Starting TOMORROW the Welsh Opera Company will be touring Wales with a new Welsh version of Fidelio written by Mererid Hopwood.
It will be performed in Pontio, Bangor tomorrow night (25/4), then it travels to various places in north and south Wales.
You can see the tour schedule and buy tickets at https://www.opra.cymru/fidelio
O diolch, Dee ond Dammo. I’ll be singing Handel in Worcester while they’re doing Beethoven in Aber, but I might try to catch the performance in Carmarthen 
YES! Come to the Carmarthen show! I’m thinking of going and I’d be honoured by your company 
I’d be honoured by your company
I can understand that 
Thanks very much Dee for alerting us to this.
My wife and I have just returned from Pontio thoroughly inspired and invigorated by this excellent production.
It was a quite extraordinary evening. The audience was almost entirely Welsh speaking. The only English I heard spoken was by a couple who were entertaining a foreign guest.
It started with a tremendous rendering of the National Anthem, the line
Dros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed
For freedom they shed their blood
having particular significance in the context of an opera about remarkable personal courage and heroism in the face of tyranny and oppression.
The programme note expresses the hope that the audience will be reminded of the political and linguistic freedoms so important to us in Wales.
The singing is first class and the small chamber orchestra boxed well above their weight.
I am afraid that my Welsh is not good enough to follow Mererid Hopwood’s new translation, but nor is my German good enough to follow the original text. The story is easy to follow and the music (that caused Beethoven so much difficulty) is intensely powerful and extremely moving.
This is a performance that is not to be missed.
27 April Aberystwyth
30 April Blaenau Ffestiniog
2 May Abertawe
4 May Aberhonddu
7 May Caerfyrddin
9 May Rhosllanerchrugog
11 May Y Barri
Chris
I’m delighted that you and your wife enjoyed it so much, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it in Carmarthen now!
The Carmarthen leg lived up to expectations. The soloists and chorus were excellent. In particular, Leonore/Fidelio had a spectacular voice. The orchestra did an excellent job with their limited resouces. Jiw, that Beethoven could write a mean tune 'nd ife. 
The evening was even more special because I spent it in the company of my dear friend @Deborah-SSi who seemed to be known to most people in the audience. We started off by sharing an excellent meal in and Indian restaurant. To avoid advertising, I’ll just say it was on Mansell Street and its name was a spice often found in mulled wine. 
I shall be spending this evening with my wife for a change who is taking me out to a lovely fish restaurant by Aberystwyth harbour to celebrate the fact that I am one year short of being three quarters of a century old today. 
Life is good 
It was a great evening! And I agree with Huw - they could really sing! Amazing voices!
I will definitely have to get to that restaurant again when I’m not rushing off to the theatre - fabulous range of food to choose from and very obliging service.
Penblwydd hapus Huw! It was a pleasure to celebrate your one-day-short of one-year-short of 3/4 of a century with you 
I missed this thread! I went to the Theatr Brycheniog one. Really good cast and a fantastic orchestra. I did overhear someone chatting to the Sibrwd people saying that this wasn’t a ‘Welsh speaking area’ but there were a fair few of us, times are changing!
We weren’t expecting Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau at the beginning, but by the 2nd line we were in full voice much to the orchestra’s amusement!
This tour is the first time Sibrwd has been used with an opera, is this a first?
If you’ve not been yet, get down to Barry on Saturday!