At London
Festival Opera we are passionate about bringing opera to as wide an audience as
possible, and especially about the importance of exposing children to music of
a high calibre from an early age. Some
years ago, therefore, we created a series of programmes entitled ‘Opera Magic’
to introduce opera to school-age children and young people which were premiered
at the Windsor Theatre Royal as part of the Windsor Festival. ‘Opera Magic’ has introduced many hundreds of
children to the magic of live opera since then and we remain as passionate as
ever about the importance of doing so.
We covered in our earlier blog, ‘The Importance of Being Musical!’, how important we believe it is to include music in children’s education; it is not only known to increase brain capacity, but it also teaches children many vital lessons for life – not least that practice and perseverance result in improvement and, eventually, the joy of achieving a goal. In this digital age where results are expected to be immediate this can only enhance and enrich children’s learning at this formative stage. Moreover, including music of all styles in an enrichment programme is tantamount to making a lifetime investment in connecting children to an emotional outlet, which could prove to be life changing as they develop.
Opera is arguably the
greatest of all art-forms combining great music, drama, fantastical plots,
wonderful costumes and scenery, a live theatre experience, plus the thrill of
hearing the human voice in its most refined form. It provides a sensory feast for children and
young people who, no matter what most stimulates their individual interest,
will undoubtedly find something in the performance which thrills and ignites
them. A first visit to the opera can be
intimidating and it’s crucial that the experience is a positive one – if it is,
they will be hooked for life!
‘Opera Magic’ presents
real, full-blooded opera, but with lashings of humour and audience
interaction. The pupils will be prepared
in advance as their teachers will be supplied with information packs so that
before they attend the performance, they already know elements such as the
voice categories and the etiquette of shouting “Bravo!” if they particularly
like a piece. They will also be prepared
to take part in the ‘grand finale’ where the opera singers on stage, the pupils
and teachers in the audience will all join forces in singing a rousing
celebrated opera chorus together.
The singers will interact
with their audience, going amongst them and making them feel part of a shared
experience. Some pupils will be invited
on stage to take part in the performance, featuring some of the world’s
greatest music including the works of Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Bizet, Puccini
and Gilbert and Sullivan.
Our production has a technically
straightforward set and rehearsal takes place on the same day as the
performance. Depending on the size of
theatre or auditorium, accompaniment would range from a pre-recorded backing
track, solo piano or a select chamber ensemble.
If you would like to talk about us bringing ‘Opera Magic’ to
your school please contact:
Philip Blake-Jones (Artistic Director) philip@londonfestivalopera.co.uk 07802 183847
londonfestivalopera.co.uk
