Guest House Opera’s vocal quartet gave a polished premiere performance of Chris Wood’s five Sea Songs at All Saints Church, Carshalton, on 5 October as part of the 2013 Imagine Festival of the Arts, funded by Sutton Council.

A packed church also enjoyed a performance of Shadow Ships by Play of Light Theatre and more sea songs – this time three songs from Lieutenant Cockatoo, a cycle by Phyllis Tate, sung by ten and 11 year old children from nearby Stanley Park Junior School.

Chris also premiered a recorded version of Sea Changes, a descriptive piece of orchestral ballet music, and Waiting, a cool jazz instrumental, to which dancer Sharon Coe was choreographed by Malti Patel of Croydon-based Apsaras Arts. Chris is pictured with Karin Andrews Jashapara, artistic Director of Play of Light Theatre.

Guest House Opera featured in a lavish musical presentation for South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, when he visited Fairfield Halls, Croydon for a Conversation for Change, in October.

GHO premiered I have a dream, a piece composed and conducted by GHO’s in-house composer, Chris Wood.

The GHO voices were augmented by students from Wallington High School for Girls and the string orchestra included players from Wallington Girls and Sutton Youth Symphony Orchestra. GHO was also joined by special guests the Gary Mason Charity Drummers.

‘The archbishop told me how much he enjoyed our music,’ said Chris.

‘We were delighted to perform before the archbishop and his daughter and to help spread the word about his philosophy of ubuntu.’

Guest House Opera is pleased to announce that young soprano, Frances Denney is joining the group’s vocal quartet.

Frances, 21, will help premiere in-house composer Christopher Wood’s new set of sea songs in the 2013 Imagine Festival of the Arts in All Saints Church, Carshalton, on Saturday 5 October.

Originally from Oakham in Rutland, Frances has been part of the Stamford Shakespeare Company – an open air theatre company in Lincolnshire – and has attended RADA summer schools for contemporary text. Frances is well versed in music theatre, having been part of Youth Music Theatre UK and often performs music theatre songs in her solo repertoire. ‘I’d love to end up in serious opera in fifteen years’ time and more recently my training has focused on working my way through appropriate opera pieces for my age,’ she says. ‘So, Mozart and Handel so far – I’m waiting eagerly to do the big romantic stuff!’