November Newsletter 2023 - Memories of Keel Watson
Dear All,
I imagine by now, most of our friends, audience members and indeed most people who enjoy opera will be aware of the sad and unexpected passing of Keel Watson. We’re all shocked by this and have taken the last two weeks as time to reflect on the wonderful memories we have of him.
We will, of course, be continuing the Ring Cycle, sadly, not quite as originally planned. I have written some words about Keel at the bottom of this missive.
Knowing Keel as we did, we know he’d want us to get on with making opera, so we do have a couple of messages for you about things that are coming up. We’ll send a second newsletter next week to remind you of them and to make an official announcement on who is to step into Keel’s formidable shoes as the Wanderer in Siegfried.
The Big Give - funding campaign for The Ring Cycle.
This is how we are hoping to raise much of the required funds for Siegfried and the Ring. If you are able to offer funds, which will be matched, then please do so via this portal. If you are a UK taxpayer, then the Big Give will also allow us to collect Gift Aid, which obviously helps. Please, please do consider dropping us a few quid to help us continue our way through our remarkable Ring Cycle at the Freemasons' Hall. This is about one week of giving - from 28th November until 5th December. So please don't go there right now, though there's a nice page set up, but do have a think about what you might be able to offer.
Così fan tutte at the Wimbledon Festival
Christine Buras as Fiordiligi
Così fan tutte has its final performance at Trinity Church, Mansel Road in Wimbledon this Sunday 26th at 7pm
We’ve had great year with this beautiful, witty production, so if you missed it at St John's, Smith Square this summer you have one final chance to see it before we put the croquet mallets and mustacchi into storage.
Keel Harvey Watson (1964-2023)
Keel as Hans Sachs in our Die Meistersinger, 2019
The whole Regents Opera family were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Keel Watson. Keel has been a part of our musical family since 2014, when, at very little notice, he came and rescued our production of Falstaff, bringing with him an hilarious air of pomposity and humour to the fat knight. Thanks very much to him, that production was then revived twice, at both the Arcola Theatre's "Grimeborn" festival and also at Wilton's Music Hall.
Following Falstaff, we asked Keel and director Daisy Evans what production they might enjoy next, and between them, they chose Der fliegende Holländer, in which Keel would play the title. This was to be the first of four Wagner roles Keel performed with Fulham - later Regents Opera.
In 2018, on hearing that we would be producing Don Carlo, Keel informed us that he would be playing King Philip(!), and did so with tremendous class and joy opposite Philippa Boyle as his Elisabetta.
In 2019 we mounted Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, with Keel as Hans Sachs - widely regarded as the longest role in the Wagner canon. Keel was double cast, but his counterpart withdrew, and Keel ended up singing all four performances opposite different Walters and Evas.
It was, in a large part, for Keel that we decided to do the Ring Cycle in 2022. More than anything else, we wanted to hear his Wotan. In the recent May 2023 Die Walküre, his was shown to be a remarkable interpretation of the role, as so many audience members, including seasoned Wagnerians left the Freemasons' Hall in tears. He was to complete the set with Der Wanderer in Siegfried in February 2024 and full Ring Cycles later in the year. We're all gutted that that is now not to be.
Keel also gave two large Strauss roles in our orchestral study weekends, his Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier being remarkable as he had the full range from bottom C to to top F without any doubts whatsoever, and his Barak Die Frau ohne Schatten was a most moving account, as he continued his long-running musical partnership in our company opposite Catharine Woodward.
Keel met Ingeborg Børch whilst singing our Das Rheingold, and they were together just short of a year. Our hearts go out to her, and to all of Keel's family and friends. We will all miss him terribly.
Keel as the Dutchman, 2015
And as ever, grateful thanks to Big Yellow Storage in Camberley for looking after our stuff.