Education

Just as it is one of Opera UK’s aims to take our productions to places that have been starved of operatic performances in the past, it is also our intention to take the world of opera to children at a young age.

Opera might seem a rather ‘grown-up’ concept to an eight year old. So we have been working on ways that we hope will instil an understanding of it, and also involve the children in it.

Our ideas have developed out of Benjamin Britten’s “Let’s make an Opera”. We intend to have new librettos written – based on classical, or modern ideas. These stories will be simple but lend themselves to a new formula. The main roles in these children’s operas will be taken by two or three professional singers from our company. The choruses will be sung by the children from various chosen schools in London and throughout the UK.

Once the work is written – by a professional composer – the chorus music and an accompanying CD will be sent to the selected Primary Schools – the Keystage Two age group is envisaged. The children will learn their parts over time, and Opera UK will send a member of its music staff to work with the children occasionally during this period. An audio-visual presentation will also be sent, explaining the structure of opera, its duets, trios, recits, the orchestra, conductor etc. On the day of the production the singers, conductor, and director will rehearse with the children, and in the early evening they will give a performance.

In this way we can reach many schools and bring opera to life for these children.

Our first educational programme to follow these guidelines will be a new work called, ‘Hello Mr Darwin’.

This children’s opera, with a new libretto and music score, will be based on Charles Darwin’s arrival, in his ship HMS Beagle, on the Galapagos Islands in 1836 and his meeting with all the animals and his consequent observations about them. It will end with the publishing of his book ‘On the Origin of the Species’ – published by John Murray in May 1859.

The opera will convey – in very simple terms – the importance of Charles Darwin’s work and its impact on mankind.

The two professional singers will be a soprano Story-teller and a baritone playing Charles Darwin.

The children will sing the choruses as various animals.

It will give scope to developing both their singing and acting abilities.

This is a cross curricular project drawing together Music, Art, Design, Technology and the Humanities - and the children and hopefully their families, will be involved in the creation of simple scenery and costumes.

In all of these activities Opera UK seeks to broaden children's experience of opera by providing expertise in musical learning, singing techniques, working with professional artistes (opera singers, conductors, directors, orchestras) in professional environments (theatres), and involving the many cross-curricular links with the children's everyday national curriculum, e.g. in Music, Art, Literacy, the Humanities, PHSE, etc. In the increasingly technological, and electronic age, in which children are being educated, Opera UK believes firmly in the old fashioned power of the performing arts to impose self discipline, and determination, to children's learning, and is firmly convinced of the enormous benefits of increased self esteem and personal confidence that participation in these activities can bring to the children involved.

Our educational programme, lead by our Education Director, Derek Carden, is an integral part of the work of Opera UK and one to which we will devote our time and enthusiasm.