Puccini opera at Shrewsbury Abbey to raise funds in memory of Cleo

International opera singers will come together at Shrewsbury Abbey for a special concert raising money in memory of a young local violinist who died from a brain tumour.

Newly formed Verismo Opera will stage a concert performance of Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West at 7.30pm on Sunday (September 20), in aid of Team Cleo Fund.

The Wild West-themed opera will be accompanied by a professional pit orchestra, conducted by Welsh conductor Bedwyn Lloyd Phillips.

Team Cleo Fund was founded by 10-year-old Cleo Postlethwaite and her mum Jane Park after Cleo was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2018. The fund raises money for The Brain Tumour Charity.

Cleo died from glioblastoma in 2019, but the fundraising campaign she started has continued in her name, raising thousands of pounds.

Cleo would have celebrated her 18th birthday in June this year and her mum hopes the concert will help Team Cleo reach its £100,000 fundraising target.

Jane said: “It would feel like a powerful tribute to Cleo, to her sunshine, to her kind, generous nature, her love of music and the joy she brought to everyone around her.”

Jane and Cleo’s dad, Alex Postlethwaite, are both professional string players and will perform in the pit orchestra, SY1 Ensemble, for the concert.

The cast includes Ukrainian soprano Khrystyna Makar as Minnie, Liverpool-based Lewis Quinn as Dick Johnson and American bass-baritone Brad Noffinger-Morrison as sheriff Jack Rance.

All the singers and musicians have donated their time and skills to the performance, with some travelling from as far afield as the USA and Norway at their own expense.

Lewis Quinn, who is also behind the newly formed Verismo Opera, said the aim was to raise money for Team Cleo while bringing less frequently performed operas to audiences.

He said: “The music of this opera is as Puccini as Puccini can be. There is nothing in it that makes it second class to Tosca or Madame Butterfly.”

Mr Quinn added that the production had been made possible by people donating their time and resources, with Shrewsbury Abbey providing rehearsal space and time.

Conductor Bedwyn Lloyd Phillips said he felt privileged to bring the performance to Shrewsbury while raising money for the charity.

La Fanciulla del West also has a special significance for Cleo’s family. Jane said she and Alex had a fond association with the opera, particularly a scene in which Minnie recalls a tender interaction with her parents.

“During Cleo’s treatment, when we adapted our home to accommodate her hospital bed, she used to gently chide us for making too much noise, laughing and having fun,” she said.

“That mixture of warmth and tenderness is reflected beautifully in Puccini’s gorgeous score.”

The performance takes place at Shrewsbury Abbey on Sunday, September 20, at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available via: tinyurl.com/TeamCleoOpera