I am saddened to report that all performances of Pygmalion’s Maria Vespers (Monteverdi) which were due to take place this month have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

I travelled to Paris on Tuesday last week to begin rehearsing the piece, which we were set to perform in a staged production in Park Avenue Amory in New York at the end of March. The first day of rehearsals went well, but on the morning of the second day’s rehearsals we received the news that Donald Trump had banned all flights from Europe to the USA for the next 30 days. We were due to travel on Sunday from Paris to New York but instead received confirmation that the project must be cancelled and so I travelled immediately back to the UK to avoid becoming stuck in Paris, not knowing if any travel restrictions might be imposed on France or the UK.

My thoughts go out to all friends and colleagues who find themselves in a similar position; it seems we are all to be affected by the spread of the virus. Stay safe and well, everyone!