AUDITIONS FOR THE 2010 COMMUNITY OPERA

ODYSSEY

An opera based on Simon Armitage’s Homer’s Odyssey
adapted by Martin Vander Weyer
Music by Tim Brooks

NOTE FOR PARTICIPANTS
There will be some Sunday rehearsals in June at The Milton Rooms preparing for REHEARSAL WEEK: Monday 12th – Friday 16th July at St Peter’s Church Norton

PERFORMANCES:
Friday 16th July 6.00 p.m. and Saturday 17th July 5.00 p.m. at St Peter’s Church Norton

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL Em: 01751 431231

Community Opera Everyman - excerpt from OPERA magazine Ocotober 2009.

.......An equally vital Ryedale tradition is the annual Community Opera devised and organized by Em Whitfield Brooks and the composer Tim Brooks, involving more than 100 Yorkshire schoolchildren and adults. This year's was an adaptation of the medieval morality play Everyman, given in the nave of St Peter's Church, Norton, with the rapt, expertly drilled cast, the band playing Brooks's tuneful, rather Brittenish music in the south aisle, and the packed audience hemming in the performers, united in a communal dramatic action as enthralling as any I have experienced in a long time.

David Cairns
Opera, October 2009

Community Opera (from an article by the Arts Council England, Yorkshire)

Amateurs joined with the Community Opera team and guests to create an Opera in a Day on the 8th May 2009

The project, which was coordinated by Ryedale Festival Community Opera, aimed to celebrate a multitude of styles and approaches in one new piece of work. It was created through a series of music, dance, drama and visual arts workshops all taking place at Pickering Memorial Hall on 28 March.

There was an open invitation to take part in the project, which was free, regardless of age and ability.

The unique creative team behind the third Opera in a Day included Edward Lynch, one of the founder members of Leeds-based Phoenix Dance, DJ and MC artists from NYCC Connecting Youth Culture led by James Koppert, Ryedale Festival Community Opera and members of the public from the local community.

In total 40 people took part in the project, which was funded by Arts Council England, Yorkshire. Work began at 9.30am and the new opera was then performed at 4pm in the Memorial Hall.

Em Whitfield Brooks, Director of Ryedale Festival Community Opera, said: 'The idea for our Opera in a Day came about due to the large numbers of people from across Ryedale, of all ages, abilities and levels of experience who, by sheer numbers, could not get places in our summer productions which take place every year as part of the Ryedale Festival, so we decided to open the doors for a one-day experience to anybody who would like to take part.

‘The resulting work was a great success mixing dance, rap and soaring sopranos, with masks made by members of Cauwood Day Centre for learning disabled adults, and banners by three local youth clubs; everyone who took part learnt a lot about their chosen disciplines and about working with a wide range of other artists and participants in an intense but fun and very creative atmosphere.’

Jennifer Hallam, Visual Arts Officer, Arts Council England, Yorkshire, added: 'It's great to see people with such a wide range of backgrounds in the arts - from people entirely new to the arts, to experienced professional arts practitioners, coming together in this way to share ideas and skills in a way that benefits all the participants and the local community. Arts Council England, Yorkshire is delighted that we were able to support the day and Ryedale Festival Community Opera.’

From www.artscouncil.org.uk