HELD IN THE TIDE
A new opera created by and for Jersey
Thursday 26 and Friday 27 March 2026, 7.30pm
Tickets: £20 via the Jersey Opera House website
Raise Your Voice, Jersey! exists to create space for 18-30 year olds to create ambitious, professional-scale work rooted in this Island but reaching outward to tell their story. It has been about authorship; not just to perform, but to question, to challenge, to shape. This project has grown into the production, Held in the Tide, through collaboration across generations and disciplines.
Held in the Tide is a powerful new contemporary opera conceived by Georgia Mae Bishop and developed in collaboration with young creatives and community voices. Created with and for the people of Jersey, this hour-long production premieres at the newly reopened Jersey Opera House, offering a fresh, welcoming way into opera, whether you’re a seasoned theatre-goer or completely new to the artform.
Blending classical, folk, and musical theatre influences, the score draws inspiration from the Island’s tides, rhythms, and multilingual soundscape, creating a rich theatrical experience. The story unfolds on a windswept shoreline after a storm reveals three long-buried stones. Their reappearance sparks a meeting between Lillie, a geologist returning home after years away, and Frances, an artist deeply rooted in Jersey. As the past rises to the surface, the show gently explores ideas of memory, belonging, progress and how we care for what we inherit while making space for change.
Performed in everyday language and filled with warmth, humour, and emotional depth, Held in the Tide places Jersey’s voices at its heart. Jersey-born professional performers are joined by a community chorus. The result is a landmark cultural moment: a new opera shaped collaboratively, placing Island voices at the centre, and shared on stage with generosity, humanity, and imagination.
Commissioned and produced by ArtHouse Jersey. Developed and presented in partnership with Jersey Opera House. Part of ArtHouse Jersey’s New Work Programme sponsored by Coutts Crown Dependencies.
Principal Cast & Musicians
We are immensely proud that Held in the Tide features seven accomplished professional artists from Jersey, supported by a dedicated community chorus. Every performer and musician you see on stage is either from the Island or resident here. This production celebrates the depth of talent within our community: artists who have trained and worked nationally and internationally, and who continue to invest their skill, experience, and artistry back into Jersey’s cultural life in collaboration with Islanders who are passionate about being part of something new.
ANNIE LAW, Frances
Annie Law (she/her) trained in acting at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. She grew up in Jersey and remains a vibrant presence on the Island’s live music circuit, performing regularly at local venues and events. Her stage work combines comic timing with heartfelt musicality, bringing warmth and wit to every role. Alongside her performing career, Annie is a mother of two young sons and an avid runner - completing the Jersey Marathon in 2024. She is delighted to be part of this production, thanks you for supporting live theatre, and hopes you enjoy the show. For these performances, Annie performs the role of Frances.
GABRIELLA CASSIDY, Louisa
Gabriella Cassidy is from Jersey and attended Le Squez and Granville School. She began singing at the age of nine with local teacher Imogen Nicholls before training at Chetham’s School of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the Wales International Academy of Voice. Gabriella made her English National Opera debut as Gilda in Rigoletto, returning to perform Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld, Miss Schlesen in Satyagraha and Violetta in La Traviata. She has also performed with Opera North and appears regularly with Diva Opera, including at the Domaine des Vaux Opera Festival in Jersey. Notable roles with Diva Opera include Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte. For these performances, Gabriella performs the role of Louisa.
PAT WOODSFORD, Violin
Pat Woodsford is a Jersey-born violinist who studied for her BA (Hons) degree in music at Dartington College of Arts. She was a founder member of the Dartington Festival Orchestra, performing for over 40 years with international conductors and at the Dartington International Summer School of Music. After qualifying as a teacher, Pat taught for the Jersey Music Service for 33 years. She continues to support young musicians through the Jersey Youth Symphony Orchestra and private violin tuition, while performing regularly as a soloist and with local ensembles including the Jersey Chamber Choir Orchestra and the Jersey Symphony Orchestra. For these performances, Pat plays violin
DAVID DAVIES, Cello
David Davies read music at the University of Durham, studying under Gabriel Waite of the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Jim Bickel, before training as a luthier at the Newark School of Violin Making. He has taught and performed across the UK in a wide range of ensembles and settings and now resides in Jersey. Since moving to the Island, David works as a teacher and freelance chamber musician, including with the Eclectic String Quartet. He is a regular presence in Jersey’s music scene, performing with the Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Jersey Chamber Orchestra, and Jersey Camerata, of which he is Co-Founder and Joint President. For these performances, David plays cello.
GEORGIA MAE BISHOP, Creative Director, Librettist & Lillie
Georgia Mae Bishop is a Jersey-born mezzo-soprano from St. Lawrence. She graduated with distinction from the Opera School at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and has since performed with English National Opera, Opera North, Garsington Opera, Birmingham Opera Company, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Her operatic roles include the title role in Carmen, Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera, Flosshilde and Erda in Das Rheingold, and Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance. Passionate about storytelling and widening access to opera, she has recently expanded her creative practice into writing. Georgia is Creative Director of ArtHouse Jersey’s Held in the Tide, and will take her operatic cabaret show, Witches, Britches & B*tches, to the Brighton Fringe this May. For these performances, Georgia performs the role of Lillie.
GRACE GARNIER, Chorus Director & Piano
Born and raised in Jersey, Grace began playing the piano aged six. At thirteen, she gained a place at the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. During her studies, Grace was lucky enough to perform at national venues such as The Royal Northern College of Music, The Bridgewater Hall, The Royal Festival Hall and, most memorably, The Royal Albert Hall as part of the 2011 BBC Proms. Now based in Jersey, Grace is an active and valued member of the Island’s musical community. She works widely as an accompanist, choral conductor, and piano tutor. For these performances, Grace plays piano.
JENNAH SMART, Flute & Saxophone
Jennah Smart is a Jersey-based woodwind player specialising in flute and saxophone. She performs regularly across orchestral, chamber and contemporary settings, bringing versatility and expressive clarity to her playing. Alongside performing, Jennah is committed to music education and supporting young musicians locally. For these performances, Jennah plays flute and saxophone.
Held in the Tide Creative Team
A spirit of collaboration, rigour, and creative generosity has driven the team behind Held in the Tide from first idea to final rehearsal. Between them, they hold decades of experience working at the highest level of international opera and live performance.
ASHLEY BEAUCHAMP, Musical Director
British conductor and pianist Ashley Beauchamp studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has worked on over 30 productions for companies including the Royal Ballet and Opera, Glyndebourne, Garsington, Nevill Holt, Music Theatre Wales, and Blackheath Halls. He is Head of Music and Co-Director of the Young Artist Programme at Waterperry Opera Festival, Music Director of Glyndebourne Youth Opera, and former Music Director of the Thames Opera Company. Ashley is also a guest coach at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Hugely passionate about music education and participation, Ashley regularly runs workshops and projects across the UK, introducing thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds to opera every year.
CHARLOTTE MARLOW, Composer
Charlotte Marlow (she/they) is a composer, artist, and theatre-maker originally from the North East of England, now residing in the sleepy town of Todmorden, Yorkshire. Their work spans folk music, contemporary classical music, and performance art, often rooted in collaborative practice and storytelling. Charlotte has been commissioned by organisations including English Touring Opera, PRS Foundation, Sound and Music, Britten Pears Arts, the European Network of Opera Academies, York Late Music, and Making Music. A BOOM Fellow with Oxford Contemporary Music (2020-21), their work has been performed internationally by ensembles and festivals including Streetwise Opera, Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival, KINETIC Manchester, and most recently as part of The Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and Lucilin Ensemble’s 2024/25 opera season. Charlotte’s creative practice explores art as activism and challenges gender narratives on stage.
CECILIA STINTON, Stage Director
Cecilia Stinton has recently directed La traviata revival (Royal Opera House); Don Giovanni (Da Ponte Festival, Italy); L'incoronazione di Poppea (Opernfest Berlin); Lucia di Lammermoor (Opera Holland Park); and Così fan tutte (Opera North). She works regularly as a staff director at the Royal Opera House and English National Opera. Cecilia's passion for community-based opera was ignited at Garsington Opera where she assisted on Dalia (2022) and A Trip to the Moon (2024) in collaboration with their Adult and Youth Companies. Future plans include directing Die Zauberflöte (Opernfest Berlin) and assisting on a new production of Manon Lescaut (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris).
ROBYN CABARET, Producer
Robyn Cabaret is a Jersey-born performing arts producer and curator, specialising in dance and interdisciplinary live performance across theatre, visual art, and site-responsive contexts. Her producing practice centres collaboration and process, creating conditions in which artists can develop ambitious, meaningful work rooted in care, enquiry, and exchange. She is committed to sustainable creative practice, supporting work that is rigorous, thoughtful, and shaped through connection. Prior to returning to Jersey, Robyn was Senior Producer at Sadler’s Wells in London, where she led artist-driven projects that advanced choreographic practice on stage and beyond and developed the organisation's inaugural Artist Development Programme. Originally trained as a dancer, she has worked with organisations including Siobhan Davies Dance and Dance Art Foundation, as well as with independent artists across the UK.
