The Ashburnham English Song Awards are held in the heart of East Sussex, where we are part of a thriving arts and music community. Take a look at all the exciting upcoming events near us, as well as further afield!
OCTOBER 2025
10th – 25th Oct 2025 – Oxford International Song Festival
The Oxford International Song festival kicks off next week on Friday 10th October with the programme ‘Stockholm to Vienna’. Throughout the month, catch renowned musicians, including Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling, German baritone Benjamin Appl and Sir John Tomlinson, perform across a range of recitals and talks with this year’s theme ‘ Stories in Song’. Tickets are available here!
11th Oct – 2nd Nov 2025 – ‘La Bohème’ at Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne kicks off its Autumn Season with Puccini’s timeless tragedy ‘La Bohème’. Directed by Floris Visser and conducted by Adam Hickox, audiences will be treated to a cinematic staging of the piece, with performances from Aida Pascu as Mimì and Andrés Agudelo as Rodolfo. Tickets are available here.
Wednesday 22nd October 2024 – ‘Inspire Community Concert’ at Opera Holland Park
Opera Holland Park Inspire is returning with a series of community concerts at various venues in the borough. Each concert (1 hour in length) is relaxed and dementia-friendly, encouraging the benefits of music and social engagements. This month’s concert will be held on Wednesday 22nd October at St Mary the Boltons, The Boltons, SW10 9TB from 2pm-3pm. Whilst the event is free, booking is encouraged, and sign up here to secure your place!
Friday 24th October 2025 – Brighton Italian Festival presents Italian Opera Night at Old Ship Hotel
Join conductor Simon Gray, as he presents Italian Opera Night as part of the Brighton Italian Festival. Performed in the Paganini room, in which Niccolò Paganini himself performed in 1831, this historic venue will host a full opera concert, featuring the works of Verdi, Puccini, Rossini and more for a night of rich Italian history and brilliant performances. Programmes will be sold in support of Martlets Hospice and NHS discounts are available for NHS workers. Get your tickets here.
Sunday 26th October 2025 – SingersResound presents ‘Honesty Clinic with Nicky Spence’
Join renowned tenor Nicky Spence on Sunday 26th October at 3-4:40pm, as he presents a Q and A with the charity SingersResound. Nicky will cover a range of topics, guided by participants’ questions. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from one of the most celebrated performers of our time, and gain valuable insight and advice about the industry, balancing personal/professional life, auditioning and much more. Hosted online, you can book your free place here!
SingersResound is an online mentoring programme for professional classical singers, providing a safe place to discuss issues with a trained mentor in total privacy over four free sessions. See more about their work here.
November 2025
1st-18th November 2025 – ENO presents ‘Dead Man Walking’
This November, ENO presents Jake Heggie’s latest opera, ‘Dead Man Walking’. Based on a true story, ‘Dead Man Walking’ follows Joseph De Rocher who faces the lethal injection after the murder of two teenage boys, and the religious and personal struggles of Sister Helen Prejean, as she attempts to provide spirutal guidance to both Joseph and the families he devastated. The most widely performed opera of the 21st Century, Michael Mayes and Christine Rice play Joseph and Sister Helen, respectively, and Dame Sarah Connolly makes a welcome return to ENO as Joseph’s mother. Get your tickets here.
Sunday 2nd November 2025 – ‘An Evening at the Opera’ hosted by Music Box Wealdon
Music Box Wealson presents ‘An Evening at the Opera’, hosted at Michelham Priory House & Gardens, on Sunday 2nd November at 5-7pm. Audiences will be treated to arias, duets and ensembles by world-famous composers, and performed by four professional opera singers, at the beautiful Elizabethan Barn at Michelham Priory! Tickets are available here.