If Opera has returned to Belcombe Court in Wiltshire, opening with the highly anticipated new production of Umberto Giordano's Fedora, directed by John Wilkie (founding member of Opera Bohemia) and starring multi-award-winning Australian soprano Sky Ingram in the title role, reason enough to purchase a ticket. Belcombe's photogenic 18th century garden, where If Opera's temporary auditorium is erected annually, makes this one of the most magical opera festivals in England and as if in agreement, the sun appeared just as the gates opened on the first night, allowing opera-goers to enjoy a picnic ahead of the performance. There have been some welcome changes at If Opera this year, including a new Saddle span theatre with improved ventilation and acoustics, along with a more prominent orchestra arrangement to ensure audiences have a fantastic view of the resident Bristol Ensemble conducted by company stalwart Oliver Gooch. With a grand piano on stage, audiences were also tre