This morning the cast and crew of The Barber of Seville are undertaking a run of the opera’s first act, but where’s Nicholas Sharratt? Count Almaviva is off sick, but don’t panic! Double-act Andrew Glover (Almaviva understudy) and Oliver Platt (Assistant Director) have got it covered. Glover hasn’t rehearsed the blocking yet, so for this reason his bright, Italianate tenor rings out from offstage while Platt takes to the stage in mute form.

The run gets underway rather smoothly and I begin to appreciate what an adorable production this is. Cue twinkle-toed male chorus who bound in and out as cheeky-chappy fruit-sellers, Almaviva’s mottely band of musicians, Doctor Bartolo’s reluctant patients… Everyone’s frantically running around defending their patch in a race of wits, even...

This week, aspiring soprano Lizzie Marshall witnesses two very different conflict scenes.

Lizzie Marshall, an ETO networker, recent graduate and aspiring soprano, is at Three Mills studios watching ETO's rehearsals. This week, she discusses Eugene Onegin's famous letter scene.

As I speak at opera and music club meetings around the country, I am often asked 'How do you choose the operas?', or even 'Why did you choose those operas?'

On Friday 2 December, friends and family of the Turtle Song group arrived at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge, to watch the final performance of ‘Songs from the Sea’.

After 9 weeks of meeting together and creating new songs, the group finally had the chance to show their work to those who love them. The concert was lovely and enjoyed by both the audience and the group. It was really nice to hear from the families of the participants, and to know how much this project has really made a difference in their lives.

I really enjoyed being a part of this project and seeing the group develop each week, they had so much fun singing and being creative together.

Katy Goodson, Education Intern