As September draws to a close, I find myself with mixed emotions as Scottish Opera’s Pop-Up Tour comes to end for 2021. I have had such a great time with the lovely cast and crew that I am sad that it has come to an end, but I am also excited to be moving on to my next project.
We were told that this year’s three tours performed a total of 192 shows, in 46 venues, to around 11,000 audience members across all age groups, visiting locations the length and breadth of Scotland. I thoroughly enjoyed being involved and it was a delight to visit so many new places. I especially enjoyed visiting Ullapool and catching the ferry to the Isle of Lewis and Harris.
This month we focused on performing for children in primary schools and the atmosphere was electric. It was a joy to see children happily engage with opera and become energised by live music. The positive buzz spread amongst the communities and we were highlighted on ITV news. Here is a short clip shared by ITV News of the coverage.
A few highlights for me from this month:
The students at one of the schools had coloured in opera masks which were stuck onto Lollipop sticks so when they arrived and took their seats there was a sea of brightly coloured masquerade masks and smiles.
At another school, despite a rather wet day, we were welcomed by children who patiently sat in rainbow assortment of anoraks and were delighted to make the most of the opportunity to make music and dance.
These shows made a perfect end to this seasons performances and I will take away with me many happy memories, shared some great times with old friends, and made some amazing new ones.
