Simon Callow in Nicholas Nickleby

Join Simon Callow, Cantabile, Nicholas Cleobury, the London Mozart Players, Jonathan Dove, Jane Glover, Graham Vick, Birmingham Opera Company, Adam Pollock and Peter Wilson as they celebrate the life and music of their friend Stephen Oliver, who would have been 60 this year.

This specially devised programme includes excerpts from the RSC's production of Nicholas Nickleby (for which Oliver composed the original music) performed by Simon Callow, the London Mozart Players conducted by Nicholas Cleobury, and Cantabile.

The evening  also  features songs from the Tim Rice musical Blondel, settings of Shakespearian lyrics, and Stephen's mini-opera A Man of Feeling and will culminate in the entire audience and the Festival Choir, led by Simon Callow and Nicholas Cleobury, singing the rousing Patriotic Song from Nicholas Nickleby.

Stephen Oliver was one of the foremost British composers of opera and music theatre of his generation. His extraordinary talent ensured that he was able to live as a full-time composer, creating a vast catalogue of works, including incidental music for over fifteen productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the West End musical Blondel (1983), to a libretto by Sir Tim Rice, and well over forty operas. His television music includes scores for the BBC Shakespeare series produced by Jonathan Miller, the thirteen-part Camera series for Granada TV and a four-part drama series for the BBC. Oliver's brilliant composing career culminated in the world première of Timon of Athens by English National Opera in 1991.