Wearside singers wanted!
Free Experience Opera Taster Day
Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens
Sunday 8 March 2020, 10am – 3pm
Opera Sunderland are offering Wearside singers the chance
to take part in a Free Experience Opera Taster Day at Sunderland Museum &
Winter Gardens on Sunday 8 March.
No previous experience is necessary and the workshop will
be led by a professional opera team to immerse participants in a day of
singing, drama and music.
The free taster day is part of a project inspired by local
veterans. The Soldier’s Return is a brand new opera based on present day
veterans’ real life experiences, premiering at The Point in Sunderland in June
2020. Drawn from interviews with local people involved in past, recent and ongoing
combat situations, it explores the impact of conflict when soldiers return
home.
As with all of Opera Sunderland’s work, The Soldier’s
Return is about local people taking part – from sharing their stories, to
workshops and performance opportunities. The company plans to involve as many
local residents as possible, including offering free singing roadshows in
partnership with The Cultural Spring, and schools workshops.
Sunderland-born opera singer and Opera Sunderland Artistic
Director Alison Barton said, “We have tonnes of talent here in Sunderland so we
hope lots of people will sign up to give opera a go. I really believe anyone
can sing, so even if you don’t have any formal training or experience our friendly
team of experts can teach you. What I’d say to anyone who thinks opera’s not
for them or that they ‘can’t sing’ is, ‘if you can chant at the Stadium of
Light on match day or sing along to the radio in the car, then come and have a
go!’”
Sandra, a local resident who took part in Opera
Sunderland’s last project, described the experience as "A complete
privilege. Being part of a totally original piece of work, being coached,
mentored, cajoled, encouraged by a massive team of high quality professionals
is such a thrill." Pauline from Sunderland added, "It was life
enhancing – the best thing I’ve done all year."
The Soldier’s Return follows the success of MIRACLE! An
Opera of Two Halves which premiered in Sunderland in 2015 and Opera Sunderland
has brought together many of the same artistic team for this new project,
including Sunderland-born Artistic Director Alison Barton, international award-winning
composer Marcos Fernandez-Barrero, Director Annie Rigby and Musical Director Marco
Romano, alongside T.S. Eliot Prize award-winning poet Jacob Polley who has
written the libretto.
Formerly known as Music in the Minster, Opera Sunderland is
a registered charity that knows opera is for everyone, and makes it available,
attractive and accessible by creating exciting opportunities for the people of
Sunderland. The commission is supported using public funding by the National
Lottery through Arts Council England, the Foyle Foundation, Hays Travel, Sir
James Knott Trust and The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
Photos: Dan Brady
To sign up for the free Experience Opera Taster
Day, email hello@operasunderland.co.uk.
To find out more about The Soldier’s Return or
to book tickets visit www.operasunderland.co.uk.
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