Rebecca to storm music fringe festival

A WIDE-ranging Fringe Festival programme has been announced for the Waterford International Festival of Music taking place next month.

Opening the Fringe Festival is West End star Rebecca Storm in concert on Tuesday, November 2, at the Theatre Royal in Waterford.

Catapulted to fame at the age of 23 for her role in Blood Brothers, she has played some of the best and most demanding leading lady West End roles since– including Eva Peron in Evita, Fantine in Les Miserables and Grizabella in Cats.

An evening of Italian opera with a rustic Italian banquet takes place on November 3 at the vestibule of the Theatre Royal.

La Locanderia is one of Italy’s most celebrated comedies; the period production is a generous helping of Neapolitan arias and folk songs from Mirandolina, the seductive innkeeper and her admirers.

Also on November 3 is the Waterford Music Club Cappa Ensemble at The Large Room in City Hall at 8pm. These winners of the Music Network’s Young Musicwide Competition in 2009 have established themselves as a quartet of who are equally at home playing classical and contemporary works.

Christchurch Cathedral will host Dido and Aeneas on November 5. Presented by the Waterford Institute of Technology Chamber Choir, the performance will see them conducted in this concert performance of the opera by Bridget Knowles.

Commenting on the Fringe programme launch, chairperson Anne Marie Caulfield said they were “thrilled” to announce the line-up. “It is action-packed and has a range of performances suitable to all tastes, young and not-so-young.”

The 2010 Waterford International Music Festival programme will consist of the city’s 50th Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, a Gospel Festival, a High School Music Festival, the Fringe Festival and a number of other special music events all culminating in a fabulous Oscar-style finale Gala evening hosted by RTÉ’s Maura Derrane.

The two-day Gospel Festival at Christchurch Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity features the London Community Gospel Choir, who have performed with stars such as Madonna, The Waterboys and other famous names; the Dublin Gospel Choir and a number of other Irish Gospel choirs hosting a series of master classes.

The Waterford International Festival of Music will take place in the city from November 2 to 13.

* www.waterfordintlmusicfestival.com.