The Great Fire of London, which destroyed most of the City, effectively ended on the roof of the Inner Temple Hall, where the last flames were beaten out under the direction of Inner Temple’s Royal Bencher, James, Duke of York. He and his men also saved the Temple Church.
2016 is the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire and, at Inner Temple’s suggestion, the Temple Music Foundation has commissioned a new opera to mark these extraordinary events, to be performed in the Temple Church on 27-29 October this year.
The composer is Matt Rogers, whose recent opera The Virtues of Things was premiered at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre. The production will be directed by Sinéad O’Neill who works regularly as an Assistant Director at Glyndebourne.
The soloists include Raphaela Papadakis, who was supported throughout her studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama by JM Finn & Co.
The conductor will be Christopher Stark (who made his BBC Proms debut this summer) and the musicians will include the Organist and Director of Music of the Temple Church, Roger Sayer, fresh from his performance of the Oscar nominated score for Interstellar.
To book tickets please visit the Temple Music website.