Sponsors Sky and ENO stage world's first opera in the sky
 

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No - it's an opera singer. Londoners were amazed earlier this week to be greeted with the sight of opera superstar Lesley Garrett giving her most unique performance yet - fifty metres above the Tower of London.

The world's first-ever aerial operatic performance was staged to promote the launch of the new Sky Seats Extra scheme, which offers reduced price opera tickets to the public. Sky Arts, sponsors of English National Opera (ENO), will now provide 14,000 seats for as little as £20 a ticket (saving up to £46 per ticket). Sky Seats is the largest permanent discount ticket plan available for major opera productions in the UK with over 14,000 tickets available per season. Lucky opera fans attending the stunt were seated on specially-designed theatre seating, decked out in red velvet, and were hoisted up in the air by a 160-tonne crane, to experience the ultimate audio-visual treat as Lesley performed an aria from The Magic Flute, part of English National Opera's up coming season. Amazing Despite being one of English opera's leading sopranos for thirty years, Garrett admitted the performance was a first: "I've been invited to perform in some amazing venues in the past, but never fifty metres up in the air! I hope this performance encourages people to find out more about Sky Seats Extra and see the great work of English National Opera", she said. Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said "Sky Seats is a brilliant initiative. It has   already allowed many thousands of seats at ENO to be sold at a hefty discount. Many thanks to Sky Arts for continuing to back it. I hope it means that many more people get the chance to see really first-class opera at a price they can afford. " Lucy Milton, Sky's Head of Arts, Community and Investment commented: "Sky Arts is committed to making the arts relevant to as many people as possible, by working with ENO to offer these reduced priced 'Sky Seats' we hope more and more people will get hooked on opera".