Thursday Masterclass and Audience, with Graeme Danby

This event is part of Berwick Singfest! - a celebration of singing.

We are delighted to have Graeme Danby with us this year. Take part in our exciting masterclass and audience with him. Find out more about how to improve your singing in a fun informal environment. Have a lovely afternoon listening to him and watching him work with local singers or opt to be one of those singers yourself. A truly unique experience!

Places are limited for those wishing to be one of the singers he works with directly in the
masterclass. A Patron's Ticket does not include this event.

Graeme Danby was born in Consett, County Durham in 1962 and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with the Canadian Baritone Bruce Boyce. In an operatic career that now spans over 40 years, Graeme is recognised as one of the most prolific character Bass soloists of his generation.

As a principal, Graeme has sung over 1200 performances at the London Coliseum, home of English National Opera. Roles with ENO include Sarastro (The Magic Flute ), Sacristan (Tosca), Pistol (Falstaff), Don Basilio (Barber of Seville), Ribbing (A Masked Ball), Zuniga (Carmen), Somnus (Semele), Dr Bartolo & Antonio (Marriage of Figaro), Banker & Journalist (Lulu), Wazir (Kismet), Doctor Grenvil (La Traviata), Pooh Bah (Mikado), Ceprano (Rigoletto), Quince & Snug (A Midsummer Nights Dream ), Brander (Damnation of Faust ), Swallow (Peter Grimes), Old Man (King Priam), Narbal (The Trojans), Count Rostov (War and Peace), Sciarone (Tosca), Priest (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), Pimen (Boris Godonov),Lorenzo (Capuleti e Montecchi ) and Elviro ( Xerxes).

Roles at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden - Charrington in the World Premiere of Lorin Mazel’s 1984, Billy Jackrabbit in Fanciulla del West, The Casino Manager in the acclaimed Richard Jones production of Prokofiev’s The Gambler, Marquis in La Traviata, Sacristan in Tosca and , 2nd Armed Man in Sir David McVicars production of The Magic Flute.

Roles elsewhere include Ashby (Fanciulla del West), Superintendent Budd (Albert Herring), Dr Bartolo (Marriage of Figaro) for Opera North, Le Governor (Conte Ory), Osmin ( Die Entfuhrung ), Antonio (Marriage of Figaro) for Glyndebourne Festival, Fyodor/Big Boss (A Dogs Heart), Snug (A Midsummer Nights Dream) at La Scala, Milan, 1984 in Valencia, Dr Bartolo, Swallow and Somnus for Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp and Ghent, Harrison Birtwhistle's Punch and Judy in Paris, Publio (Clemenza Di Tito), The Doctor (Wozzeck) in Salzburg, Dick Deadeye ( HMS Pinafore ) in Dublin, Don Magnifico ( La Cenerentola) for Scottish Opera and Opera de Rouen, Superintendent Budd at The Birgitta Festival in Tallinn, Brag (Fairy Queen) at Theatro Liceau Barcelona, Where The Wild Things Are in the Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angeles with the LA Symphony Orchestra/ Gustavo Dudamel, Dr Bartolo ( Barber of Seville ), Il Re ( Aida ) and Don Magnifico for Irish National Opera in Dublin/Wexford, Swallow in the Theatro San Carlos Lisbon, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, Dr Bartolo and Hotel Manager ( Powder Her Face ) in Fribourg, Paris, Bolzano Festival and Ljubljana as well as Quince and Dr Bartolo for Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv.

Concert appearances - Royal Albert Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Festival Hall, Beaux Arts Concert Hall Brussels, Palau Des Artes Valencia, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Sage Gateshead, Die Singel Antwerp, Dublin National Concert Hall, Dunblane Cathedral, Barbican, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, NECC Birmingham, Bury St Edmonds Cathedral, Hexham Abbey, Snape Maltings Aldeburgh, Caird Hall Dundee, Eden Court Theatre Inverness and Villa D’este Lake Como

Graeme’s recordings include Marriage of Figaro, Salome, A Masked Ball, Magic Flute, Lulu and Will Todd’s The Burning Road for EMI/Decca. Operas for TV encompass Thomas Ades' The Tempest from Covent Garden, Jonathan Miller's Mikado from ENO, The Importance of Being Earnest NOF production from Paris, La Cenerentola from Dublin Bord Gais and Barber of Seville from the National Opera House in Wexford.

Future plans for Graeme include Don Pasquale at Brel Music, Bluebeard's Castle at the Beijing Festival, Gesler in Guillame Tell in Fribourg for NoF, Dr Grenvil in La Traviata for Irish National Opera, Powder Her Face in The National Opera House Rijeka, Masterclasses in Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Lausanne and The London College of Music and a tour of a new show based on the music and text of Eric Boswell

As well as a busy performance schedule, Graeme works in many universities and conservatoires around the world as a Professor of Music and Professor of Practice

No previous knowledge is assumed, and all are welcome. There is no need to bring your ticket, as we will have a record of your booking.

If you book this course online, we will hold your personal data in accordance with our privacy policy. If you do not wish us to hold your personal data, please book by post and do not supply an email address.