Pop-Up Opera Company at Soul in the City

La Serva Padrona & Rita

Performance

St Mary's Church, Upper Street
7.30pm Monday 3 June 2013
Admission free - doors will be closed when the venue is full.

Two one-act operas take place on the same stage, their scenes and stories intertwined. One mute servant appears in both, tying the two tales together.

A scene of commotion arises when the dominating Rita and her timid husband Beppe receive an unexpected visit from Rita’s first husband Gaspar. Each believing the other to have died, Gaspar unknowingly arrives seeking Rita's death certificate so he can remarry. Beppe sees it as an opportunity to escape, as Gaspar is still Rita's legal husband. The two men agree to a game, the winner of which will have to stay with Rita. Each of them tries to lose, but Gaspar cunningly manipulates Rita and Beppe to fall in love again.

Meanwhile, wealthy old bachelor Uberto is kept under the thumb of his maid Serpina.

He enlists his manservant Vespone to help him get rid of Serpina by finding him a wife. Serpina convinces Vespone to trick Uberto into marrying her. Their elaborate plan works and by the time Uberto has agreed to marry Serpina he realises he has loved her all along.

Simon Harvey interviews Clementine Lovell, in ahead of the performance at Soul in the City.



Pop-up Opera is an innovative touring opera company dedicated to bringing professional opera to intimate and informal venues. Breaking the boundaries between audience and performers in a way that's thrilling and new for seasoned Opera-goers and first timers alike, this is a unique operatic experience. Productions showcase the exceptional up and coming talent of young professional singers in an exciting and engaging way under the direction of Darren Royston. Their production of L’elisir d’Amore was described by Matthew Parris in The Times as ‘a two hour explosion of beautiful music, top-class singing, and exceptional acting’.
“The hidden door to opera has been opened”, come and experience it for yourself.

'A performance of Don Pasquale which fulfilled its aim of making opera enjoyable and inviting, without diminishing the quality of the music' Opera Magazine

'I cannot imagine anyone, of any class, age or tastes, who would have been bored or unmoved' The Times

Find out more about Soul in the City Neighbourhood Festival 2013.

Mission links

Join us on Sunday at 11 to hear international teacher and Bible translator Liz Olsen preach on Mission in Many Tongues.

The crypt will be full for a presentation by Liz and another of our mission partners, Keith Waddell, at 3.30pm. Come early for the best seats.

O for a thousand tongues

This Sunday we'll start the eleven o'clock service with a rousing hymn, "O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise".

Charles Wesley was struggling with ill-health and spiritual battles in May 1738. Things changed dramatically at the feast of Pentecost, on 20 May 1738. His journal describes how he found his faith renewed and his heart warmed by the Holy Spirit as he prayed.

Several weeks later, the Vicar of St Mary's, George Stonehouse, invited Wesley to "take charge of his parish, under him, as his Curate."

And so it was, while ministering at our church a year after his Spirit-led renewal, that Wesley wrote a poem which became the famous hymn. His title was For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion and the full version ran to eighteen verses (complete with references to harlots and publicans, sons of lust and pride).

Almost 274 years to the day, at our own Pentecost feast and on the spot where Wesley preached and worshipped, we'll gladly sing:

My gracious Master, and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

Licensed Lay Ministry

The Diocese of London actively encourages the involvement and leadership of lay people in the ministry and mission of the church. One of St Mary's Licensed Lay Ministers, Ian Mylam, is serving the wider Stepney Episcopal Area as Joint Warden of Readers. St Mary's has always emphasised excellence in preaching while affirming lay ministry - the two are very much compatible.

A new video by the diocese captures something of the breadth of Licensed Lay Ministry, as well as introducing the new courses at St Mellitus College.


Licensed Lay Ministry from London Diocese on Vimeo.

More information here.

Soul in the City Youth and Children's Workshops

Youth and Children's Workshops run Wednesday 29 May to Friday 31 May 2013 and they're open to local residents and are all free!

The easiest way to register is to sign up below. You can also call 07928 726659.

More about Soul in the City or download a flyer.

In partnership with St Mary Islington Community Partnership and Almeida Theatre, with funding from the Islington Local Initiatives Fund.

Upper Street's Got Talent - Now open for auditions

As part of the Soul in the City Neighbourhood Festival, we're showcasing the best of local talent. If you'd like to perform on the Upper Street Stage, register for auditions with Gerry on 07932 035977 or use the form below.

Download a flyer

Beginning Theology

We're increasing partnerships with St Mellitus College and are glad to promote their Beginning Theology Open Day on 10 May.


‘Beginning Theology’ is the course for you if:

• You have never studied Theology before
• You have studied Theology, but not in English
• You just want to learn to think and talk about God
• You would like to join a strong learning community
• You would like to prepare for a study in Higher Education level

  Further details.

Prayer triplets

Life throws all sorts of things at us. Colleagues, flatmates and far-away friends can't always be there for us when we need it. Meeting up regularly with two other Christians to pray together takes things to a new level.

Look out for the leaflet and get involved. Because good things come in threes.