And here’s David Himself…
Clapham resident, trustee of St Paul’s Opera and opera grandee as librettist of Powder Her Face (Thomas Ades) Philip Hensher (inset, below) quizzes David Butt Philip on his past, present and future.
David Butt Philip and Friends Gala
Announcing the ever popular fund-raising gala by our patron, international tenor David Butt Philip. The date for your diary is Friday, 9th February 2024 at 7.30pm at SPO’s home, St Paul’s Church, Clapham Old Town, SW4 0DZ.
Are you ready for the David Butt Philip and Friends Gala?
With just a couple of days to go before our second David Butt Philip and Friends Gala, we can reveal the repertoire for the evening. Joining David (tenor) will be soprano Natalya Romaniw, mezzo soprano Katie Stevenson and baritone Ross Ramgobin. They will be accompanied by Ed Whitehead and Ben-San Lau on piano.
All are regular faces at the world’s leading opera houses including the ENO, the Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne. David, Ross and San have just finished a highly acclaimed production of Rusalka at the ROH. Katie has just finished her role as Flosshilde in Der Rheingold at the ENO while Natalya is back in the UK after performing the title role in Tosca at Hamburg’s Staatoper. Ed is mid run in the brand new opera Blaze of Glory! with WNO.
DAVID BUTT PHILIP IS IN THE HOUSE
It is David Butt Philip season at St Paul’s Opera – later in February we have his Masterclass, a fascinating look at how good singers can be turned into great ones with guidance from a world class performer.
Then, in March, we are proud to announce another David Butt Philip And Friends Gala evening. Our Patron – affectionally known as DBP – returns on Thursday 23rd March, this time to sing with three other colleagues from the world of opera, with two equally talented pianists to provide elegant accompaniment for the evening.
David Butt Philip Gala: thoughts from the audience
Church and music go together like salt and pepper. But real robust operatic singing is unusual in church. Except that’s exactly what’s on offer at St Paul’s Clapham with its hall-like shape, multiple windows, and acoustically helpful wooden ceiling
The reason is St Paul’s Opera. Yes that’s right. This is a church that does opera too. Opera may indeed be rare among ecclesiastical goings-on. And certainly opera is more Italian or German than British. But Father Jonathan, vicar at St Paul’s, spent two decades as Anglican parish priest in Rome at All Saints near the Piazza del Popolo, and Ogni Santi, via del Babuino, had lots of opera during his time in charge, just as there is now at St Paul’s a hop and a skip from Clapham Common.
Box office now open for David Butt Philip Gala evening
It’s going to be one of the highlights of SPO’s year – a fundraising gala concert hosted, and starring, international tenor David Butt Philip. David will be joined by three other international stars – wonderful voices certain to be gracing the stages of top opera houses all over the world for some years to come.
They are Lauren Fagan (soprano), Stephanie Wake-Edwards (mezzo-soprano) and David Shipley (bass). All four artists are alumni of the Royal Opera’s prestigious Jette Parker Young Artist Programme
