Learn the music and lyrics of ‘I am the very model of a Modern Major General’ from The Pirates of Penzance and sing along with us in an event for all ages and abilities. 

This session will be conducted online and will be available to watch on YouTube at 4.15pm on Saturday 23 May. 

Click here to download the score 

Click here to download the words

Watch and take part: 

And don’t forget to share your videos of you singing along #OHPOpenDay!

This session is part of the Virtual Open Day on Saturday 23 May. Click here to see the full schedule of activities on offer. 

 

Richard Harker

Richard is musical director of The Hythe Singers, Hampton Choral Society, the Wallace Singers, APPS Singers and Teatime Opera, and is a music teacher and choir leader at the Oratory Preparatory School, Oxfordshire. For Opera Holland Park he was chorus master for La bohème (2016), Don Giovanni (2017), La traviata and Così fan tutte (2018), and Manon Lescaut and Un ballo in maschera (2019). Recent conducting engagements have included Terterian’s Fire Ring at the Grimeborn Festival, the Schumann-devised opera Unknowing and Menotti’s The Telephone. Richard graduated with an MA in Choral Conducting from the Royal Academy of Music, receiving the Thomas Armstrong Prize. He read music at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he was an organ scholar and received the Swinburne Prize.

 

John Savournin

Last seen at OHP as Sante Il segreto di Susanna (2019), John has also sung the roles of Immigration Officer Flight (2015), Colline La bohème (2016), Leporello Don Giovanni (2017) and Horn Un ballo in maschera (2019) for the company. He directed the original Inspire intergenerational production of The Pirates of Penzance, and sang the role of the Major General. Recent projects elsewhere have included Sarastro The Magic Flute, Angleotti Tosca, Armchair/Tree L’enfant et les sortilèges, Leporello Don Giovanni, Alidoro La Cenerentola, Peter Quince A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Schaunard La bohème (Opera North), Second Gunman Kiss Me, Kate (Opera North and WNO), Alidoro La Cenerentola (Scottish Opera) and Eight Songs for a Mad King.

 

Opera Holland Park Chorus

The Opera Holland Park Chorus has been praised for its dynamism, versatility and commitment on stage in the the press. In a typical summer season, they are involved in up to four productions across a ten week period. Former chorus members including David Butt Philip, Nicholas Lester, Paul Curievici, Fleur de Bray and Hannah Pedley have rejoined the company as principal artists as their careers have developed. The OHP Chorus made its Aldeburgh Festival debut in 2019, singing The Rake’s Progress. Its members are a vital part of the company family all year round, singing in many ad hoc events.