A Beautiful Grade 1 Listed Hall with Extensive Gardens. By Kind Permission of Simon Haslam and Kate Alcock
Thursday 11 June 2026
£50pp
Join us for a recital of baroque opera arias by two of the soloists in Amadigi di Gaula, followed by a lunch in the beautiful gardens.
12.30pm – Guests to arrive. Prosecco will be served in the gardens and Simon Haslam, owner, will give a brief history of this historic house, which Handel probably visited in the period that he wrote the Messiah …
1pm – Recital by Hilary Cronin & Rowan Pierce (who will both sing in Amadigi di Gaula, the Handel opera that will be staged during the Festival)
2pm – A summer lunch will be served
3.15pm – A tour of the garden with Simon.
There is parking available on the premises. There are spaces near the house for disabled guests. For directions, please click here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/g6pRkZGrshH1iX3b8
HILARY CRONIN, SOPRANO
Hilary Cronin rose to prominence after winning First Prize and the Audience Prize at the 2021 London Handel International Singing Competition. Named a “Rising Star” by BBC Music Magazine, she made her BBC Proms debut in 2025 in Handel’s Alexander’s Feast. This season includes the title role in Cesti’s L’Orontea at MusikTheater an der Wien and Iole in Hercules on tour with The English Concert, including Carnegie Hall. She returns to Buxton International Festival as Melissa in Amadigi di Gaula.
ROWAN PIERCE, SOPRANO
Rowan Pierce, a Samling Artist and former OAE Rising Star and ENO Harewood Artist, performs regularly with ensembles including AAM, Dunedin Consort, OAE and the CBSO, and at venues such as Wigmore Hall. Recent roles include Oberto (Alcina, Glyndebourne), Papagena (ROH) and Barbarina (Grange Festival, ENO and Nevill Holt). Her recordings include Purcell songs and Vaughan Williams’ Ninth Symphony with the RLPO. She sings Oriana in Amadigi di Gaula at Buxton International Festival in July.