The Grenfell Tower fire, which broke out on 14 June last year and took the lives of 71 people, is one of the worst public tragedies of recent times. For Kensington-based Opera Holland Park, which has strong links to its local community, it was particularly tragic as one of its front-of-house staff members, Debbie Lamprell, died in the fire.
On 13 June this year, OHP will mark one year since the fire with the Hope for Grenfell Memorial Gala, in memory of Debbie Lamprell and all the victims. The gala will raise funds for the Rugby Portobello Trust (RPT), enabling more than 100 children and young people from North Kensington to attend residentials: week-long trips, often to the coast and countryside, which allow them to try new activities and escape the pressures of everyday life.
Often these residentials are the first time that these young people will have left their immediate surroundings. They aim to boost the confidence of young people by introducing them to new skills, as well as fostering a safe environment in which to address any emotional issues. MT spoke to OHP's general director, Michael Volpe, about plans for the gala.
Opera Holland Park has collaborated very closely with Rugby Portobello Trust in the past, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds. Why is the relationship with RPT important to you and OHP?
It is a charity that's absolutely rooted in this community, and our work with them in the past has been about raising money for the invaluable work they do with young people in particular. Since Grenfell, they have become even more crucial as a hub for support, advice and healing. A few of our patrons were supporters of RPT and brought the idea of a fundraising gala to us, and it went from there – we have done several over the years.
What work has OHP done in the past to raise money for RPT?
A number of gala performances raising several hundred thousand in total. Last year OHP gave a performance of Verdi's Requiem to commemorate the victims of the Grenfell disaster, which raised £41,000.
What sort of responsibility do you feel to your local community, particularly following what you have described as ‘one of the worst public tragedies in a generation’?
We have always tried to present what we do as an accessible, cultural asset of the local area, particularly by offering free tickets and taking opera into the community. As people who believe in the importance of art when it comes to community cohesion, enrichment and educational development we are dedicated to our role in the borough. I grew up here too. Since Grenfell, we have also seen how creative output can bring people together, offer support, raise funds and give comfort. We will be laying a stone for Debbie Lamprell on the theatre site. Debbie was utterly committed to OHP and dedicated herself to it. She was just a wonderful, family-oriented person who always tried to do the right thing for people. There were no airs or graces about her, and the patrons, as well as the staff, singers, orchestra – the whole company – were enormously fond of her. The gala will be very much focused on hope and bringing the fractured community together in remembrance.
Could you please tell us more about the stone that will be laid on the site for Debbie?
There is an ornamental flower bed to the west of the auditorium where Debbie used to sit and listen to the operas every night. This is being refurbished as part of the council's re-landscaping and large ornamental granite curbs are being set around the bed. We will inscribe one of these stones in memory of Debbie, in the spot where she used to love sitting.
OHP director of opera, James Clutton, on the programme for the Hope for Grenfell Memorial Gala on 13 June
The Hope for Grenfell Memorial Gala, in memory of Debbie Lamprell and all the victims, will feature scenes from OHP's productions of La traviata and Così fan tutte performed by the full companies of those productions. There will also be performances of classic arias by guests from across the operatic world including Cheryl Barker, Anne Sophie Duprels, Natalya Romaniw, David Butt Philip, Nicky Spence, Sarah Tynan, Lauren Fagan and Peter Coleman-Wright. OHP conductors Matthew Waldren and Dane Lam will share the conducting duties, with our resident orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, in the pit and the OHP chorus on stage. We will also celebrate and showcase our brilliant local community in a choir we have put together especially for this concert, featuring many local school children, choirs and residents. It will be led by Gareth Malone and will perform an original choral composition by Will Todd, commissioned for the occasion.
