Preview of Peter Grimes 20 March 1996
Winding up of the society
On 10 April 2023, the Society gave notice to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator that it wished to wind up, having emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic with no sponsorship or grants to offset its costs. Membership had become so low that the EGO was unable to form a committee to continue the company's operations.Dibdin, Thom. (10 April 2023). EGO bows out. alledinburghtheatre.com. Edinburgh, Scotland.
Patrons The original honorary patrons of the Edinburgh Grand Opera Group were Professor Sidney Newman, Sir Alexander Drummond Gibson and Lady Erskine-Hill.Edinburgh Evening News article published in 1957
Edinburgh Grand Opera's patrons in 2015 were international opera singers Ian Storey, Donald Maxwell and Frances McCafferty who all sang with Edinburgh Grand Opera early in their careers; conductor and chorus master Christopher Bell who was musical director for many shows.
Musical directors Musical directors and conductors have included Michael Moores, Alexander Gibson, John Grundy, Christopher Bell, Leslie Shankland,The Chapter House Singers . Website: chapterhousesingers.com. Edinburgh choir. Richard Lewis, Neil Metcalfe, Susannah Wapshott,The Herald newspaper Review by Sarah Urwin Jones 12 March 2008 Alistair Digges.
Artistic directors Artistic and stage directors have included Cathie Boyd, Richard Telfer, Gerard Mulgrew, James Ross, Ben Twist, Andy Fraser, Adrian Osmond, Rita Henderson, John Binnie, Mark Hathaway, Michael Richardson, Christina Dunwoodie, Kally Lloyd-Jones.
Performances
Semi and fully staged operas Performances include fully staged and semi-staged operas, as well as gala concerts and other fundraising musical events in theatres and concert halls in Edinburgh and nearby towns and cities. The company usually sings in the language in which the libretto was originally written. The season runs from September each year. The list below shows performances in Edinburgh, unless otherwise stated. 1955 Carmen semi-staged. Usher Hall.Company Archive Pictures 1956 Lucia di Lammermoor semi-staged. Artistic Director Richard Telfer; Administrative Director Ian Ross. 1957 Maritana semi-staged. Conductor Richard Telfer; Director Hubert Dunkerley; Soloists included Jean Muir, Helen Lippiatt (Maritana); Archibald Grigor (Don Caesar de Bazan); Catherine McQueenie (Lazarillo). Nabucco Artistic Director Richard Telfer; Conductor Alexander Gibson; Administrative Director Ian Ross; Soloists William Dickie (Nabucco); David Ward (Zaccaria); Jean Muir (Abigaille), Helen Lippiatt. 1958 Les Huguenots semi-staged. Usher Hall. 5 April 1958. Artistic Director Richard Telfer; Conductor Michael Moores; Producer Robert J Buchanan; Administrative Director Ian Ross; Soloists included David Ward (Marcel), Jean Muir (Valentine), Helen Lippiatt (Marguerite de Valois), Maureen McMahon (Urbain), Kenneth MacDonald (Sir Raoul de Nangis), Julian Smith (St Bris), William Tiplady (De Nevers).Programme for Les Huguenots Usher Hall 5 April 1958 1959... semi-staged. 1960 Semele semi-staged. Nabucco concert performance alongside Glasgow Grand Opera Society and Scottish National Orchestra. St Andrew's Hall, Glasgow 2 February. Conductor Alexander Gibson; Artistic Director Richard Telfer; Soloists Rosina RUn ballo in maschera Programme1969 aisbeck, Ava June, David Ward, Raimund Herincx, Alfred Hallett.Scottish National Orchestra Programme for Midweek Music series of concerts 1961 Der Freischutz semi-staged. 1962 L'elisir d'amore semi-staged. Pagliacci concert performance. Leith Town Hall, January. 1963 Faust Leith Theatre, January Soloists John Robertson (Faust) (The Bartered Bride)... 1964 Tales of Hoffmann Leith Theatre, February.Soloists John Robertson (Hoffmann) 1965 Carmen Leith Theatre Soloists John Robertson (Don Jose) 1966 Nabucco Leith Theatre. 1967...semi-staged 1968 The Bartered Bride 1969 Un ballo in maschera Musical Director Neville Garden; Producer Isobel Garden; Repetiteur Hugh McDonald; Soloists John Shiels (Renato), Iain Dunn (Gustavo), Sheila Cave and...(Amelia), Ivor Klayman (Silvano).Un ballo in maschero Programme 1969. 1970 Martha Musical Director Neville Garden; Producer Isobel Garden; Repetiteur Hugh McDonald; Soloists Sheila McNab (Martha), Ian McNab (Lionel), Joan Busby (Nancy), Ivor Klayman (Plunkett), Dick Jackson (Sir Tristram Mickelford).Martha Programme 1970. 1971 Macbeth Musical Director Neville Garden; Producer Isobel Garden; Soloists John Shiels (Macbeth), Ivor Klayman (Macbeth on Thursday and Banquo, sung from the pit, on Tuesday and Wednesday), Sheilah McNab (Lady Macbeth), Colin Watson (Banquo Thursday), John Monfries (MacDuff).Macbeth Programme 1971. 1972 Die Fledermaus Musical Director Neville Garden; Producer Isobel Garden; Soloists Tony Giovanazzi (Eisenstein), Ivor Klayman (Falke), ...Dunn (Adele), Maisie Forrest (Roselinda), Katrine Townhill (Orlofsky), Geoff Wall (Frank), Roland York (Frosch), Ian Dunn (Alfred) 1973 Tales of Hoffmann King's Theatre. Musical Director Neville Garden; Producer Isobel Garden; Soloists Alan Borthwick and ... (Hoffmann); John Shiels and Ivor Klayman (The 4 Villains), Katrine Townhill (Nicklausse), Tony Gioanazzi (The 4 Servants), Chris Watson and Sheilah McNab (Olympia), Maisie Forrest (Giulietta), ...(Antonia), Colin Watson (Crespel), Cathie McQueenie (voice of Antonia's mother), Geoff Wall (Lindorff). 1974 La bohème Kings Theatre. Frank Carroll (Marcello), Frances Carroll (Musetta)... 1975 Eugene Onegin King's Theatre. Musical Director James McDowall; Producer Iain Dunn; Soloists Ivor Klayman (Onegin), Sheilah McNab (Tatiana), Cathie McQueenie (Olga), Ian McNab (Lensky), Colin Watson (Gremin), Alec Jolly (Triquet), ...(Larina). 1976 Nabucco King's Theatre. Musical Director James McDowall; Soloists Ivor Klayman and Bill Dewar (Nabucco), Maisie Forrest and ... (Abigaille), Tom Jamieson (Ismael), Isobel Mann (Fenena). 1977 Carmen King's Theatre. 1978 Faust King's Theatre. 1979 The Gypsy Baron King's Theatre. 1980 Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci Musical Director Alastair Hare; Soloists Ivor Klayman. Alan Borthwick, Gelda Bell. 1981 Un ballo in maschera. King's Theatre. Musical Director John Grundy; Soloists Ivor Klayman, Alan Borthwick. 1982 Nabucco. King's Theatre. Musical Director John Grundy; Artistic Director Harry Quinn; Ivor Klayman, Tom Jamieson, Inge Mantle. 1983 Turandot. King's Theatre. Musical Director John Grundy; Artistic Director Harry Quinn; Soloists Tom Jamieson, Patrick Stephen Samuel, Ivor Klayman, Ian McNab. 1984 La Gioconda. Musical Director John Grundy; Soloists Frances McCafferty, Adele Paxton. 1985 Le Villi / Messa de Gloria. Edinburgh and Dunkeld Cathedral Concerts. Musical Director John Grundy; Soloists Robert Crowe, Ivor Klayman, Gelda Bell. 1986 Macbeth. Musical Director John Grundy; Artistic Director Harry Quinn; Soloists Ivor Klayman. 1987 Andrea Chénier. King's Theatre April 1887. Scottish Premier. Director John Grundy; Soloists Robert Crowe (Andrea Chénier), Gelda Bell (Madeleine), Ivor Klayman (Gerard) 1988 William Tell. King's Theatre. Musical Director John Grundy; Artistic Director Harry Quinn; Soloists Ivor Klayman and Peter Cannell (William Tell), Robert Crowe, Richard Bourjo and Dick Jackson (Gessler), Susan Hamilton and Heather Coates (Jemmy), Frances McCafferty (Mrs Tell), Andy Fraser, Brian Allingham, Malcolm Crosby. 1989 Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci. King's Theatre. Sung in English. Musical Director Michael Moores; Artistic Director Harry Quinn; Soloists Ivor Klayman (Tonio), Gelda Bell (Nedda), Andrew Fraser (Turiddu), Suzanne Bell, Peter Cannell (Sylvio), Tom Jamieson (Canio), Frances Klayman.Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci Newspaper Review by Tony McManus 1990 Hérodiade. King's Theatre. 21 – 24 March. Sung in English. Director John Robertson; Musical Director Christopher Bell; Soloists Ian McNab and Tom Jamieson (John the Baptist) Ivor Klayman (Herod). 1991 Nabucco. King's Theatre. 20 – 23 March. Sung in English. Musical Director Christopher Bell. Producer John Robertson; Set Designer Dan Docwra; Costume Designer Roy Bell; Lighting Designer Jeremy Webber; Soloists Ivor Klayman and Peter Cannell (Nabucco), Gelda Bell and Joanne Armstrong (Abigail), Richard Bourjo and Colin Heggie (Zachariah), Jill Blackmore and Ann Heavens (Fenena), Mike Towers and Ian Priestley (Ismael), Frances Klayman (Anna), George McHollan (Abdullah), John McLeod (High Priest).King's Theatre Nabucco Programme 20–23 March 1991 1992 Turandot. King's Theatre. 26 – 29 February. Musical Director Christopher Bell; Producer Gerard Mulgrew; Set Designer Dan Dowcra; Costume Designer Roy Bell; Lighting Designer Jeremy Webber; Rehearsal Accompanist Morley Whitehead; Soloists Lesley Cook and Elizabeth Fletcher (Liù), Gareth Lloyd and Robert Crowe (Calaf), Donald Sutherland (Prince of Persia) Fiona Galloway and Margot Archibald (Turandot), John McLeod and Brian Allingham (Timur), Ivor Klayman (Ping), Ian Priestley (Pang), Mike Towers (Pong), David Campbell (Mandarin), George McHollan (Emperor).Scotsman Newspaper Review by Mary Miller February 1992Turandot FlyerKing's Theatre Turandot Programme 26–29 February 1992 1993 The Pilgrim's Progress. King's Theatre. 28 April -1 May 1993 Musical Director Christopher Bell; Producers Gerard Mulgrew and James Bryce; Soloists Ivor Klayman.The Pilgrim's Progress King's Theatre Poster 28 April-1 May 1993 1994 Aida. King's Theatre. 23 – 26 March Musical Director Christopher Bell; Producer Ben Twist; Choreographer Jane Howie (working with non-EGO dance group); Soloists Janet Myatt née de Vigne and Fiona Galloway (Aida), David Hillman and Mike Towers (Radames), Gillian Haycock and Helen Brown (Amneris), Ivor Klayman (Amonasro), Richard Bourjo (The King), John McLeod (Ramphis), Frances Klayman (Priestess), George McHollan (Messenger).Aida FlyerKing's Theatre Aida programme March 1994 1995 Carmen. King's Theatre. Musical Director Christopher Bell; Artistic Director Gerard Mulgrew; Assistant Director Andrew Fraser; Soloists Ian Storey (Don Jose), Susan Miller (Carmen), Elizabeth Fletcher (Micaela), Ivor Klayman (Dancairo), Richard Burjo (Zuniga).Scotland on Sunday Newspaper Review by Neville Garden 1995 1996 Peter Grimes. Edinburgh Festival Theatre. 27–30 March 1996. Musical Director John Grundy; Artistic Director James Ross; Assistant Director Andrew Fraser; Designer Nick Millar; Lighting Designer Alan Campbell; Soloists Ian Storey and Neil Jenkins (Peter Grimes), Ivor Klayman (Balstrode), Elizabeth Fletcher (Ellen Orford), Jo Hugh-Jones (Ned Keene), Ian McNab (Rector), Katrine Townhill.Peter Grimes poster March 1996Scotland on Sunday Review Peter Grimes Edinburgh Festival Theatre by Brian Morton 1996The Heral Newspaper Review Peter Grimes Edinburgh Festival Theatre by Conrad Wilson 29 March 1996Review of Peter Grimes Edinburgh Festival Theatre by Peter Whitebrook March 1996 1997 Faust. Edinburgh Festival Theatre. 9–12 April 1997. Musical Director John Grundy; Artistic Director Cathie Boyd; Soloists Ian Storey (Faust), Ivor Klayman (Mephistopheles).Faust poster March 1997The Herald Newspaper Preview Faust time by Michael Tumelty 8 April 1997