Touring Opera in the South West

© Tessitoura

tessitura (Italian, meaning "texture")  describes the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding texture or timbre.

Valerie Kingman about The Magic Flute in 2011:

“In particular the casting was superb. Guy Withers as Tamino looked right and sang well. The Queen of the Night (Zoe Bartlett) shone out as she should. Her costume, like the others, was entirely right…”

An audience member’s written comment about The Marriage of Figaro in the Winterbourne Medieval Barn in 2012:

“By far my best ever operatic experience - an amazing privilege to enjoy so much talent and the fruits of such dedication in a unique, atmospheric and intimate space. The lovely voices blended beautifully, and the diction came across with remarkable clarity, considering that acoustics seem unlikely to have been the prime consideration of the barn’s medieval designer!”

Winterbourne Barn Bulletin about Opera in the Barn – Hansel & Gretel in 2014

“The opera is a light piece, with a well-known and simple plot, but it was brought to life by some sparkling duets from Sophie Kirk-Harris and Louise Geller as the charming eponymous leads, and a bravura performance from Dajana Kovac as the wicked witch, who managed to be both frightening and funny in equal measure.

All in all, a welcome opportunity to see a relatively unfamiliar opera, much enjoyed by an enthusiastic audience, in the splendid surroundings of the Barn.”

Tessitoura have brought three operas to the newly re-ordered St Mary's and have demonstrated how effective opera can be in this lovely Victorian church. They have filled it with glorious sound and all three productions (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Hansel and Gretel) have been played with infectious enthusiasm by a young and spirited cast. The last in particular caught the imagination with its colourful and inventive staging. We hope that Tessitoura will continue to be a highlight of our summer season.” - K.S