A POPULAR opera company will soon be hitting all the right notes again as work on a new removable £3m pavilion began.

Garsington Opera announced last year it would have to find a new home after more than 20 years in the village near Oxford.

Its new base on the Wormsley Estate near Watlington has started to take shape but will be a structure that is rebuilt and taken down each year.

It will house a stage, orchestra and auditorium for 600 people and has been paid for through donations from festival supporters.

Spokesman Clare Adams said: “Last summer we launched an appeal to raise £3m for the new pavilion, and we now have more than two thirds of that. The Friends of Garsington Opera have been very generous.”

The pavilion is based on traditional Japanese designs, with sliding screens, verandas and bridges.

Mrs Adams said: “This pavilion will just be up for 21 nights a year and will be put up, and then taken down, in a matter of weeks. The amazing thing is that when it is taken down and stored away, the estate goes back to being a garden and it’s like we were never there.”

Opera administrator Vanessa McNaught said: “Everyone really wants to know how they put it up and how it all works. The pavilion should be finished by April, giving us time to test out the acoustics.”

The Wormsley Estate is home to the Getty family and includes an 18th century walled garden and cricket ground.

Restaurant marquees and tents will also be put up to accompany the pavilion.

The festival is currently searching for volunteers to act as stewards and car park attendants, and to provide accommodation for singers.

Mrs Adams said: “Our visitors will also be able to visit the historic walled garden, which is a short hop away, and we are looking for any local vintage car or bus enthusiasts that might be interested in linking up with us.”

The owner of Garsington Manor had decided the 2010 opera season would be the last there.

She added: “This is going to be a brand new start for the festival and everyone is excited to see how the pavilion looks when complete.”

The festival will open on June 2 with Mozart’s The Magic Flute and tickets go on sale in April.

For more information, visit garsingtonopera.org or call 01865 361636.