Opening a new venue for opera is a significant act of faith in an art form under constant bombardment from the élitism police, so it’s good to report that the newly completed transformation of a stable yard on the Nevill Holt estate in rural Leicestershire, by architects Witherford Watson Mann, is an indisputable triumph. Elegantly simple in its unassertive style and functionality, it has been built at no cost to the public purse.
Its sole patron is Nevill Holt’s buccaneering owner, the super-rich entrepreneur turned philanthropist David Ross. His past may be somewhat chequered, but he can be unabashedly proud of commissioning such a versatile theatrical space, combining an open stage and a blissfully...