Video: Taking opera to the Yorkshire coalfields

Teenagers at Barnsley College were the latest to benefit from expert tuition from the Leeds-based opera singing teacher Jane Anthony who has set up Young Opera Venture (YOV).

The touring company has already visited Huddersfield and Middlesbrough, holding singing workshops in both towns before staging a performance of The Marriage of Figaro.

Ms Anthony said Barnsley’s Civic will stage the Mozart classic on Thursday before the last date of the tour at Wakefield’s Theatre Royal and Opera House on Wednesday next week.

Cast members from YOV performed arias at Barnsley College today before the teenagers tried their own vocal chords on the demanding composition.

“I know that we have got some fantastic singers here in Yorkshire, the trouble is they are not given the opportunity to try out opera because it is squeezed out by other genres,” said Ms Anthony.

“We’re aiming to introduce young people, some of them from quite deprived communities, to opera, either as members of an audience or as performers.”

Danny Smart, 16, of Hoyland, Barnsley, said he was studying for A-Levels in music, drama, media and English language and felt taking part in the workshop had been useful.

He added: “Now I know what opera is all about I will be coming to the performance on Thursday. I’ve never really thought about opera before, but there’s nothing really to suggest it to you.”

Tickets for the performance in Barnsley are available from the Civic box office on 01226 327000, with full price tickets £12 and £10 for concessions. Wakefield tickets are £20, £18 and £15, and are available on 01924 211311.