<<  -- 9 --  Roderic Dunnett    OPIUM OF THE ELITE

Mid Wales Opera is now one of the big tourers. A modest-budget company which hikes quality opera to outlying, even underprivileged, communities as well as mid-range venues as far afield as the East of England, Mid Wales Opera was co-founded by the singer Barbara McGuire, who was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours this summer.

MWO is currently steering its new Rigoletto, with Charles Johnston sharing the title role with Olafur Sigurdarson, from compact venues in Cardigan and Milford Haven as far afield as Bury St Edmunds and Canterbury; the tour lasts till 14 November.

'Our charitable constitution', she explains, 'lays down that we take opera to places that it wouldn't be able be heard in, which the big opera companies couldn't hope to touch. We get to some very remote, isolated and indeed poor places in Wales, where people have very little money to spare.

'The company works miracles, really, when you think of the funding we get. We're a low maintenance company -- with only four part-time administrative staff; but we run it very economically and do everything in house. Compared with English Touring Opera's vastly bigger budget, we get just 60,000 pounds: our funding across the board amounts to just 100,000 pounds, so we have to rely on ticket sales or fundraising. I think you could call it value for money.'

'It's important to avoid clashes,' says Barbara McGuire. 'I have to ring round our regular venues two or three years in advance just to see what other opera companies are taking there -- though hopefully we get in first! We've also acquired some new venues: Frome in Somerset and Grays in Essex next year, and also the Spa Centre in Leamington, Warwickshire.'

One thing that she would be glad to see would be some funding restored -- they previously received it -- for a proper chorus : Rigoletto's choruses rely on not even a handful of singers; and the same, as things stand, with next year's Carmen.

'But at least seats in some of our smaller venues are handsomely subsidised, so audiences there can afford them,' says McGuire. 'Performing at Felin Fach, Lampeter -- which holds about 290 -- feels like going home; they just love it.'

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