Orlando Jopling

Many Colne Stour members will remember Orlando Jopling from his days as the founder Musical Director and Conductor of the wonderful, and much-missed, Stanley Hall Opera productions. Or they may know him from the excellent Roman River concerts he has been organizing for the last fifteen years every September in churches and unusual venues around Colchester. 

His latest project is Opera at Layer Marney, a new collaboration with Nicholas and Sheila Charrington. The inaugural production will be Mozart’s Così fan tutte, on Thursday 7th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July 2022, in the newly renovated Quintin’s Barn within the gardens and grounds of the 500-year-old Layer Marney Tower, in Essex.

Così fan tutte is Mozart’s great exploration of human relationships. It will be performed in English by a cast of talented young singers, directed by Poppy Burton-Morgan and musically directed by Orlando Jopling. The performance relies on Orlando’s reworking of Mozart’s original score for a six-piece chamber orchestra, bringing the colours of each instrument vividly to life and showcasing the talent of the chamber musicians.

Poppy Burton-Morgan is the Artistic Director of Metta Theatre, and has worked with Rupert Goold, Matthew Lloyd, Jonathan Munby, Phyllida Lloyd, Samuel West, Tim Carroll, Peter Duncan, James Conway and Tim Albery among others, and for companies including The Almeida, Opera North, ENO, ETO, Manchester Royal Exchange, Oxford Playhouse and Shakespeare’s Globe. 

“Mozart’s delightful comedy of young lovers tying themselves in romantic knots is given a new lease of life in our brand new production” says Poppy. “We have transposed the action to 1970s Cambridge where a bunch of buttoned up students are about to get a tutorial in love-making…”

Before arriving at Layer Marney the company will have completed a 6-week, 25-venue UK tour. The tour is an essential element in the success of the project. It gives informal but valuable opportunities to the young singers, and makes the venture financially viable by spreading the sources of support and enabling a wide variety of people to contribute to and support the company. 

Orlando is in the process of setting up a new charity called Wild Arts to support the Layer Marney Opera festival and tour. The long-term vision of Wild Arts is a new opera house, performance space and arts education centre, built from sustainable materials and with regenerative, carbon positive operation. 

“The performance centre will enable us to fully realise three founding ideals”, says Orlando. “World-class performance, one-planet living, and 50% of our activity and income spent developing emerging talent and bringing opera and music to young people.” 

There are plenty of ways for people in the area to get involved with this new production or to become supporters of the new charity. “You may wish to sponsor one of the singers, or the costumes, or perhaps one of the musicians,” says Orlando. “Our supporters will be a main part of our story and will be invited to rehearsals, dress rehearsals and coaching sessions to see the production take shape. There will also be a fabulous after-show party!” 

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You are welcome to contact Orlando with any questions info@wildarts.org.uk