Fishy tale inspires student singers and Oxford children
24 January 2011
Youngsters in Oxford this week saw what is likely to have been their first opera – written and performed especially for them by Oxford University music students.
The Golden Fish, masterminded by composition lecturer Dr Martyn Harry, of the Faculty of Music, and animateur Trevor Davies, brought together some of the university’s best opera singers and composers, the highly regarded Garsington Opera and children from seven city primary schools.
A storm scene towards the end of the opera, involving every member of the 170-stong audience at St John’s College, Oxford, was created just moments before the performance began.
Many of the children attended a workshop with the students and experts from Garsington Opera earlier in the day.
A total of twelve second-year music students composed the opera and another eight sang the principal roles and performed on stage. For most, it was their first experience of working with a professional theatre company.
Dr Harry said: ‘The whole project was incredibly exciting. The production was vivid and varied and went far beyond conventional opera.
‘We had audiences of six to eight year olds at the two performances and the children will have had no preconceptions about what the music would be like. To some extent, classical music has lost touch with its audience and this will help to put that right.
‘From the students’ points of view, the project was a vital vocational experience because an important part of being a professional musician nowadays is being able to run workshops and work with children.
‘I have designed a course around the opera. I won’t be assessing the students’ performances directly, although an exam question in their finals exam will ask them to reflect on their involvement in the production.’
Dr Harry, a former record producer for Sony Classical who has orchestrated several Hollywood film scores, worked with children on numerous projects at Durham University before he was recruited by Oxford two years ago.
He recently composed the critically-acclaimed children’s opera ‘My Mother Told Me Not to Stare’ which is to be revived at the Pegasus Theatre in Oxford in 2012.
The Golden Fish is based on a Russian folk tale which became known through the work of Alexander Pushkin. It is about a fisherman who sets free a talking fish he has caught and in return is promised the fulfilment of three wishes. He wants for nothing but strife follows between the man and his greedier wife. A happy ending eventually ensues.
The opera used the bones of the tale but was otherwise based on the work of children from West Oxford Primary School who joined forces with students last October. All the music was composed by students over the Christmas holiday.
‘I was really impressed by how closely the student composers collaborated together,’ Dr Harry said. ‘I don’t think you would know the opera was written by more than one person.’
The project was funded by the John Fell Foundation and supported by the College. ‘The outreach to schools has been very important and the children are seeing that there is no insuperable barrier to opera.’ Dr Harry said. ‘It’s also has the effect of demystifying Oxford University. This isn’t a calculated aim but is a wonderful outcome.
‘I think this initiative will create a demand for future years. There is tremendous enthusiasm from the schools and it provides a whole series of experiences for the children, not least a memorable visit to St John’s.
‘Garsington already has a successful outreach programme and has been fantastic at working with both the students and the children. It has been our privilege to have the company involved.’
For more details contact Dr Martyn Harry at martyn.harry@music.ox.ac.uk or on 07811 355635.