About

We are delighted to welcome back the wonderful soprano Kirsty Taylor Stokes and our very own Erica Peplowski supported by the Strawberry Hill House Community Choir to present an entertaining evening of Christmas music and poetry. Solos and duets will include O Holy Night, The Christmas Song, and In the Bleak Midwinter by Harold Darke. The programme will also feature extracts from Handel’s Messiah, traditional carols for all to join in, and songs on the lighter side, including Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

British soprano, Kirsty Taylor-Stokes made her Professional debut in the 2012 Season as The Cockerel in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen for Glyndebourne Opera, and has been described by Opera Now as “a really classy full-bodied voice.. who sings with spine-tinglingly delicate beauty”

Kirsty studied at Birmingham Conservatoire (BMus hons) and then at The Royal Academy of Music (MMus, Dip Ram). Following her debut, she went on to sing several other roles and covers for Glyndebourne Festival including First Nymph in Dvořák‘s Rusalka, Female Chorus in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia, and Mimi for Glyndebourne’s Education programme. Other appearances include covering Mimi for Grange Park Opera, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin for Garsington Opera, singing Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro for Garsington’s Alvarez programme in the UK and Corfu, Vrenchen in Delius’ A Village Romeo & Juliette at Cadogan Hall and Cio Cio San in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly across France and the UK for Opera Loki.

Most recently Kirsty made two exciting role debut’s singing Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Minack Theatre, and Tosca for Opera Loki to great critical acclaim. A regular performer of Leider, her interpretations of Strauss, notably his Vier Letzte Lieder and Rachmaninov’s Songs are particular specialities.