Glasgow College singers to perform in Edinburgh Fringe

The Opera Group of St Aloysius College, Glasgow, will be performed in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on Sunday, 16 August.

The Group will perform Monteverdi's Orfeo, written in 1607 for the Gonzaga court, at Lauriston Hall, next to Sacred Heart Church.  This is the first of two events the College will present at Sacred Heart to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Jesuit Community in Edinburgh.  It is also the 150th anniversary of St Aloysius College, the school esatblished by the Jesuits in Glasgow in 1859.

Orfeo or The Legend of Orpheus is one of the earliest works recognized as an opera, composed by Claudio Monteverdi with text by Alessandro Striggio for the annual carnival of Mantua.  It was first performed before the Accademia degl'Invaghiti on 24 February 1607 and was published in Venice in 1609.  The opera saw its modern debut on 25 February 1904 in a concert version in Paris directed by Vincent d'Indy.  The opera continues to be regularly performed and its anniversary year of 2007 saw many productions.

The concert on 16 August is one of many anniversary events at Sacred Heart Church.  An exhibition illustrating the history of the parish and the Jesuits' association with Scotland is currently on display in the vestibule of the church.  Concert Merchiston and Colinton Choir and the Edinburgh University Renaissance Singers will be providing further musical highlights over the course of the coming year.  More details from Sacred Heart Church (link below).


 Sacred Heart parish, Edinburgh