THE opening weekend of an opera festival began with multiple performances to packed audiences.

The Maldon Festival opened at the weekend.

The theme of this year’s festival is the French Connection as the festival celebrates the inspiration for English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

On Saturday, 325 children sang the Daniel Jazz in St Mary’s Church followed by Hand Made Opera’s double bill in the churchyard in the evening.

On Sunday, Professor Nancy Hills gave a talk on her work on historical costumes and reconstructed dresses.

The weekend finished with two choirs at St Mary’s and Richmond Parish Church with a choral evensong.

Festival director Colin Baldy said: “The opening weekend of the Maldon Festival was a triumph.

“Jonathan Eyre wowed the audience with his gripping and, at times, terrifying accompaniment to Lon Chaney’s 1925 film Phantom of the Opera.

“A full church was gripped completely as he played St Mary’s wonderful new pipe organ for an hour and a half without a break, all improvised as he followed the film."

This Friday, the festival continues with a performance by the 19-year-old pianist, James Housego, who was the organ scholar at St Mary’s Church from 2018 to 2021.

He will be performing his first full-length solo piano recital at 7.30pm featuring music from Bach to Debussy at St Mary’s Church.

The Maldon Festival director, Colin Baldy, will be singing Barber’s Dover Beach at 7.30pm on Saturday at St Mary’s Church.

Also performing at Saturday’s event, titled the French Connection II, is pianist James Davy.

James Davy is the director of music at Chelmsford cathedral and is accompanying Colin Baldy and tenor John D’Ancona with the Francis-Dehqany quartet.

On Sunday, a performance titled the Art of the Cellist is taking place from 4pm at St Mary’s Church.

The Cello recital features Benjamin Carnell, from Bishops Stortford, and Ian Ray, who is based in Colchester.

Tickets are available at maldonfestival.co.uk for the remaining shows before the finale on Sunday, July 10.