On Friday afternoon I took time out to watch my talented colleagues perform in the dress rehearsal of the Royal College of Music’s production of The Cunning Little Vixen. This wonderful opera by Janácek’s was sung in English for this particular production and tells the exciting and episodic story which constantly raises the imagined similarities and differences between humans and animals.
The costumes designed by Hannah Wolfe were flamboyant and wonderfully colourful. Every costume was personalised and each suggested a hint of different animalistic features, such as a spiked backpack worn by a hedgehog/man. It was fun as an audience member to notice these intricacies which added to the story and allowed your imagination to build on the images played out on stage.
The set was also exquisite and full of extra compartments that drew your attention as they that opened and closed the space to new scenes. My particular favourite scene that Alex Berry designed was the chicken coop which showcased a Charlie and Chocolate factory esque egg laying factory that really caught my childlike imagination.
Daniel Slater beautifully combines lustful dancing with animalistic gestures performed by the Singers in his direction of this opera. It worked brilliantly and told the story seamlessly. I particularly enjoyed the love duets performed by the dancers which continued to expand on the story during the passionate orchestral interludes, sophisticatedly lead by Michael Rosewell.
This is a great production and my friends were in top form. There are a still a few tickets left if you are in the area and it is definitely worth a visit: http://www.rcm.ac.uk/events/listings/details/?id=1383768
7:00pm | 27 November 2017
7:00pm | 29 November 2017
7:00pm | 01 December 2017
7:00pm | 02 December 2017
I’m really looking forward to the ‘Winter Concert’ with the Thames Philharmonic Choir and Beth Moxon (alto), Steve Mills (tenor), Dan D’Souza (bass) under the direction of conductor John Bate and Stephen Disley (organ) in Kingston upon Thames, with our thanks to The Josephine Baker Trust who match us to engagements and provide half the fees. We’ve had our first rehearsal the program is called ‘A Feast of Baroque & 5 Modern Carols’ you can get tickets at www.thamesphilchoir.org.uk or at the door, should be a great start to the Season.
I’ve also been working hard on my Handel ‘Messiah’ soloist preparations, the Messiah is an English-language oratorio from the Baroque era, composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, it premiered in Dublin in 1742 at Easter and has been performed by choirs across the United Kingdom every year since. Handel continued to work on the piece until 1754 when he arrived at the version we use today. You can read more about it here http://www.classicfm.com/composers/handel/music/george-frideric-handel-messiah/
I’m excited to start the first of two performances at Blackburn in Lancashire with the Blackburn Music Society and the Lancashire Chamber Orchestra under the baton of conductor Tom Newall and with Chamber Organist Samuel Hudson. My fellow soloists in Blackburn Cathedral are Helen Ann Gregory; Alexander Grainger and Matthew Mannion who I last performed with in Don Giovanni at Opera Britain last year. Tickets: 01254 201978 or on the door.
Sounds like a festive season.
Yes it is John, I’m feeling very Christmassy now 🎄
Best wishes
Charlotte
Best wishes to you as well.
What a wonderfully cheerful post, Charlotte! You are quite the student of your craft!
I’m feeling very cheerful, I’ve been practising the complicated runs this afternoon, so I’m going to put my feet up now and chill 😀.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Your winter culture program is amazing, dear Charlotte! Good luck with ‘Messiah’! You are the perfect voice for this beautiful piece of music! 🙂
Thank you, I’m really enjoying learning the full oratorio, I learnt Come Unto Him and How Beautiful Are the Feet when I was 16 and it’s so nice to revisit them with the extra technique I’ve learnt during my training 🎶💕. It will really start the Season off nice because my parents can come to watch.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Nothing like music to make life sparkle! The Cunning LIttle Vixen sounds like a fabulous experience. Just think, how many people you are going to enchant with your LIVE performances this holiday season. What fun.
I’m getting excited for the weekend now and it will be nice to be up in Blackburn, Lancashire again. I’ve already ordered my full English grilled (not fried) breakfast off my parents for Sunday.
Best wishes
Charlotte
The Little Cunning Vixen sounds very interesting – “raises the imagined similarities and differences between humans and animals”. It must be a great fun show.
I really enjoyed it, it was a lovely performance.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Dear Charlotte,
Glad you got to see the dress rehearsal for little vixen. Congratulations on being in Handel’s Messiah.May the Lord bless you richly my beloved.
Thank you Rev. Tim. I’m looking forward to this weekend now.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Tickles my sense of humour – childish as it is – that the costumes for Cunning Little Vixen are designed by someone called Wolfe. Two of my favourite animals. 🙂
Hehe, I like synchronicity like that too Scott. 🦊🐾
Best wishes
Charlotte
We had a beautiful production of The Cunning LIttle Vixen here in Frankfurt in 2016, with Louise Alder in the title role.
Wonderful, Louise Alder ✨ studied at the Royal College of Music before my time here.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Wow.. It’s impressive that you can perform the same music almost 300 years later. I guess the saying really is true: If it’s not “Baroque,” don’t fix it. I am happy for you; this is the making of a very Merry Christmas for you all.☺
I like what you did there Eric 😄.
Looking forward to the Christmas season 🎄🙋🏼.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I borrowed that joke from Cogsworth in Disney’s “Beauty & the Beast.”
Sounds like a wonderful season of beautiful productions and music, Charlotte! Your voice will only add more magic and beauty to the season! Enjoy the holidays! Love & hugs xx
Thanks so much Janice, thank you for keeping in touch 💕🎄.
Love & Hugs back,
Charlotte
Happy Holidays to you ,Charlotte. What a busy schedule you have! Take care and enjoy you chill time.
Thanks so much Darlene, Happy Holidays to you, I love this season. So much music to learn I’ve enjoyed working on it. Two of the performances are near my parent’s home so that’s always chill time, no cooking or cleaning for a weekend 😀.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Several more reasons why I feel deprived on this side of the Atlantic! Break a leg with your performance, Charlotte! And I envy the richness of your musical life!
Thanks Noelle, I can’t wait to see and sing in Blackburn Cathedral, the last time I was in Blackburn was at the Kathleen Ferrier Junior Bursary Award and came away with the audience prize, I hope I do a good job for the audience this time too and the concert at the Royal Northern College of Music on 16th is where I went to the Junior Conservatoire from age 16-18 on Saturdays and will be my first visit back there so that’s exciting. I’ve never been to Kingston on Thames so that’s another dot for my map.
Best wishes
Charlotte
‘Tis the season to be joyous and hear a lot of Baroque music. Or I guess in your case, perform a lot of Baroque music. The ‘Messiah’ is also popular over here this time of year, though I think it is also performed a lot around Easter. I hope the performances go great!
Yes two of the performances are Baroque the first isn’t. It is performed at Easter too. It’s been a lot of work to learn it but I’ve enjoyed working on it. I’ll try to get a couple of photographs of the venue if I’m allowed.
Best wishes
Charlotte
What a busy performance season. When will you fit in the Christmas shopping? LOL. I am sure you will be fabulous in these productions.
On-line shopping is my lifeline. I have a 30 minute slot on a Sunday morning for food shopping, I get up early go to a morning Yoga session then shopping after as soon as the shop opens, then back home to practice, whilst I’m home this weekend I might persuade my parents to go for a big shopping expedition if we’ve time.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I wondered where all my energy and organisation had disappeared to. Perhaps I handed it on to you 🙂
A lovely post Charlotte, you are certainly busy but obviously love it! I’ve got my ticket for your Manchester performance and cannot wait. It will be fantastic to see you again xxxx
Yay, just in time for Dads birthday too. Can’t wait to see you all.
All my best,
Charlotte
What a exciting run up to Christmas you have Charlotte.
Enjoy your performances.xx
I’ve just heard you’ve got tickets too so I’ll be excited to see you both 💕.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Lots of exciting shows to be a part of to the run up to Christmas. Good luck with them 🙂 x
Thanks Christine, looking forward to meeting the choirs and everyone involved, it will certainly put me in the right mood for the season.
Best wishes
Charlotte
What a wonderful mix of Christmastime performances! I’m sure that you will do well. I wish I could hear your Messiah performance.
I wish you could hear it too John, excited now to get going.
Best wishes
Charlotte
How busy you are at the moment! I hope your performances go well (I am sure they will!) I don’t know the Richard Rodney Bennett ‘5 Carols’. I will have to have a listen. I met him when I was at the Junior School of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He gave us a talk about composition and performance. Such a lovely man!
Yes its audition season too so everyone is very busy. How wonderful that I’m singing Carols written by someone you’ve met in person what a lovely coincidence.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Good luck with the Messiah performance, Charlotte! I wish I could come and see it–the Messiah is one of my favourite musical works of all!
Best regards,
Cate
It would be lovely to meet up with you again Cate, I hope that you and all your family are well 😊.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Charlotte, I envy you singing Baroque solos. That is my favorite musical genre and I have sung the Messiah parts myself, back in my college days. Beautiful music at the best time of year for it. Bravissima! Wish I could attend! <3
Thanks Beth, I’ve my last performance of the Messiah Saturday in Baroque style, hope you’re looking forward to Christmas and all the best for the New Year too.
Best wishes
Charlotte