Mid Wales Opera is soon to be celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. The idea of Mid Wales Opera was born in Meifod, Montgomeryshire, in 1988, and began with opera scenes at the mid Wales centre for opera led by music teachers Barbara McGuire and Keith Darlington. Mid Wales Opera is still going very strong today and last year put on 27 performances—the company's most ever in a year—touring from Aberdaron to Ammanford and many points in between.

They bring fully staged professional opera to the heart of communities across Wales and the borders, with main-stage performances each spring, and a small-stage community touring programme each autumn. Their main-stage tour of a Tchaikovsky opera has a cast of 15 and an orchestra of 12 from Bangor. They're currently rehearsing at the Hafren centre in Newtown for an opening performance on Saturday 24 February, before touring to Aberystwyth, Bangor, Newport, Mold, Llanelli, Milford Haven and Hereford. I certainly think that it's great to see a professional touring opera made in Newtown and opening in the theatre there before going off on the road.