LOVE, anguish and intrigue will be featured when opera’s Fab Four bring their trademark chocolate-box assortment of classic scenes and heart-rending arias from favourite operas and operettas to Newton Abbot later this month.

Hatstand Opera are making a welcome rweturn to the town’s Courtenay Centre at 3pm on Sunday February 20 as part of Newton Abbot and District Society of Arts concert season.

Kirsty Young, founder and director of Hatstand, is particularly delighted to be returning to the venue after last appearing there 12 years ago.

‘We’ve been touring the UK for over 25 years now, and performed in hundreds of venues, many of which don’t stick in the memory,’ she said.

‘The warm welcome and enthusiastic reception at the Courtenay Centre from the Nadsa members is very much an exception; we remember almost every detail from the lovely windows flooding the room with light to where the chairperson was sitting!

‘We are also delighted to be playing the society’s excellent Yamaha grand piano, always a treat for our concert pianist, and we’re really looking forward to seeing both long-term and new members, and enjoying the feeling of sharing music together again.’

Hatstand Opera was founded by mezzo soprano Kirsty making their company debut on Classic FM in a live broadcast just before Christmas 1993.

From the very beginning Hatstand were touring the country performing for rural touring schemes, an initiative to bring the best quality entertainment to small and often isolated rural communities across England and Wales.

Their cabaret-style concert – a ‘chocolate box’ assortment of opera highlights specially chosen by them for each venue – has been enjoyed by thousands of people across the UK and beyond. They continue to thrill with hilarious scenes and heart-rending arias from the world’s favourite operas.

For their Golden Moments from Opera performance at the Courtenay Centre Hatstand will be offering opera up close, and, because each scene is introduced to give a sense of occasion and context, the programme is easily accessible by newcomers. Seasoned opera goers will delight in reliving some of their memories..

Their hand-picked selection for the concert includes:

• a very busy ‘factotum’ hairdresser (‘Largo al factotum’ from Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”)

• a bride flirting with a wedding party crasher (‘La ci darem’ from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”)

• two very annoyed ladies from Windsor (Nicolai’s “Merry Wives of Windsor”)

• a Swiss miss torn between two lovers (‘Ebben? Ne andro lontana’ from Catalani’s “La Wally”)

However, programme items are subject to change as Hatstand like to surprise and delight their audience with new items.

As audience numbers for the concert, kindly sponsored by Buyrite Tyres (Newton Abbot) Ltd., will be limited to allow social distancing, early booking is strongly advised and all tickets must be booked in advance. Please book through the website: www.nadsa.co.uk. For any queries contact 01626 368318.