Since last I wrote I’ve been to Lincolnshire, down to Bath, back to Glasgow via London, up to Loch Awe and home again via a beautiful civil partnership ceremony in Edinburgh. And here we are…
After a busy time of it, a few days holiday in Lincolnshire with family was just what I needed. It was grand just popping into the cheese society deli, driving over the Wolds to dig around at the local antiques market, lazing in the garden in some glorious sunshine and sipping cocktails with some precious long lost friends uphill.
And then I trotted further south to a fascinating conference about making opera for young people. It was hosted by ACA at the Egg in Bath and proved a wonderful day, meeting theatre and opera practitioners from all over the UK and hearing more about recent projects at Glyndebourne and the like. There was a huge mix of people there – composers, directors, education specialists, though only two of us from Scotland, myself and a journalist for Opera Now from Aberdeen.
Sarah Argent was showing a piece she had made for Welsh National Opera so it was lovely to see her and hear more from so many people about the challenges and excitements encountered when making work in this sector. There was a juicy debate about how to market opera aimed at young people – one director suggested it was safest perhaps not to tell anyone it was opera until the audience had left the theatre..!
After all, what is it that constitutes opera? I’ve been wondering if we need to understand music to understand opera? Isn’t it just a good story with a particular sung sound in a theatrical setting, or does that change when we’re making work for young people or early years? Maybe here the definition of ‘theatrical’ is itself totally up for grabs. I guess that’s what Tete a Tete and similar companies are wrestling with so successfully. And why as a trained musician and someone who used to sing with the London Philharmonic choir, I think there are some exciting possibilities when we look again at what makes ‘theatre’ and ‘music’ work best for early years audiences.
It was a great spirited and informative day, and most timely as I consolidate what I’ve learnt by developing BabyO at Scottish Opera and now look forward to making my new early years piece The Presents.
[Here's new family member Lily; apparently she's already booked her ticket for The Presents.]
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a Voice Studio International workshop led by Nadine George. It’s my third annual VSI weekend course and yet again it turned my head. This year, a privileged 8 of us breathed, stretched and sang together, sharing and learning (again) to listen to each other and ourselves in a different way. It’s impossible to describe the work without it sounding a bit odd, sufficed to say it is both simple and complex all at the same time and afterwards you return to the world feeling empowered, centred, open and more like yourself. You have the same sense of self that perhaps you once had as a child, before things got all complicated and working got in the way of making good work!
A few days in Loch Awe this week have capitalised on the sense of relaxation…
I’ve had such an amazing month and next week I’ll be delegate hosting over in Edinburgh at the Imaginate festival – can’t wait. And then onwards with some development workshops and the creative consultancy work…
But for now, a presto,
Kitty x
