About the February 2008 production The Bohemian Girl
“Another triumph for Opera South”
“Certainly well worth reviving”
About the February 2007 production The Elixir of Love
“A delightful evening’s entertainment” (The Stage)
“Just excellent; an absolute delight in every way”
“The Elixir of Love a triumph for Opera South”
About the company’s contribution
“There is much to be said, especially for older patrons, for having opera on your doorstep. Yet for many significant outlying townships that lie beyond any company's special remit, to the east, west and north, and even in the centre of the country, opera is a hit-and-miss affair. Hardy regulars like Opera South, Kent Opera, Surrey Opera and New Sussex Opera help alleviate local deficiencies in the South.” — Music & Vision 15 April 2007
About previous productions
“Not only was every principal voice captivating, but the stage design, the costume and even more relevant perhaps the members of Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra (leader David Towse) under the baton of Tom Higgins, was of the highest quality.” — Words and Music (The Merry Wives of Windsor by Nicolai, 2006)
“The Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra provided sumptuous accompaniments, whilst the enlarged chorus sounded quite splendid.” — Petersfield Post ( Faust by Gounod 2005)
“A winner for Opera South ... Tom Higgins brought considerable operatic experience to bear ... he is a musician to watch” — Opera Magazine ( Si j'etais roi by Adam — 2004)
“It's a great pleasure when a small company has the guts to tackle a
work as unjustly neglected as Bellini's penultimate opera ... The secret
with these works is to give them as much commitment as you can muster and
this production featured three of the most intense performances you could
hope for ... ” —
The Times
First Night Review of
Beatrice di Tenda (2003) awarded
“It was a particular pleasure to attend a performance which was a treasure box of vocal delight ...Opera Omnibus (South) must be commended for their policy of producing such little known works.” — Words and Music (L'Amico Fritz by Mascagni, 2002)
“All praise then to the adventurous souls behind Opera Omnibus (South) ... This kind of one-off production is a crucial training ground for young operatic singers working their way up the career ladder ... ” — The Telegraph (The Haunted Manor by Moniuszko, 2001)
“In fact one was left feeling that Opera Omnibus (South) had got right into the bones of this opera, and revealed it as the masterpiece it is. No mean feat and a matter for congratulation.” — Music & Vision 26 April 2001 (The Haunted Manor, 2001)
“Blowing the cobwebs off Weber's one-act musical drama, Opera Omnibus
(South) has proved that rediscovering lesser known classics can be well
worth the effort ...an astute contemporary adaption.” —
The Scotsman
(Abu Hassan by Weber, 2000) awarded
“A night of magic.... The production by Opera Omnibus (South) was tight-knit, never losing its verve... Haslemere Hall was packed to capacity.” — The Haslemere Herald (La Cenerentola by Rossini, 1999)