A song in his heart

IN tribute to the late Bamber Gascoigne, his widow Christina is leading an appeal to raise £1.5 million for improvements to his beloved Grange Park Opera.

In 2017, Gascoigne was thrilled to allow the company to build a new opera house in the woods at his Surrey estate, 14th-century West Horsley Place, which swiftly became Grange Park Opera’s new home. It is hoped that funds raised by the Bamber Gascoigne Appeal, led by Mrs Gascoigne and other patrons, including Joanna Lumley and opera stars Bryn Terfel and Wynne Evans, would allow for a third storey of dressing rooms to be built, solar panels, a heating/cooling system to make the opera house usable for more of the year, perhaps by visiting companies or as a recording studio, and the introduction of Bamber’s £15 Parish Tickets for those who live locally. His Richmond neighbour, sculptor Raphael Maklouf—best known for the image of The Queen that appeared on British coins between 1985 and 1997—will create a life-size bronze of Gascoigne, sitting on a bench outside the opera house.

‘Bamber and I had a fantastic 62 years together full of friends and adventures,’ says Mrs Gascoigne. ‘It was 50 years ago that he hosted University Challenge and that is what everyone remembers. But it is his opera house that was so precious to him these past five years and he would be delighted that thousands of visitors are sharing the beauty of the place and the opera.’

An anonymous donor has already promised to match all donations up to £350,000. To donate, visit www.gpopera.co.uk/bamber