Opera South East History

By Ken Roberts

As with many performing arts organisations, establishing the exact date of inception of Opera South East poses some problems.

The company adopted its current name in 1997, but had been known as Hastings Opera since 1983 when the company was first formally constituted. However, six stage productions had already been performed by then during which time the name gradually drifted from The Essenden Ensemble to Hastings Opera.

The Essenden Ensemble traced its origins back to 1973 when many of the early protagonists were still at school. It began as a motley collection of instrumentalists playing specially arranged music, progressed to choral and orchestral concerts, thence to Gilbert & Sullivan and so on to Mozart Operas and the first production of 'Carmen' at the White Rock in 1983.


Select Section

Introduction

Pre Opera Years

Early Stage Performances

Hastings Opera

Opera South East