The 2002 Classical Extravaganza went off as a big success. The weather was perfect in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey in the town. If you dont know what the event is then you can read an account of the affair. It is not yet known if there will be a Classical Extravaganza in 2003, but all the signs are good. Read the review of 2002
Internationally Renowned Musicians Come to the South West
As always, the Glastonbury Abbey Classical Extravaganza welcomes top international musicians and soloists to Somerset. This year, on 17th August, Michael Eavis has invited celebrated tenor Justin Lavender and soprano Helen Williams to join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Arnold, the acclaimed composer, conductor and music producer. British tenor Justin Lavender, who lives locally in Mere, made his debut at the Sydney Opera House as NADIR in The Pearl Fishers. He first developed a reputation as a performer of Mozart and the bel canto repertoire. A successful international career has led to debuts at La Scala as Le Comte Ory, the Wiener Staatsoper as TAMINO and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as ARNOLD in Guillaume Tell. He has given world premieres of Arrigo's Il ritorno di Casanova in Geneva and Paris, Prodomides's La Noche Triste in Nancy and Paris and Dallapiccola's Ulisse at the Salzburg Festival. He is closely associated with Schnittke's Faust Cantata.
	Justin Lavender is equally well known on the concert platform with a repertoire ranging from the oratorios of Bach to Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, under conductors such as Solti, Haitink, Giulini, Runnicles, Hickox, Dutoit, Sinopoli, Elder and Abbado. He has released a series of solo recital CD recordings devoted to the music of Rossini and Donizetti, Britten and most recently Mozart. Engagements in this and forthcoming seasons include BELMONTE at La Monnaie, FAUST/La Damnation de Faust for the Finnish National Opera, the Stadttheater Giessen, the Stadttheater Erfurt and the Opera de Bordeaux, his debut as DUCA DI MANTOVA/Rigoletto at both Florida Grand Opera and the Opera de Lausanne, GRAF HUGO (Faust) at the Cologne Opera, DES GRIEUX/Manon for Opera New Zealand, PINKERTON with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, MAURIZIO (Adriana Lecouvreur) for Opera Holland Park and FERRANDO (Cosi fan tutte) at the Teatro La Fenice.
	Helen Williams was born in Merseyside. After beginning her career as a clarinettist, she studied singing at the Royal Northern College of Music. During the late 1980s she sang regularly at Glyndebourne, making her Festival debut in 1988, to great acclaim. She subsequently sang in Glyndebourne Festival Opera's tour to Romeas well as performing with Opera Factory, at the Buxton Festival and at St Endellion Festival performances. Since then she has worked regularly with English National Opera, making her house debut in 1996 in Monteverdi's Orfeo. More recently she has been seen as Dalinda Ariodante, Amor Orpheus and Eurydice for ENO, Naiad Ariadne auf Naxos for Scottish Opera, Yvette La Rondine with The Royal Opera and in the world premiere of Hey Persephone! at Aldeburgh and the Almeida Festival. Helen Williams' concert career has included a wide variety of repertoire. Recent performances have seen her performing at St John's Smith Square, Brighton Festival and with Paul Daniel at the City of London Festival (Mendelssohn Midsummer Night's Dream).
She has sung regularly in Canterbury Cathedral, including such works as Christmas Oratorio, St John Passion and Britten's Spring Symphony. Last season's appearances included First Flowermaiden Parsifal with Scottish Opera, Polissena Radamisto at Opera North and further performances of Rodelinda for Opera Theatre Company and in New York - in addition to her countless concert performances. This season's and future plans include Frasquita at Royal Albert Hall, a new recording of Carlo di Bogogna for Opera Rara, Eurydice Orpheus and Eurydice at ENO, Micaela Carmen for Glyndebourne Touring Opera and 2nd Niece Peter Grimes with Netherlands Opera. David Arnold, the conductor, was educated at The Royal College of Music, where he was awarded a foundation scholarship. On graduation, he accepted a principal position with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently was appointed music professor at the Guildhall School of Music. David has conducted the Royal Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, RTE, National Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert and London Concert Orchestras. Every year David conducts the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in the BBC's "Children in Need" seven hour live TV appeal, this year raising £20 million for charity. He has worked with an amazing range of artists ranging from Evelyn Glennie, Julian Lloyd-Webber and Larry Adler to Tina Turner, Randy Newman and Jane McDonald. Internationally, David records in the USA for a month each year, and has conducted in such varied places as Japan, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Estonia, Monaco, Greece, Czechoslovakia and Turkey. As a composer, he has a large number of television credits and has twice been nominated as the UK entry for the prestigious Prix Italia Award. Now, on Saturday, Helen and Justin team up with David Arnold and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the inspiring setting of Glastonbury Abbey where their wonderful voices will be complemented by a lavish production. Justin Lavender will sing, amongst others, Nessun Dorma from Turandot and the Flower Song from Carmen before combining with Helen Williams in the Butterfly Duet from Madame Butterfly and the Flower Duet from Carmen. Helen will also perform Song to the Moon (Dvorak), Je Dis Que Rien (Bizet) and One Fine Day (Puccini). The musicians from the RPO always enjoy working with the top professional team Michael Eavis organises. The amazing synchronised firework display and water sculptures, and the stirring Pendyrus Male Voice Choir will make this the classical music event of the year in the South West.