Performance hits right note with centre staff
December 2011
Choir members dressed in some of the costumes from their forthcoming opera performance with (standing from the left) Joan Carter, Chair of Tees Valley Voices (TVV), The Wilton Centre Manager Dave Willis, Lesley Smith from SABIC and TVV Music Director Kate Robinson seated.
Office workers at The Wilton Centre enjoyed an extra special lunch hour when they witnessed the world premiere of songs from a youth opera project by a Teesside children’s choir.
The choral treat was part of the repertoire performed by Tees Valley Voices for an audience of employees and the choir’s sponsors in the lecture theatre at the business and science park, which is situated between Middlesbrough and Redcar.
In addition to a wide variety of singing styles including classical, soul, gospel and world, the young singers serenaded the assembled crowd with some songs from its forthcoming opera.
Called ‘A Kingfisher's Tale', the production is the culmination of a year-long Tees Valley Voices project 'Making an Opera' funded through Youth Music's Open Programme.
Written by acclaimed local choirmaster, John Forsyth MBE, it is due to be performed in its entirety in early 2012.
Joan Carter, Chair of Tees Valley Voices, said the children were very excited to have been able to perform some of the songs that they had helped to create, in public for the first time.
“One of the numbers, 'The Kingfisher's song', includes a solo which was sung by Jessica Rose. She was due to sing the role in the opera and was very disappointed when she found out in September that she had important examinations that clashed with the time of the performance. However, this concert gave her the opportunity to shine!” added Joan.
Over the past few months the members of the choir have worked with the composer to develop parts of the plot and create the words and tunes for parts of some songs and the final chorus.
Joan continued: “The children have also chosen which birds they would like to be and have decided on the colours in their costume and will be helping to decorate the costume and their masks.
“Some young people have given ideas for the opera poster and several singers have begun Arts Awards based on their work for the opera. So they've been very busy!”
The Wilton Centre Manager Dave Willis said it was a pleasure to be able to support such a talented group of youngsters.
“The choir is a very impressive set up and everyone involved with it deserves to be congratulated on what they have achieved.
“We are proud to be a sponsor and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performance which livened up lunchtime no end!”
The opera will be performed early in 2012 when singers from Darlington Youth Choir and the boys' choir Locomotion will join the cast. They will be accompanied by an orchestra mainly drawn from current and former members of Tees Valley Youth Orchestra. John Forsyth will both direct and conduct.
Fund matching from The Sponsors Club for Arts and Business, a partnership with Middlesbrough College, and a contribution from Tees Valley Voices have also supported the project. TVV is sponsored by The Wilton Centre, Foster Wheeler Energy and Sabic.
Further information is available at www.teesvalleyvoices.org.uk