FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Frances Chamberlain (860) 868-7377 ext. 221

September 25, 1998

Washington, CT. … The Glenholme School will host "A Victorian Evening of Romance, Poetry and Song," a celebration of their 30th anniversary, on Saturday, November 14 at 8:00 p.m.

Mezzo-soprano Leslie Middlebrook and tenor Benjamin Brecher will present selections from period operas, operettas and parlor songs with the accompaniment of Gary Norden, pianist. Lee Moore will recite Victorian poetry and narrate the program. "A Victorian Evening" will take place in the elegant Music Room of Glenholme, a grand structure of the Van Sinderen estate. The stucco building, with courtyard and formal gardens, features exquisitely detailed woodwork and paneling and is the perfect setting for an evening of Victorian parlor music.

Guests will enjoy operetta selections by Victor Herbert, Franz Lehar, Gilbert and Sullivan, and the music of Jules Offenbach, Rossini, Giuseppi Verdi and Mozart. Leslie Middlebrook made a European opera debut in Bremen, Germany in 1995-96, and in the United States has performed with The San Francisco Opera, Des Moines Metro opera, Berkshire Opera, and The Colorado Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. She performs frequently in New York, both in opera productions and concert engagements.

Tenor Benjamin Brecher is a graduate of The Julliard Opera Center and has performed with numerous opera companies including New York City National Company, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Toledo Opera, and the Santa Fe Opera. He will make his debut at the New York City Opera as tenor soloist in Weill's Seven Deadly Sins, and debut at Avery Fisher Hall with the National Chorale in Bach's Mass in B-Minor, plus a European debut in Switzerland.

Lee Moore, a veteran of stage, television and film, recently completed two films, Ghost Houses and The Visit. He starred for seven years on Guiding Light, CBS. In late September he begins a three-part mini-series for the Republic of China.

The program will be followed by champagne and desserts prepared by chefs from noted area restaurants. Seating is limited to 100 people. Advance tickets can be purchased by sending a check to The Glenholme School, 81 Sabbaday Lane, Washington, CT 06793. Patrons who contribute $100 or more will be noted in the program. Friend's tickets, or general admission, is $75.00 per person.

A Victorian Evening of Romance, Poetry and Song is a benefit for the children and programs of The Glenholme School, a residential school for children, ages 5-16, with emotional, behavioral or learning differences.