These iconic works, from the peak of Weimar Republic cultural freedom, constitute a collaboration with the Adelaide Wind Orchestra, the Adelaide Hills Chamber Players and Co-Opera.

The celebrated Adelaide Wind Orchestra under the Musical Direction of Bryan Griffiths,  will provide the instrumentalists needed for the vocal works and present wind-only pieces to enrich the program.

The Mahagonny Songspiel is a condensation of the full evening opera The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny by Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill. It graphically concentrates the decadence of life in Mahagonny ……its despair, sexual corruption and pervading sense of helplessness.

The Berliner Requiem is a Cantata dedicated to the forgotten dead [unknown casualties in World War I], based on poems by Bertold Brecht. The titles of the poems betray the sentiments…..Great Chorale of Thanksgiving / Ballad of the Drowned Girl / Memorial Tablet /Gravestone 1919 / Report on the Unknown Soldier / To Potsdam under the Oak Trees.

The Konzertmusik für Blasorchester [Concert music for Wind Orchestra] op. 41 was composed in a few days for the contemporary chamber music festival Donaueschinger Kammermusiktage in response to a commission issued by the festival organisers  for a concert featuring “original compositions for military band”. This was an experimental event presenting new works for military bands of the Weimar Republic. Konzertmusik has remained in the standard wind orchestra repertoire ever since.

M A Y  2 0 2 6 :

Charles Gounod: Faust

With its irresistible stream of melodies, Gounod’s Faust has long been a favourite in the international world of opera. Like Carmen, it began life as an Opera Comique with dialogue interspersed with musical numbers and, also like Carmen, was only transformed into “Grand Opera” with sung recitatives in order to satisfy the demands of Paris Opera House.

Again, like our rendition of Carmen, 30 years ago!, we plan to take Faust back to its “comique” roots with spoken dialogue and a fl irtation with its treatment in different countries in its “formative” years, including Valentin’s aria which was only composed (in English) for the Covent Garden premiere and later translated into French for the Paris Opera House season.

Creative Staff

Stage Director: Nicholas Cannon

Musical Director/Pianist: Joseph Ingram

Cast TBA

Faust                                       

Mephistopheles                                 

Margeurite                                          

Valentin                                 

Wagner                                                  

Siebel  

Marthe

JULY 2 0 2 6 :

A N  A M E R I CA N  D O U B L E  B I L L

Samuel Barber:  A Hand of Bridge   

One of the shortest operas to be regularly performed (it lasts about nine minutes), consists of two unhappily married couples playing a hand of bridge, during which each character has an arietta in which he or she professes his or her inner desires.

Creative Staff

Stage Director: Mark Oates

Designer: Deborah Johnson

Designer: Alexandra Woolston

Repetiteur: Nerissa Pearce

Head Administrator: James Scott

Theatre Technician: Aaron Woolston

Cast: A Hand of Bridge

Geraldine: Alexandra Woolston

Bill: Mark Oates

Sally: Deborah Johnson

David: James Scott

Made possible with the support of THE ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY [SA]

Gian Carlo Menotti: The Medium    

First performed in 1946, The Medium tells the story of Madame Flora who, with the help of her daughter Monica and Toby, a mute servant, tries to cheat her clients through faked seances. She is touched herself by a hand during one of them, an occurrence she cannot explain and which drives her to insanity and murder.

This Double Bill,                Admin staff: presented in the     Venue Communication: Deborah Johnson American Independence Rehearsal Scheduling: James Scott season, was conceived                Ticketing: Alexandra Woolston and produced by       Budget Control: Mark Oates Deborah Johnson.   Publicity: Alexandra Woolston

Graphic Design: Deborah Johnson

Cast: The Medium

Monica: Alexandra Woolston

Madame Flora: Deborah Johnson Mr Gobineau: James Scott

PERFORMANCES

Thursday, 2 July 2026, 7:30pm

Friday 3 July 2026, 7:30pm

Saturday 4 July 2026, 7:30pm

Sunday 5 July 2026, 3:00 pm

All Performances at

Ayers House Ballroom, Adelaide

BOOKINGS OPEN 1st November, 2025

www.adelaidehillschamberplayers.com www.co-opera.com.au

O C T O B E R – N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 6 :

Carl Maria von Weber: Der Freischütz

This seminal work stylistically bridges the period between Beethoven’s Fidelio and Wagner’s fi rst success, Rienzi and is considered the fi rst German Romantic Opera. The opera integrates German folklore and folk music but contains glorious arias and ensemble pieces that are famous as concert pieces as well as competition pieces in top-end

Eisteddfods. True to its folk origins, it is a dark tale of a young forester who fi nds himself, unknowingly, in league with the Devil as he attempts to win a shooting contest so as to earn his girlfriend’s hand in marriage.

Creative Staff

Stage Director: Macintyre Howie Reeves                  

Designer: Ulricke Barbara von Radichevich

Lighting Designer: Jens Milbret Musical Director/Pianist: Joseph Ingram

Cast:

To be announced