Opera is not the easiest of art forms to
introduce to youngsters, especially those who see the likes of Paw
Patrol and The Clangers as the pinnacle of culture, but
Welsh National Opera have given it a good try with their first family
concert in Birmingham.
My grandson, three next month, managed the first
half well, but his interest started to drift after the interval . . .
until the theme from Jurassic Park when dinosaurs appeared on
the large screen above the orchestra – what is it about toddlers and
dinosaurs?
To be fair, he was at the lowest end, by some
way, of the target age, and is at an age when he is too young to
recognise music from the likes of Beauty and the Beast –
Evermore, sung beautifully by Fra Fee – of Hedwig’s Theme
from Harry Potter.
He did like James Cleverton singing Largo al
factotum as the barber from The Barber of Seville, partly
as the excellent Cleverton was slapping shaving foam quite liberally
over the presenter Wynne Evans.
Grandson number two, aged seven, recognised the
film themes, which also included The Circle of Life, Fre Fee
again, from The Lion King and The Jungle Book medley
which featured choirs from Birmingham primary schools, Chandos, St
Nicholas, Harborne, Somerville and Percy Shumer.
Presenter Evans, better known as the tenor in Go
Compare ads, kept things moving along, involving the audience as much as
he could, even bringing a group of children up to try their hand at
conducting for The William Tell Overture – little lad Thomas
even managed to wave the baton at something approaching the right tempo.
He also brought a dad up to ring the bell in
Sousa’s The Liberty Bell march and chatted happily between
numbers. It is perhaps a pity that he did not grace us with an aria as,
away from selling insurance, he is a fine operatic tenor.
Samantha Hay was the third soloist, with another
excellent performance, giving us
both sides of The Magic Flute first as the evil Queen of the Night with
Der Hölle Rache and then as lovebird Papagena with Cleverton’s Papageno
with Papagena! Papagena!.
Fre Fee, incidentally, is a name to look out for,
he has the looks and a wonderful voice that is made for the more
dramatic roles in musical theatre.
Other music included Moross’s theme from The
Big Country, Elephant from Saint-Saëns The Carnival of the
Animals and Grieg’s In The Hall of The Mountain King.
It is easy to forget, particularly when they are
usually hidden in the pit under the stage with only an ethereal glow
marking their presence, that the likes of ballet and opera require not
just trained and skilled performers, who get the bows and plaudits, but
a symphony orchestra.
So, a family concert gives them a chance to
actually play not only above ground, but in daylight, and show what a
fine orchestra they are. Under conductor Timothy Burke they played
opera, as you would expect, but also swing, film scores and brassy
marches, with aplomb. Perhaps earning a little more respect, or at least
recognition, from audience members who attend WNO operas.
This was not jut a concert though. WNO had
activities running in the foyer for two hours beforehand with a simple
treasure hunt with prizes, face painting, a chance to be made up as a
character from opera complete with wig, craft stall to make whatever
took your fancy and a chance to play an instrument – grandson two
managed to get a few notes out of a trombone – not the easiest of
instruments.
It was a beautifully presented programme to
introduce children to opera, or perhaps more accurately to orchestral
music with some opera thrown in. There is not much in mainstream opera
for younger children – indeed English Touring Opera seem to be the only
company producing genuine opera for youngsters with things like
Laika the Spacedog or Shackleton’s Cat – so finding songs
and arias that will hold their attention is a challenge.
Perhaps the video could be expanded with shots
from the films if rights issues could be sorted, or live video of
orchestra members or soloists. Children are used to seeing the world
through screens these days so video is another window into the real
wonder and unbeatable experience that is live theatre.
It’s nit picking really though. The family
concert was an entertaining afternoon with even grandson one laughing
and joining in with applause and delighting in the clap along encore of
Offenbach’s Infernal Gallop from Orpheus in the Underworld
- that’s the Can-Can to you and me.
He is far too young to take to an opera, as
indeed is his brother, four years or so his senior. But they have seen
and heard a symphony orchestra and had a glimpse into the world of
opera, and you never know, perhaps a seed has been sown.
