LETTER : Good value at opera houses

From Mr Philip Parr

Sir: Raymond Gubbay and Patrick Deuchar have certainly opened up a can of worms in attacking London's two large-scale opera houses for their elitism, icy atmosphere and exorbitant costs.

But are productions of classic masterpieces in the Albert Hall a long- term solution?

From the very first, Spitalfields Market Opera, London's new chamber opera house, has confronted the issues of cost and accessibility. Our opera house, due for completion in February 1996, has a total construction cost of pounds 500,000. Careful management of staff and methods of working mean an average ticket price of only pounds 12.

Our doors are open to a new, enthusiastic audience who have joined with opera lovers to support the first opera house in London to discard the tags of elitism and expense.

Yours faithfully,

Philip Parr

Artistic Director

Spitalfields Market Opera

London, E1

11 October