LIVE opera came to Towneley Hall for the first time on Monday and Tuesday night.

The Heritage Opera company staged the world premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park, based on the novel by Jane Austen, to an enthralled audience at the Burnley venue.

Heritage Opera began in 2006 with the idea of presenting opera in stately homes to provide an intimate setting and performance.

Chris Gill, conductor for Heritage Opera, said: “My aim was to give audiences a professional-quality musical and dramatic performance, but in a much more intimate environment than most theatres can offer.”

Mansfield Park was created for Heritage Opera by Jonathan Dove, and it was commissioned for £36,000 after raising funds through private sponsorship and collections at the end of performances.

Mr Gill said: “It would be no exaggeration to say that this opera has been paid for by our loyal audiences in the north, and we hope they will love it as much as we have grown to over the weeks and months of preparation.”

The show comes to Hoghton Tower in Chorley on Tuesday, August 9.