Savoy Hotel & Opera Workshop rekindle opera magic with lunchtime concerts

The Savoy Hotel and Opera Workshop bring two lunchtime concerts scheduled for Thursday 22nd February and Thursday 21st March 2024 to the site of the old Savoy Theatre. Photos:  Shane Vaughan and Laura O’Laughlin

The Savoy Hotel and Opera Workshop rekindle some opera magic on the site of the old Savoy Theatre with delicious lunchtime specials rich in operatic flavour with two concerts announced for February 22 and March 21

The Savoy Hotel and Opera Workshop are delighted to announce a new lunchtime initiative in Limerick this Spring,  Opera Delights at the Savoy.  Two lunchtime concerts promise to nourish audiences in body and soul with hearty fare,  delicious arias and sweet songs.

Thursday lunchtimes on 22nd February and 21st March are the dates when Opera Workshop will entertain audiences in the Savoy, with a light lunch included.

The Savoy and opera seem a natural fit considering the array of performances staged on the site now occupied by this stylish, go-to venue and popular Limerick hotel.  Since 1935 the Savoy as a cinema and theatre hosted a range of classical music events from screenings of concerts by the Berlin Philharmonic to tours by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Co.  Visiting and home-based companies staged musicals, operetta, grand opera and many musical galas were all enjoyed here at various times in the 50-year history of the Savoy.    

Ronan Brannigan, Managing Director of the Savoy is delighted to welcome opera back to the Savoy. ‘The Savoy has always been a popular spot to catch up over lunch or dinner.  The lunchtime theatre events were hugely popular here.   We’re delighted to add that theatrical twist to the Limerick lunch break once again and hope that Opera Workshop’s concerts will be the first of many entertaining lunchtimes at the Savoy again.’

Opera Workshop is Limerick’s only opera production company and a bright beacon for contemporary opera in the Mid West.  In advance of their forthcoming world premiere of The Ballybruff Trilogy by Luke Byrne at The Belltable Theatre in May 2024,  the company is excited to serve up some appetisers with familiar arias and well-known duets from some of the world’s best-loved operas, including those of Mozart, Bizet and Puccini.  

‘Opera provides a real unexpected thrill for audiences’, says Opera Workshop Artistic Director, Shirley Keane.  ‘Whether classic opera or edgy new work, we at Opera Workshop love to share that thrill.  A short lunchtime concert is the ideal way to revisit old favourites if you are an opera fan or to sample a little taster, if it is something you’ve often wanted to try but been a little wary. Plus, there is the added bonus of such a gorgeous venue.’

Opera Workshop’s singers and pianists, include Limerick soprano Roisin Walsh and baritone Owen Gilhooly Miles and from Co Clare mezzo-soprano Leanne Fitzgerald and tenor Dean Power.  We are delighted too, to welcome Dublin-based pianist, Aoife Moran, and Eoin Scanlon, also from Limerick.

Two concerts are scheduled for Thursday 22nd February and Thursday 21st March 2024.

Audiences can expect to enjoy lunch in the Savoy Bar from 12.45pm, with the concerts taking place in The Library from 1.15pm, wrapping up by 2pm.  Tickets are €25 and include lunch of soup, sandwiches, tea and coffee.

Tickets can be booked in advance on Ticket Tailor.
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