Nigel Tooze, treasurer of Chelsea Opera Group, talks to us about their music group's 75th anniversary.
Early in 1950, two young musical enthusiasts - David Cairns (who became a leading music critic and biographer of Berlioz) and Stephen Gray (later to become general manager of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra), both living in Chelsea - persuaded a twenty-two year old clarinettist named Colin Davis to put on a concert performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in the Holywell Music Room, Oxford. Thus the Chelsea Opera Group (affectionately known as COG) was born and ever since it has been performing opera in concert, reviving unjustifiably neglected works and lesser-known versions of familiar favourites.
During this time the amateur, in the best sense of the word, orchestra and chorus have performed opera to the highest standard, providing the opportunity for conductors and singers at the beginning of their careers to perform alongside established musicians in major London venues. Among other well-known conductors who have appeared with COG are Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, and Sir Roger Norrington; among the singers were Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Sir Willard White, Sarah Walker, Sir John Tomlinson, Robert Lloyd and Jill Gomez, who were to become familiar to all opera lovers.
'COG is always keen to hear from singers and instrumentalists who would like to join its chorus and orchestra, and we are actively recruiting new members! Why not consider joining our chorus and getting to know a wide range of interesting and less familiar works that form an important part of our repertoire?'
In 2025, COG will be celebrating its 75th anniversary at London’s Cadogan Hall with its usual mix of lesser-known works and more familiar favourites, starting with Lalo’s Le roi d’Ys on 30 March. This will be followed by Bellini’s La straniera on 1 June and finally Verdi’s Macbeth, an opera with which COG has a long association, conducted by Grant Llewellyn on 30 November.
COG is always keen to hear from singers and instrumentalists who would like to join its chorus and orchestra, and we are actively recruiting new members! Why not consider joining our chorus and getting to know a wide range of interesting and less familiar works that form an important part of our repertoire? Chorus rehearsals are held in central London, normally over the five weeks before a performance, with two evening rehearsals a week and one all-day weekend session. For more information and to apply, contact Roy Chalmers at chorus@chelseaoperagroup.org.uk
Find out more about Chelsea Opera Group on their website and follow them on Facebook / X (Twitter)
