Opera highlights are not to be missed

Scottish Opera is bringing a brand new show to Paisley.

The company’s popular Opera Highlights is coming to the town’s Wynd Centre on Saturday, March 16.

Sara Brodie will direct a programme of works by composers from across the centuries, from Handel and Gluck, to Mozart, Verdi, Britten and Bernstein, chosen by Scottish Opera’s head of music Derek Clark.

Scottish Opera Emerging Artist 2018/19, soprano Lucy Anderson, who sang the role of Countess Ceprano in the Company’s 2018 revival of Rigoletto, mezzosoprano Heather Ireson, tenor Tom Smith and baritone Harry Thatcher will join music director/ pianist Elizabeth Rowe to bring to life some of opera’s best-known arias, alongside hidden gems and forgotten favourites.

Sara said: “Opera Highlights 2019 offers a dazzling array of operatic hits from Wagner to Gilbert and Sullivan.

“We promise an evening of frivolities, folly and flirtation as our singers take you to the depths of the underworld, Paris at dawn, a Viennese masked ball and a tryst by the Thames.

Four travellers journey the seas of love and back again in scenes of picaresque torment and delight, to warm your hearts on a chilly night.”

Scottish Opera general director Alex Reedijk said following the tremendous success of their 17date Autumn Opera Highlights tour, the company is looking forward to visiting 18 smaller and rural venues in the spring.

“This new, pint-sized production is a celebration of opera and the accomplished creative team will no doubt bring out the best in this talented cast, as they journey around Scotland from Barra to Boat of Garten,” he added.

This tour is supported by The Friends of Scottish Opera, the JTH Charitable Trust and the Scottish Opera Endowment Trust.

The Saturday, March 16, show is at 7.30pm. Visit www. scottishopera.org.uk for details. Families will be hit in the pocket as the cost of dying in East Renfrewshire is set to soar.

Local authority chiefs have given the green light to plans that will see burial fees hiked by 10 per cent from next year.

Those seeking a funeral in one of the council’s cemeteries will now have to pay hundreds of pounds more for their loved ones’ bodies to be held, cremated or buried.

But SNP and Labour councillors have claimed those services are still “wellpriced”.

Labour’s Alan Lafferty said: “Historically, in East Renfrewshire our charges are considerably lower than neighbouring authorities.

“It would appear that the deceased are another group who are taking advantage of our excellent, well-priced services.”

The council will raise the cost of holding bodies on weekdays from £ 816 to £ 897.60 for residents and from £1,848 to £2,032.80 for non-residents.

On weekends and public holidays, residents will see prices rise from £ 1,416 to £1,557.60, while those from outside East Renfrewshire will be charged £2,461.80 – up from £2,238.

The weekend and public holiday costs are the same for Hebrew cemeteries, but on weekdays the prices will go from £756 to £831.60 for residents and from £1,668 to £1,834.80 for non-residents.

E a s t R e n f re w s h i re residents will pay £ 270.60 for cremations on weekdays and £ 567.60 on weekends and public holidays - up from £246 and £516 respectively.

Non- residents will see cremation costs go from £546 to £600.60 on weekdays and from £ 876 to £ 963.60 on weekends and public holidays.

Residents seeking a new lair for a coffin will pay £ 1003.20 – up from £ 912 - while non residents will see the cost rise from £2,094 to £2,303.40.

Those who purchase lairs in advance will pay now pay £1,553.20 instead of £1,412.

Council leader Tony Buchanan said: “There’s a significant increase in our charges for burials, but I think the fact that we still deliver an excellent service as reasonably as we can has to be noted.”

There will be no charge for the burial of children under 16 for residents of East Renfrewshire, while nonresidents will get a 50 per cent discount on weekdays.