Rogue Opera: making the everyday more operatic

Opera has traditionally been associated with grand theatres, formal dress and expensive tickets. What if it belonged in pub gardens, schools and community spaces too? 

Mezzo-soprano, director and writer Bronwen Harding told us how her company Rogue Opera brings extraordinary music and stories to unexpected places, breaking down barriers and opening up opera to new audiences.

We discovered how singing can bring people together, challenge expectations and help us find our voices. Together we also sang an adapted chorus from Madame Butterfly! 

Our singalongs

As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They all took inspiration from classical pieces:

• All By Myself – Eric Carmen (1975); covered by Celine Dion (1996)
• Memories – Maroon 5 (2019); inspired by Canon in D, Johann Pachelbel (c.1690)
• A Groovy Kind of Love – Diane & Annita (1965); as covered by Phil Collins (1988); inspired by Piano Sonatina Op.36 No.5, Muzio Clementi (1797)
• Never Forget – Take That (1995); samples from Messa da Requiem, Giuseppe Verdi (1874)

The lyrics were projected on screen and everyone was welcome to sing (and dance) along.

About Sunday Assembly London

Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.

Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.

A change to our assembly schedule from 2027

From January 2027, Sunday Assembly London’s assemblies will be once a month. To find out why, how everyone benefits and how our community can keep supporting us, read our announcement here.

→ Our next assembly: Alien on Stage, 15th November
← Our previous assembly: Ghosts and dragons, 18th October