Watching (or rather, half-watching, because as always there was opera admin to do) the new ITV drama series Downton Abbey on the computer last night (via ITV Player) it was a delight to see glimpses of Bampton, and especially St Mary's church. Although most of the programme has been filmed at Highclere Castle, Bampton has been used for the village scenes. The scene of the Edwardian funeral emerging from St Mary's was curiously reminiscent of the rehearsals for our 2007 production (another UK première) of Georg Benda's Romeo and Juliet, a very early Shakespearian opera. The photographs are from the dress rehearsal on a fine Thursday night in July when the funeral procession of Juliet (Joana Seara) led from the church to the adjacent Deanery Garden. The pictures also show Ilona Domnich as Juliet's confidante Laura (sneaking an inappropriate smile in one of them). Sadly there are no photographs of the actual production: within 24 hours of this dress rehearsal Bampton was completely marooned by flood-waters following freak rain of devastating intensity. Consequently our first performance on the Friday night took place in the church itself rather than on the Deanery stage where our set stood soaked and forlorn; conductor Matthew Halls had to play the score on the church piano as most of the orchestra couldn't reach the village. Fortunately we had all the singers, but we had no electricity, and Juliet's funeral bier, carried around the church by four black monks by candlelight (a necessity, not an effect) was extraordinarily moving. For the 30 in the audience who managed to get there in these exceptionally difficult circumstances, it was an experience to be treasured. No-one has forgotten that evening! In particular the fact that electricity was restored at the exact second when Juliet woke up in the tomb (this is 18th-century Shakespeare with a happy ending) was uncanny.

It's time to be thinking again in a big way about our final Figaro performance coming up next week (Thursday 7 October, at 7pm) at St John's Smith Square, London. More rehearsals of course, and gathering of props and troops - plenty to keep us out of mischief. But before reporting on that, here are some delightful photographs of the three 'goddesses' in Arne's brilliant Judgment of Paris, an operatic gem which should be as popular (though somewhat different!) as Dido and Aeneas. The photographs are from our performance a week ago at an utterly wonderful country-house party in Hampshire where we were looked after and appreciated with great care. Demonstrating a full air safety drill are Joana Seara (our Cherubino in Figaro) as Juno, Serena Kay as Pallas (appropriately the "Virgin Goddess" according to William Congreve's libretto), and Ilona Domnich as the victorious Venus. Flying will never be the same!

We've already moved on to the next project, although of course we have a further Figaro at St John's Smith Square on 7 October - but coming up before then is the first of four performances of Arne's delicious masque, The Judgment of Paris. We're mystified why this brilliantly composed work is not better known, as the music is so inventive and the story of the celestial beauty competition has enormous comic potential. So our Cherubino, (Joana Seara), is now re-training to be an air hostess (Juno), along with her rival goddesses Pallas (Serena Kay) and Venus (Ilona Domnich). Pictured is the lovely 18th century Holywell Music Room in Oxford, which we visited this week for reconnaissance: sadly it's too small to take the Arne Air jumbo to Mount Olympus, so our November 7 performance there will be purely a concert, coupling the J of P with extracts from Arne's stirring Alfred. Tickets will be on sale very soon.