Two long-time Merthyr Cynog residents are bringing a new opera to a Breconshire village hall this month.

Bridgett Gill and Brendan Wheatley, founders and co-directors of the acclaimed company Swansea City Opera, will bring Shoulder to Shoulder to the Village Hall, Upper Chapel, Merthyr Cynog on Wednesday, October 26.

Swansea City Opera has often performed in Upper Chapel’s Village Hall. The company last appeared there in October 2021 with a concert of opera classics featuring the soprano Jess Robinson, Wales BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2022 finalist, and the award-winning tenor Robyn Lyn Evans.

The two talented singers appear in Swansea City Opera’s Shoulder to Shoulder, touring Wales this October and November.

The moving and funny opera has been created through a partnership with the charity Men’s Sheds Cymru, which supports older men out of loneliness, helping them to develop new interests and friendships. Loneliness is an epidemic; according to the Office for National Statistics, 3.3 million people in the UK report being lonely all the time.

Swansea City Opera worked with Sheds, including the Brecon Shed. The company has used real-life stories as the inspiration for the story written by Brendan Wheatley. The opera’s music has been composed by Lenny Sayers of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. His music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Wales, and BBC Radio Cymru.

Shoulder to Shoulder’s ensemble features mostly Wales-based professional singers and musicians, many of whom sing and play in major opera houses, companies, and orchestras, including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Glyndebourne Festival Opera; Welsh National Opera; English National Opera; Opera North; Scottish Opera, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Swansea City Opera’s director Brendan Wheatley said: “Audiences won’t have a miserable evening. Instead, they will find Shoulder to Shoulder moving, thought-provoking, uplifting, and funny.”

“The Men’s Shed in Brecon has been very supportive of the project and played their part in the creation of Shoulder to Shoulder by sharing their stories with us.

“In our work with Shedders in the different parts of Wales we’ve worked in, we’ve heard difficult life stories. What’s striking is the Shedder’s sense of humour even in the face of life’s challenges. We’ve brought that humour to the opera.

“Shoulder to Shoulder is a powerful and uplifting exploration of men overcoming loneliness and social isolation through friendships forged in Men’s Sheds.We believe opera should be for everyone whether they’re an experienced operagoer or an opera novice.”

Chris Davies, a spokesman for the Village Hall, said: “Swansea City Opera is immensely popular with local audiences as they bring top-flight, award-winning musicians and singers to our hall. We’re thrilled that they are bringing their new opera to us.”

The development of Shoulder to Shoulder brought music activities to participating Sheds, often for the first time. Six community choirs will sing on stage in their hometowns alongside the ensemble of professional singers and musicians, adding a powerful dimension to performances.

Since 2004, Swansea City Opera’s philosophy has been that opera is for everyone. To both audience and critical acclaim, the company has toured some of opera’s best-loved works and less frequently performed operas, from The Marriage of Figaro to Lakme to corners of England and Wales, where opera is seldom performed. The company has built a significant reputation for its outreach work. In 2019, Swansea City Opera was funded by The British Council’s £30 million Cultural Protection Fund to create a project that captured the intangible culture of Syrian and Palestinian refugees in camps in Beirut and southern Lebanon.

Swansea City Opera is touring Shoulder to Shoulder to a mix of professional venues and community halls.

Shoulder to Shoulder

WHEN: Wednesday, October 26 2022 at 7pm

WHERE: Village Hall, Upper Chapel, Merthyr Cynog, Brecon LD3 9RG

HOW: £10 per ticket, £8 for high school age students, £5 for primary school age children

To book contact Chris Davies on 01874 690 342 or through www.merthyrcynog.org/village-hall/ or buy on the door.