Wild Arts opera evening at Hilles House, Stroud

8 July, 6pm to 9.30pm

Tickets:

• Adults: £75
• Under 21s: £20
• Under 16s: £10

A love story built around your favourite opera classics, arranged into 75 minutes of musical heaven. All sung by the stars of tomorrow and played by a stunning string quintet.

You are welcome to arrive from 6pm to enjoy the amazing views, set up your picnic, and open the bubbly.

The performance will start at 7pm and you’ll be able to continue your picnic afterwards, in the last rays of the setting sun.

Wild Arts is a new company founded by Orlando Jopling which takes world-class opera to beautiful venues across the UK. More information on wildarts.org.uk

‘Let me tell you that Wild Arts’ opera evenings are of a breathtakingly high, ROH-level musical standard – a gorgeous quintet of musicians and a most cunning choice of excerpts, mischievously well acted. I’d follow them anywhere.’ – Libby Purves

A fine young cast excel, with engaging energy and superb singing … a knowing, cheeky sense of humour, while never detracting from Mozart’s delectable score. An affordable and accessible production, attracting those who might be new to opera. The Guardian on our 2022 production of Così fan tutte.

Location

Hilles House, GL6 6NN

Hilles House is a Grade II* Arts and Crafts house standing majestically on the edge of Gloucestershire’s rolling Cotswold hills, surveying 5 counties from its breath-taking promontory. It’s flanked by generous lawns on both sides and bordered by great yew hedges, dry stone walls and carefully tended flower and shrub beds, and is surrounded by 1000 acres of private estate.

The house is the home of Detmar Blow, grandson of Detmar Jellings Blow, the celebrated Arts & Crafts architect, and related to the celebrated 17th century composer John Blow. Detmar Blow’s great grandmother Johanna Fincke was taught the piano by Clara Schumann, and his grandfather knew Gerald Finzi who visited Hilles House. The music historian Roger Thomas commented In the early 1920’s, shy, repressed city boy Gerald Finzi met up with Detmar Blow and other arts and crafts types, who introduced him to exotic things like yoghurt and alternative living. In the 1930’s Finzi and his wife Joy, who knew herbal lore, set up Ashmansworth (near Newbury) as a haven of natural self-sufficiency. Decades later, when Daniel Barenboim visited Jacqueline du Pré (Hilary Finzi’s sister), he was horrified by their hippie ways!

The building was constructed between 1914-1916 and is in many ways the greatest work of the elder Detmar Blow. His many projects exemplify the style and new ideas of the time and of his friends and colleagues, including the legendary William Morris and John Ruskin.

Hilles House is often cited as a place of great inspiration for Alexander McQueen. It has always attracted creativity and creative people, including Tim Burton, Minnette de Silva, Tracey Emin, Bryan Ferry, Malcom McLaren, Gregor Muir and Philip Treacy.