Last night, at Kent House, we held our traditional season curtain-raiser, the 'Prelude'. As ever it was a convivial event attended by over two hundred Friends who heard an array of brilliant singers from the season ahead perform a wonderfully eclectic programme of music ranging from Verdi and Mozart to Dvorak, Gounod, Lalo and Britten.
Thankfully, after my brush with alcohol last weekend, I more or less abstained and have woken up human.
These events raise a good deal of money for the Friends which of course finds it way back to the company and the work we do. I am always very humbled by the dedication and support the Friends who organise all of this show and when things are tough and busy and troublesome - as every season is at about this time - I don't suppose we can ever seem as grateful as we really are. We get much personal support from so many people too and one's expression of gratitude for that when you have the pre-season 'thousand-yard stare' is never really fulsome enough. I have to hope they all know..
This is the final weekend before the theatre is handed full time to the company - although various technical rehearsals have been taking place recently - and then we race to first night. Yesterday was fairly dramatic with diggers and all manner of works to replenish landscaping (and to resolve drainage issues). Our lovely theatre looked like a building site again but by the end of the day it was returning to normal. It is having its final manicure.
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