The Athenaeum Liverpool

Liverpool Salon Presents - The Quest for Utopia
2022-09-15 18:30 - 22:00 (Europe/London) | The Athenaeum Liverpool, Church Alley, Liverpool, L1 3DD, United Kingdom
The Liverpool Salon has been hosting public discussions around philosophical, political and cultural topics on Merseyside for over seven years. Join us at Liverpool’s iconic Athenaeum club for The Quest for Utopia, the first in a new series of public conversations that take utopia and dystopia as themes for exploring the possibilities of building other, and better, societies, while reflecting on the shortcomings of our own.
Written at the dawn of the modern age, Thomas More’s Utopia imagined the possibility of humanity taking control of its destiny to create an ideal commonwealth, where happiness and justice reigned supreme. Deriving from the Greek ou (not) and topos (place), but also referring to eu (good) – an ideal place that does not exist, Utopia prefigured many social and economic experiments that followed in reality. Published almost 150 years later, James Harrington’s The Commonwealth of Oceana was both an exposition of an ideal constitution and a practical guide for constituting England’s new republican government.
The voyage of discovery, an important part of the historical background to Utopia and New Atlantis, would become a central theme in utopian – and dystopian – literature. The popular appeal of fictional travellers’ tales reflected a growing fascination with real-life voyages of discovery and scientific exploration that collected, recorded, and classified the wonders of newly discovered worlds.
While many of the problems and imagined solutions that excited early utopian thinkers continue to perplex us, we seem today more inclined to expect the worst than hope for something better. Dreams of creating inexhaustible supplies of energy or machines to supply every human need and desire are haunted by Faustian nightmares of endless development, leading to social and ecological collapse. From the horrors of colonialism to the rise of dictatorial governments, hasn’t history shown us that the road to dystopias of disorder and tyranny are frequently paved with dreams of perfection?
If one man or woman’s Utopia is another’s hell on earth, then perhaps the fundamental question at the heart of the endless Quest for Utopia, is not so much the possibility, but the desirability of realising a perfect world.
Want to continue the conversation over a post-event dinner? The Athenaeum’s Dining Room is taking pre-bookings. To find out more and make a booking, please contact reception@theathenaeum.org.uk or phone 0151 709 7770.
Speakers
Rachel Hammersley, Professor of Intellectual History at Newcastle University, working on themes of republicanism, democracy, constitution-building, common land, and revolution in early modern Britain and France. Rachel is the author of several books, including The English Republican Tradition in Eighteenth-Century France (Manchester University Press, 2010), James Harrington: An Intellectual Biography (Oxford University Press, 2019), and Republicanism: An Introduction (Polity Press, 2020).
Vanessa Pupavac, Associate Professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham. Vanessa previously worked for the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia and other international organisations. She has written extensively on human rights politics and humanitarianism and is co-author of Changing European Visions of Disaster and Development: rekindling Faust’s humanism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).
Ronnie Hughes, A Sense of Place, calls himself “an occasional and formerly enthusiastic utopian practitioner, who’ll bring intellectual interest, his reading, practical knowledge and working experience to our discussion.” And, if you’ll excuse my dropping out of the third person here as it’s obviously me writing this, to which self-aggrandisement I’d add: it’s fair to say I’ve had more than a little trouble with the concept and chequered history of utopia during my recent years of studying it at the University of Liverpool. Meaning I now approach the whole idea as a confirmed sceptic who nevertheless experiences occasional patches of enthusiastic sunshine about it all. Some based on my own memories of how practical utopianism, used as a method, has occasionally helped communities in Liverpool change their lives and places for the better. Which I’ll talk a bit about when we meet. More here at A Sense of Place.
Robert Huxley is a Research Associate and retired Principal Curator at the Natural History Museum, London, where he led the team responsible for the botanical collections including the 17th and 18th century collections of Sir Hans Sloane. Robert now lives in Liverpool where he is a museums and heritage consultant and writer on the history of natural history and collections. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of the History of Collections, author of the edited collection, The Great Naturalists (2019) and contributor to Rare Treasures from the Library of the Natural History Museum (2015), Naturalists in the Field (2018) and The Collectors: Creating Hans Sloane’s extraordinary herbarium (2019). Rob is also President of the Liverpool Athenaeum and actively involved in its library.
The Quest for Utopia will be chaired by Pauline Hadaway, co-founder of the Liverpool Salon. Pauline completed her doctoral research at the University of Manchester, examining the cultural economy and the politics of peace building in Northern Ireland after the Good Friday Agreement. She works as a researcher and writer, most recently: ‘Escaping the Panopticon’ in Photography Reframed: visions in photographic culture (2018); ‘Callaghan in Northern Ireland’ in James Callaghan: an underrated Prime Minister (2020). For more information on this and other events visit the Liverpool Salon website.
The Liverpool Salon is a not-for-profit organisation. While it can cover expenses, it does not pay fees and gratefully acknowledges the generosity of its speakers and supporters.

Postponed: The Exchange - In conversation with Louise Hulland
2022-09-21 19:00 - 20:30
The shocking truth about human trafficking and modern day slavery in Britain, and what we can all do to make a difference.
An evening in conversation with journalist and broadcaster Louise Hulland, author of Stolen Lives.
136,000 people in the UK today are in some form of slavery. This is big business, generating more than £120 billion annually for criminal organisations across the world.
Louise Hulland reveals the truth about trafficking and modern day slavery in Britain. This enlightening evening will cover the experiences of those on the front line, including the police and charities involved with support and recovery. Louise will share powerful and moving testimony from survivors, revealing the individual stories behind the headlines. In particular, she will chart one young woman’s terrifying and ultimately inspiring journey to freedom and independence. There will be an opportunity to ask Louise questions, and to discuss how everyone can play their part in making a difference.
Louise Hulland is a Sony Award winning journalist, TV & radio presenter and documentary maker. She has been investigating the plight of victims of modern slavery and human trafficking since 2010 and has reported widely on the subject in print and on radio and TV. Louise has more than a decade of experience in news, current affairs and documentaries. As a reporter and news producer for the BBC and ITN, she has worked on some of the biggest stories of the last decade.
Louise’s book, “Stolen Lives”, will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
The Athenaeum’s Dining Room is taking pre-bookings for dinner following the talk. To make a booking please contact reception@theathenaeum.org.uk or phone 0151 709 7770.

Call my Bluff Wine Evening
2022-09-23 19:00 - 22:00
Will be you bluffing your way through the pairings or exalting the characteristics of the grape to the table? Join us for an evening of light hearted fun, food, wine and good company at the Presidential Call My Bluff Wine Tasting Evening!

Liverpool American History Tour
2022-09-24 10:30 - 16:00
Join us at the Liverpool Pier Head, outside the Cunard Building (the River Mersey side), 10.30am 30th July, as we explore Liverpool’s historic links to America.
From the city’s darkest history, like its abominable role in the transatlantic slave trade, to its illustrious music & culture exports; Liverpool’s connections to the United States run deep.
Tour starts from the Cunard Building 10:30am.

Remembering Frank Doran MBE
2022-09-27 12:00 - 15:30
We remember Proprietor and former Lord Mayor of the city Frank Doran MBE, at a memorial lunch to celebrate his life and contribution to the Liverpool City Region.
Join us on Tuesday 27th September from 12:00pm in the Newsroom for a reception drink ahead of the call for lunch at 12:30pm.
Included within the ticket include reception drink, two glasses of wine, a three course lunch and a £10.00 donation to the Beacon Counselling Trust, a charity dear to Frank’s heart. During the occasion we will also be running a raffle in aid of the Beacon Counselling Trust, and we hope to raise as much as possible in Frank’s name for this important cause.
Book your place now through the Members’ Area or with the Concierge – 0151 709 7770/concierge@theathenaeum.org.uk.
The menu for the event can be found below, please advise of any dietary requirements upon booking.
Starter
Smoked Haddock Fishcake
Pea Puree, mustard butter emulsion
Main course
Roast Pork Loin
Kauffman cabbage, baked apple, cider and sage cream sauce, roast new potatoes
Baked Broccoli and stilton crepe(v)
Buttered Spinach, roast new potatoes
Dessert
Chocolate Torte
Cherry compote, white chocolate sauce

Moneytools Presents
2022-09-27 19:00 - 21:00

Designing for Intentional Inclusion
2022-09-28 17:00 - 23:00
We invite you to join us this September as Ai Change Management hosts a special event to share their latest research findings and experience of putting these into practice with their clients.

Saturday Openings Start This Week!
2022-09-30 10:00 - 18:00
Saturday Opening’s Start This Week
With Fizz All Round – 2 Days To go!!!
Relaxing the dress code on Saturday’s
This Saturday, 1st October, the Club enters into the ‘new normal’, opening every Saturday between 10:00am and 6:00pm with food and beverage available in the Newsroom throughout (last orders for food, 5:30pm).
As announced earlier this week we’ll be marking this exciting occasion with a complimentary glass of fizz for everyone.
On Saturdays the dress code will be relaxed and smart jeans (non-ripped) are permitted. If you find yourself in town on a Saturday whilst shopping or whatever else pop on in and have a drink or bite to eat.
If that wasn’t all there is a few more things taking place on Saturday..
The New Newsroom Menu Launches
We can’t wait to unveil the next Newsroom Menu this Saturday, bringing back favourites such as buck rarebit and fish and chips, whilst introducing what we hope will become new favourites like beef bourguignon, sticky toffee pudding, and a delectable range of bruschetta.
Join us for Afternoon Tea – Why Not?
Why not book yourself an Afternoon Tea and treat yourself? Book now via the Concierge or through the Members’ Area, any time between 12:00pm and 3:00pm for just £25.00 per person, including a second glass of fizz!
The first Saturday grand draw!
During the afternoon every Proprietor will be entered into a complimentary draw to win £50.00. If a share number is drawn AND the owner of that share is in the Club they will win the prize which will be credited to their monthly account for use on Food & Beverage. If a member’s number is drawn and they are not in the Club, the winnings roll over to the following week!
There’s even a concert in the Evening!
Typically the Club will close at 6pm on a Saturday, but not if there’s an event for you to attend. Join us in the Newsroom from 7:00pm for (another) glass a fizz ahead of a concert in memory of Past President HH John Morgan.
The Bentley Operatic Society will be performing selections from the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and popular operettas. Tickets for the concert are available from the Concierge or through the Members’ Area for just £10.00!

New Member Welcome Dinner
2022-09-30 18:30 - 23:00, 2022-10-28 18:30 - 22:00
Join us and your fellow members for complimentary fizz and nibbles and welcome our latest Proprietors as they sign the Share Register before dinner in the Dining Room.

Athenaeum Afternoon Tea
2022-10-01 12:00 - 14:30
Book a scrumptious Afternoon Tea and enjoy it in the palatial surroundings of the Newsroom.

HH John Morgan Memorial Concert, with the Bentley Operatic Society
2022-10-01 19:30 - 22:00
Join us in the Newsroom from 7:00pm on Saturday 1st October for glass a fizz ahead of a concert in memory of Past President HH John Morgan.
The Bentley Operatic Society will be performing selections from the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and popular operettas. Tickets for the concert are available from the Concierge or through the Members’ Area for just £10.00!
John was President of the Athenaeum in 2009 and was a great supporter and friend of the Institution for many years, we hope that his friends and fellow members will join us for this special occasion to celebrate his life with one of his passions – opera.
We are grateful to John’s life long friend and fellow Athenaeum member, Richard McCullagh, for providing the below obituary.
John was born in September 1934 (in the same month as Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot!).
He went to St Edward’s College in Liverpool and, on leaving school, to Liverpool University where he read Law, following which he became articled to the Town Clerk of Bootle.
He subsequently undertook his National Service in the RAF, where he spent 6 months learning Mandarin Chinese, before being posted to Hong Kong to eavesdrop on Chinese MIG pilots’ communications.
On completion of National Service he took up a position as an Assistant Solicitor with Liverpool Corporation, as it then was, and achieved renown in the 1963 freeze-up, when all football was cancelled, by being party to the application by the Pools companies to establish the Pools Panel. He helped ensure that the Panel was set up in a manner which would not contravene gambling legislation.
He then joined J Frodsham and Sons, solicitors, in Prescot as a partner.
He was called to the Bar in his late 30s, serving pupillage with his great friend, Bert Andrew. John developed a wide practice and was much respected. In the early 80s, he was appointed a Deputy Stipendiary Magistrate in which capacity, in 1984, he was sent to South Yorkshire to hear cases arising from the Miners’ Strike. He described himself at the time as, ‘a flying ‘stipe’ for flying pickets!’.
In due course he was appointed to the Circuit Bench as a Circuit Judge, gaining a reputation as a safe pair of hands and becoming an expert on civil jury trials.
As a sportsman, John joined Liverpool Rugby Club in the 50s and played eleven games for the First Team as a scrum-half. He then turned his talents to refereeing with the Liverpool Society, rising to being placed on the First-Class Panel. He became President of Liverpool Football Club Rugby Union in its 12th year in 1980 and thereafter, with his great pal Ron Roby, took to broadcasting on local games for Radio Merseyside. As a cricketer he played for Sefton as a wicket-keeper, mostly in the Second Team and later became President of Sefton Park CC where, while President, he established an annual golf competition which became known as ‘The John Morgan Classic’. As a golfer John was a member of Woolton Golf Club as well as the Bar and Judges’ Clubs.
Away from the Law and sport John had a great love of music and literature. He joined the Bentley Operatic Society. Starting in the society’s chorus he graduated to principal roles, most notably as the judge in, ‘Trial by Jury’, when he was, in effect, simply playing himself! He eventually became a long-serving President of ‘the Bentley’ coping, with aplomb, with its various artistic and operational foibles.
Following the closure of the Lyceum Club John became a member of The Athenaeum and, in 2009, became its President. He was an assiduous President and his year in office was notable for the number of functions held.
One included a comedy sketch performance by John, together with two other former judges, Richard McCullagh and Elizabeth Christie, in which he lampooned the institution’s then stultifying dress-code which led directly to its early, and welcomed, relaxation. More recently he was Chairman of the institution’s Literature Group, giving occasional talks on his great love of ‘Scandi-crime’.
John was a Governor of St Edward’s College and served for many years as Chairman of its Governing body.
Utilising his advocacy skills, John became a most accomplished after-dinner speaker and was much in demand. He had a style which was light, amusing and greatly enjoyed by audiences of all types who would have been unaware that the smooth, relaxed delivery was the result of meticulous preparation.
In 1970 John married Rosalie and they have two sons, Matthew and Benedict.

Tour of the Athenaeum
2022-10-04 11:00 - 19:00, 2022-11-09 11:00 - 20:00
How well do you know your club house and the history of the club housed within? We’re blessed with such amazing heritage, let’s not keep it a secret!
Tours will be taking place at 11:00am (followed by lunch in the Dining Room), 1:00pm (followed by afternoon tea in the Newsroom) and 6:00pm (followed by supper in the Newsroom), and are available to book for £25.00, including a donation to the Library.

Literature Group: What's My Line?
2022-10-04 14:00 - 15:00
What’s My Line?
For the October meeting we are asking members to come armed with a favourite quotation or two. Many thanks for the idea to Mike Shankland, who explains the concept:
I love the quote from Act 3 of The Merchant of Venice:

“Here are a few of the unpleasantest words
That ever blotted paper.”

Nevertheless, we all have lines which chime with our lives, growing in significance as the years pass. A chat up line I first used at 18 still works for me!

“Hade we but world enough and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.”

And when I was a kid Horatio got my attention:

“Lars Porsena of Clusium,
By the Nine Gods he swore
That the great house of Tarquin
Should suffer wrong no more.”

I didn’t know a Tarquin from a penguin but I was caught up in the drama, and we all agree with Jane Austen: ‘The sooner every party breaks off the better’, and with Saul Bellow: ‘If I am out of my mind it’s all right with me.’
Now I won’t quote any more ( and these aren’t necessarily my favourite quotes) but would you like to bring a ‘mighty line’ or two and explain briefly what they mean to you?
If you are very brave you could write the quote on a piece of paper and the group could try to guess who chose that example.
Just a bit of autumnal fun!

Dinner & Discussion
2022-10-05 18:00
An opportunity to dine with the Chair and President to discuss the Institution and its future.

Stoicism Interest Group
2022-10-06 18:00 - 20:00
Join Proprietor Paul Clarke on a new adventure at the wonderful Athenaeum, Liverpool. It’s an evening of debate and discussion around all things stoic, where Paul will introduce the power of stoicism and critical thinking through a group that allows curious minds to challenge, debate, and reflect upon the practical application of philosophy in our daily lives.
The topics covered will be:
The origins of stoic philosophy
From Zeno to Marcus Aurelius’ onwards.
The power of stoic philosophy
Understanding the importance of knowing what is and what is not under your control, both as on individual or within a team.
The application of stoic philosophy in your day-to-day life.
Unearthing your potential. Understanding everything you are and everything you could be.

Book on our website or directly through the Concierge. Attendance is free.

Arts Group - Rembrandt: Fame, Fortune and Loss
2022-10-10 11:30 - 12:30
Join us in the Athenaeum’s Wine Servery for a discussion around Dutch artist Rembrandt, with guest speaker Bernadette Hamilton.

Cheap & Cheerful Supper
2022-10-12 18:30 - 22:00
The ever popular cheap and cheerful supper, it does exactly what it says on the tin!

Truth: The First Casualty of War. Lunch with Proprietor Phil Whitfield
2022-10-14 12:00 - 16:00
Often cited, but, does it prevail in UK news as well as conflicts abroad?
Proprietor Phil Whitfield covered wars from the Yom Kippur War in Israel to the Fall of Saigon in Vietnam; across Africa the Middle East and Ireland for BBC News and Current Affairs as a Foreign Correspondent.
Should we rely on radio, TV and newspapers to give us unbiased accounts? Why should we exercise critical thinking before forming our opinions? This illustrated backstory probes the issues.
Whitfield grew up in Woolton and returned after living in Arab countries for 23 years and the USA for 18.
Book your tickets now with the Concierge or through the Members’ Area for just £20.00 per person.

Film Night
2022-10-18 18:30 - 22:00
The first in this year’s classic Film Night series. Proprietor Dr Ian Cubbin invites you all to a night of cinematic celebration, as we travel through the golden era of the silver screen. Each month we’ll be showing one of the all-time great flicks in our Wine Servery, and everyone from cinephiles to casual movie goers are invited to enjoy what will be a fantastic night of food, fun and film.
Screening itinerary as follows:
October – Carry On Sergeant (1958) – Gerald Thomas (the first of the long-running series of ‘Carry On’ films)
November – Spellbound (1945)- Alfred Hitchcock
December (Christmas Special) – The Holly and the Ivy (1952) – George More O’Ferrall
January – Murder Most Foul (1964) – George Pollock
February – Captain Blood (1935) – Michael Curtiz
March- Irish Night – Attendees will vote for their favourite Irish film!
April – (Musical ) Girl Crazy (1943) – Busby Berkeley, Norman Taurog

All screenings will be preceded by a one course supper and have an intermission.
Book on our website or directly through the Concierge. Tickets are £15.

The Exchange: An Evening with Konstantin Kisin
2022-10-19 19:00 - 20:30
Join Russian-British comedian, podcaster, writer and social commentator Konstantin Kisin in conversation about his new book.
For all the West’s failings – terrible food, cold weather, and questionable politicians with funny hair to name a few – it has its upsides. Konstantin would know. Growing up in the Soviet Union, he experienced first-hand the horrors of a socialist paradise gone wrong, having lived in extreme poverty with little access to even the most basic of necessities. It wasn’t until he moved to the UK that Kisin found himself thriving in an open and tolerant society, receiving countless opportunities he would never have had otherwise.
Funny, provocative and unswervingly perceptive, his Sunday Times bestseller ‘An Immigrant’s Love letter to the West’ interrogates the developing sense of self-loathing the Western sphere has adopted and offers an alternative perspective. Kisin argues that wrongdoing and guilt need not pervade how we feel about the West – and Britain – today, and that despite all its ups and downs, it remains one of the best places to live in the world.
After all, if an immigrant can’t publicly profess their appreciation for this country, who can?
‘Kisin’s book has a powerful moral quality that makes it worth reading’ – Sunday Times
Konstantin Kisin is a Russian-British comedian, podcaster, writer and social commentator. He is a regular contributor on television and radio and is frequently described as an “objective voice from the centre of the political spectrum”.
He is also the creator and co-host of the TRIGGERnometry YouTube show where two comics interview economists, political experts, journalists and social commentators about interesting, controversial and challenging subjects.
Book on the website or directly through the Concierge. Tickets are £10.

Library & Archives Group
2022-10-20 17:30 - 19:00
Thursday 20th October at 5.30 pm in the Library Reading Room
‘The Library of Henry Blundell (1724-1810) of Ince Blundell Hall’
By Dr John Edmondson

Dr John Edmondson is a former member and President of the Athenaeum. He lives now in North Wales. Formerly he was head of science at National Museums & Galleries, Liverpool.
He has not stopped working, and recently has been helping Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to prepare a guide to the flora of Iraq.
Many members will know of the location of Ince Blundell Hall between Crosby and Formby, and also may have seen Henry Blundell’s collection of statuary in the Walker Art Gallery.
Come to hear Dr Edmondson speak about the library that Henry Blundell assembled, including mention of our own Athenaeum library.

Supper is available at 6.30 pm, providing it is booked via Reception.

The Sir David Maddison Opera Prize
2022-10-22 18:30 - 23:30
We are delighted to announce The Sir David Maddison Opera Prize 2022 will be taking place on Saturday 22 October 2022, in association with The Royal Northern College of Music.
Six Opera stars of the future will perform for Members and guests with the winner being awarded The Sir David Maddison Opera Prize 2022 and the designation of Athenaeum ‘Artiste In Residence’ for the next 12 months.
Join us between 6:30pm and 7:00pm in the Newsroom for a drinks reception ahead of the contest which will commence at 7:00pm. There will be an interval during which a two-course supper will be served in the Dining Room whilst the Judges’ deliberate. Following dinner attendees will return to the Newsroom for the prize giving and reprise performances of the winner and runner up in the contest
You can book tickets now via the Concierge or the Members’ Area of the website for just £35.00 per person and are available on a first come first serve basis.
We are indebted this year to the generosity of several Athenaeum Proprietors for very kindly providing sponsorship for the event, HH Judge David Hodge QC and Mr David Holdsworth.
There now follows biographies of the RNCM Students contesting for this year’s Sir David Maddison Opera Prize, as well as the menu and itinerary for the event.

Sarah Winn

Mezzo-soprano Sarah Winn, recently completed her Graduate Certificate in Music Studies at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the conservatorium studying under the guidance of Dr Margaret Schindler (Doctorate in Musical Arts). Upon the completion of her degree, Sarah was awarded the Linda Edith Allen award for having achieved the highest performance grade in her year level and the Doreen Ord & Lyceum Club Prize for Classical Voice.
During her time at the conservatorium, she has performed the roles of Béatrice in Berlioz’s Beatrice et Bénédict, the Chinese Cup and The Dragonfly in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges, Aloès in Chabrier’s L’etoile, The Publican’s Wife in the world premiere of Paul Dean’s Dry River Run and covered Ramiro in La finta giardiniera. She performed excerpts from Puccini’s La rondine (Suzy), Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Purcell’s Fairy-Queen.
Most recently she performed the role of Der Komponist in the Royal Northern College of Music’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos, where she was also a finalist in the Joyce and Michael Kennedy award for the singing of Strauss and the Frederic Cox award.
Engagements include performing as a guest soloist with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra in the Brisbane Sings concert (2020), the Alto solo in Handel’s Messiah (2019) with the Queensland Choir and Sinfonia of St Andrews and as a guest soloist in the Noosa Alive Concert with the Noosa Orchestra (2019). She performed in Opera Queensland’s production of Peter Grimes during the Brisbane Festival (2018), as a guest soloist with the Queensland Choir (2018) during their Brisbane concert series and the Alto solo in Haydn’s Nelson Mass with the Queensland Conservatorium Chorale (2018).
Sarah is very excited to be in her second year at the Royal Northern College of Music, completing a Master of Performance. This is generously supported by the Alice Orrell and A&N Kendall Award as well as the Maurice and Jean Buckley Award.

Joe Ashmore

Joe is a first-year masters student on the Vocal Studies and Opera programme at the Royal Northern College of Music, generously supported by The South Square Trust, where he obtained a first class honours degree at undergraduate level.
During his undergraduate degree, Joe took three chorus roles in RNCM operas, Offenbach’s ‘La Vie Parisienne’, Handel’s ‘Theodora’ and Massenet’s ‘Cendrillon’ which was nominated for best opera in the Manchester Theatre Awards. He was also cast as Mistrust in RNCM’s production of ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ by Vaughan-Williams in Spring 2019, directed by Jonathan Cocker and conducted by David Parry. Joe was also ‘Highly Recommended’ in the prestigious James Martin Oncken Song Prize. Most recently, Joe sang the role of the Witch of Endor in Handel’s ‘Saul’ as a guest soloist of the Academy Choir, Wimbledon, alongside renowned bass-baritone Christopher Purves.
In December 2021, Joe made his Bridgewater Hall debut with the RNCM Songsters when performing in a pre-concert performance of Scandinavian music. In March this year, Joe performed in a concert with the Songsters and Chamber Choir for International Women’s Day. Joe was also selected to represent the RNCM as part of a chorus travelling to Bergen, Norway to perform the world premiere of Ryan Wigglesworth’s Magnificat in April. Joe returned to the opera stage in June when he performed the role of Propser in Offenbach’s ‘La Vie Parisienne’ as part of RNCM Opera Scenes.

Sarah Prestwidge

Sarah Prestwidge is a young aboriginal Australian Soprano, studying a Master of Music at the Royal Northern College of Music, with a full ABRSM scholarship. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Education) from Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she was awarded numerous awards for her excellence. Sarah is also the recipient of the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship from the Australian Council for the Arts and a Tait Memorial Trust Awardee.
Sarah’s operatic highlights include, Arsena in The Gypsy Baron, Purran-Murnin in Buckley (Premier), Madam Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, and Barbarina in Le Nozze Di Figaro. She was also looking forward to performing the roles of Josephine in H.M.S Pinafore and Tytania in Midsummer Night’s Dream throughout 2020. Since moving to the United Kingdom Sarah has performed Mrs. Paskova/Chocholka in The Cunning Little Vixen and Controller in Flight (RNCM), as well as The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with Woodbridge Opera and Mrs. Anderssen/Nordstrom in A Little Night Music at Buxton Opera where she was a Young Artist this year. In the final year of her Master’s degree at the RNCM Sarah performed the roles of Zerbinetta in Ariadne Auf Naxos and Susanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro.
Sarah has sung in orchestral works including, Orff’s Carmina Burana as a soprano soloist and Cheetham’s Eumeralla. She has also performed extensively for corporate events such as, Merivale Sydney, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Holland America Line, International Towers Sydney, the Australian Rural Fire Brigade and those at the Utzon Room of Sydney Opera House.
Over the years, Sarah has been mentored by Deborah Cheetham at Short Black Opera, where she has worked as a Soprano and Music educator. From 2018 to 2020, she was also a Young Artist in Pacific Opera, during which time she was awarded a Prue Kennard study grant. In 2019, Sarah studied in an intensive program with Bel Canto Opera, Munich, which was generously sponsored by the Wagner Society NSW. Since moving to the United Kingdom, Sarah has enjoyed working at Buxton Opera as a Young Artist and being involved in workshops with Opera North and British Youth Opera, of which she successfully auditioned for.
Additionally, Sarah is a trained classroom Music teacher with proficient/qualified teacher status and an experienced singing teacher.

Olivia Tringham

Originally from Merseyside, Olivia is a Soprano currently studying with Linda Richardson at the Royal Northern College of Music. At the RNCM, Olivia played Mère Marie in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, La Suora Infermiera in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Sally in Barber’s A Hand of Bridge, Fanny Price in Dove’s Mansfield Park and Prima Donna in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. This year she has also performed opera scenes from Verdi’s Falstaff and Britten’s Turn of the Screw, was a finalist in the Frederick Cox Competition 2022 and has been chosen for a number concerts, such as the world premier of Wrigglesworth’s Magnificat with the Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester, Norway. Olivia has a natural draw to character driven music and particularly enjoys tackling musically challenging repertoire.
Professionally, Olivia was a 2021 Buxton International Festival Young Artist, performing as Mrs Segstrom in A Little Night Music by Sondhiem and in a range of concerts. Olivia was also due to be a part of the Wexford Festival Opera 2020 Chorus with a step-out role in Catalani’s Edmea and roles in their pocket operas, but this festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. In summer 2022, Olivia will Join Grange Park Opera for Verdi’s Otello, The Flying Dutchman by Wagner, Ponchielli’s La Gioconda and the Excursions of Mr Broucek by Janacek.
During the pandemic, Olivia founded the independent opera company ALLO Opera, with the aim of giving Young Artists performance opportunities during the coronavirus pandemic. ALLO Opera have produced a series of recorded virtual Galas, opera scenes and a live, fully staged version of Mozart’s Don Giovanni recorded in July 2021, in which Olivia played Donna Elvira. ALLO Opera has built an online community of young artists and are trying to re-write the way that young artists portray themselves online. www.oliviarosetringham.co.uk

Camilla Seal

Praised for her ‘unaffected simplicity’ (Classical Source) and ‘velvety mezzo’ timbres (The Telegraph), Camilla made her debut at Buxton International Festival as Prince Charming in Viardot’s Cendrillon prior to her most recent season at Glyndebourne Festival Opera (Chorus).
​She graduated with Distinction from her Masters at RNCM in 2022, studying under Jane Irwin and Michael Harper, with the support of Help Musicians. There, she was the First Prize recipient of the Betty Bannerman Award for French Song (2022), the Brigitte Fassbaender Award for Lieder (2021) and the Creative Innovator Award (2021).
​Her other operatic roles include creating Bella in Smail’s new work, Blue Electric (Tête à Tête; Playground Theatre); Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (RNCM); Mrs. Nolan in Menotti’s The Medium (RNCM); Mary in Tavener’s Mary of Egypt (King’s College Chapel, Cambridge) and scenes as Fox in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen (Morley Opera); Jemmy in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell (Morley Opera); Tisbe in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Morley Opera); Don Ettore in Haydn’s La Canterina (RNCM); Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel (NOS Short Course).
​As a collaborative performer, she founded the devising ensemble, the New Renaissance Collective in 2018 and has co-created and performed in productions including Beaten Gold and an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Venus & Adonis.
In concert, she has performed recitals for Manchester Song Festival, Clonter Opera and a rich variety of baroque repertoire with HM Sagbutts and Cornetts, Polyphony, the European Union Baroque Orchestra and Musica Antica.
​Camilla came to music at an early age, signing with the cross-over group, Angelis, under Sony BMG. She studied English at Girton College, Cambridge and then Social Inequality at LSE where she published articles for Classical Music magazine on freelance music making. She is also a keen aerial artist and a member of the Salon Collective, where she trains in Meisner’s acting method.
James Holt

James has recently completed postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music where he was generously supported by the Ann Driver Trust and the Alice Orrell and the A&N Kendall Award, where he studied under Peter Alexander Wilson. Previous engagements include Nym (Cover, Sir John in Love) with British Youth Opera, Schaunard (La Bohème) and Marchese D’Obigny (La Traviata) with North Wales Opera Studio, Die Perückenmacher (Ariadne auf Naxos) with RNCM Opera, Marchese D’Obigny (La Traviata) with Hampstead Garden Opera, Burgesses Chorus (Peter Grimes) with Bergen National Opera and as a member of the French Acting Chorus (Silent Night) with Opera North. James has also performed several roles within opera scene programmes including, Ford, Harekin, Steward, Guglielmo, Die Notar and Henry. This summer James was a member of Buxton International Festivals Young Artist Programme and was also invited to take part in a years mentorship scheme with Opera North shadowing the full-time chorus.

Itinerary
6:30pm for 7:00pm: Drinks reception in the Newsroom
7:00pm: Concert
8:15pm: Interval – guests make way to Dining Room for dinner
8:30pm: Two-Course Dinner served
9:30pm: Guests make way to the Newsroom
9:45pm: Prize finale
10:15pm: Fin – Newsroom bar open
11:30pm: Last orders
12:00am: Club closes

Menu
Main Course
Roast breast of Guinea Fowl
Boudin Blanc, Pear and Tarragon
served with Buttered Greens and Ventreche Ham
Pommes de Terre Sables
Dessert
Pear Cheesecake
White Chocolate Sauce

Moneytools Presents - Your Big Money Decisions Made Simple
2022-10-24 19:00 - 21:00
Join Proprietor Paul Clarke for an evening that will help with your big money decisions – either that you’re facing now or in the future. Paul’s ethical passion about people’s finances ensures an environment is created that allows you to drive towards your financial good life.
The topics tonight will be:
Money Philosophy
Identify what the ‘good life’ might look like to you financially!
Money Planning
Discover and define your financial direction.
Money Management
The power of compounding your life and your money.

Book through our website or directly via the Concierge.

Ladies Lunch
2022-10-31 12:00 - 15:00
The next in the Ladies Lunch series, open to all Athenaeum ladies and their guests.
Join us for a spooktacular lunch on Monday 31st October at 12:30pm, with guest speaker John Coventry in the haunted Library Reading Room.
Menu:
Main Course
Cauldron Braised Beef Ghoulash, confit of blood red pepper, bonfire roasted pumpkin, devilled garlic potatoes.
Savoury pumpkin pie (v), slashed kauffman cabbage.

Dessert
Toffee Apple Cheesecake with vanilla sauce
Vampire’s Kiss or Witches Brew (or tea and coffee if you prefer)

Book on our website or directly through the Concierge.

Literature Group - Poetry from the Wirral
2022-11-01 14:00 - 15:00
At our next meeting we will be entertained by two Wirral poets (one of whom is probably known to many of you as a fellow Proprietor) who have kindly agreed to read some of their work to us.
David J. Costello is a winner of the Welsh International Poetry Competition and is widely published. His pamphlets are Human Engineering (Thynks Publishing 2013) and No Need for Candles (Red Squirrel Press 2016). Heft, his first full collection (Red Squirrel Press 2020) won third prize in the 2020 Poetry Book Awards for best collection
The Proprietor known to you as Ian Gould-Jones writes and reads under the name of Ieuan Cligwari, which simply means ’Ian Wirral’ in Welsh. It is a leaning to the ancient bardic tradition of Wales and a double nod to deep Wirral and Welsh roots.
His poetry often mixes landscape with emotion, metaphysics and the possibility of the numinous. Welsh culture, history and landscape run through a lot of his poetry. He has recently been exploring mixing media such as photography and musical soundscapes with the spoken word. Ieuan has had his poetry published in book (collections), pamphlet and on the internet. He is working on four collections – Rheged, Songs of Heart, Andalusia and Dwynwen’s Rest – and is mentored by Cheltenham based poet Anna Saunders.
In December, we will be looking at the life and work of another local poet, Rodney Street born Arthur Hugh Clough, who had close connections to the Athenaeum.
The group will meet on November 1st in The Athenaeum Library Reading Room from 2pm – 3pm. Put your name down on our website or through the Concierge.

Friday Evening Dining - Taste of the Orient
2022-11-04 18:30 - 23:00
Go East with the newest iteration of our Taste of… Friday dining series, Taste of the Orient!
These Friday Dining events have been very popular with proprietors, so if you’re the kind of person interested in eclectic cuisine, come join in the fun.
November 4th’s menu includes: Dim Sum, Beef in Black Bean, Singapore Chow Mein and much much more.

Dr Stephen Lloyd - Shakespeare North
2022-11-11 18:30 - 23:00
Presidential evening dinner with a talk before.

Remembrance Sunday Lunch
2022-11-13 12:30 - 16:00
