Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham

Subject: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 24 Feb 12 - 06:23 AM

I've written a folk opera called Make Room for Mummers which is going to be performed at Chippenham Folk Festival. I need one or two more singers for it. Are there any singers who can get to the Bath area for rehearsals interested in performing in it? The opera lasts about 45 minutes. FFI see the website for Fiery Dragon Folk Opera Company.

Anne

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: JedMarum
Date: 25 Feb 12 - 12:03 AM

folk opera? surely that's an oxymoron.

;-)

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: JedMarum
Date: 25 Feb 12 - 12:07 AM

sorry, bad joke.

I listened to some of the clips at the weblink. All the best it sounds like a great project!

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 25 Feb 12 - 10:01 AM

Thanks, it's based on the Widcombe Mummers St George's Day mummers play, with additional songs by me. I've kept it very funny and tuneful with some rip-roaring choruses with harmonies, and it will be accompanied by a small orchestra.

Originally it was going to be just for my fellow music students, as I'm a mature music student at Bath Spa University, but when it came to the crunch and I wanted to start rehearsals some of the students decided they were just too busy with uni work, ensembles and part-time jobs to spare the time. This is why I'm opening it up to people outside the university as well.

Anne

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: JedMarum
Date: 25 Feb 12 - 10:59 AM

Best wishes for a smashing success!

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 25 Feb 12 - 11:55 AM

Thanks. Come and see us at Chippenham Folk Festival. I'm not sure whether we'll be on on the Sunday or Monday, but it will be in the Cause Centre which has excellent acoustics.

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Feb 12 - 03:25 AM

Bounce

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: Mo the caller
Date: 26 Feb 12 - 05:58 AM

Is it part of your course or a hobby?

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: GUEST,Mike Mandaville
Date: 26 Feb 12 - 07:02 AM

I think that ballad opera can qualify to be named as folk opera, since it makes use of pre-existing melodies, including the melodies of folk songs.

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 01 Mar 12 - 02:12 PM

It is part of my course. Who is Mo the caller as she knows about the course I'm doing? I'm doing a BA in music part-time and complained that the options meant that I had to do either performance, opera or music theatre. Well I didn't want to do performance because they test you on sight-singing and I can't do that and I'm too old to learn, so they suggested I did the opera module and wrote an opera instead of performing in it. Now I can't get enough students to sing in it because they're so busy and I have more male than female parts and can't get enough men, so I'm looking outside uni now.

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: Mo the caller
Date: 02 Mar 12 - 07:52 AM

Who is Mo? or here. (I'm not sure why the first website opens in Chrome but loses it's links in IE.)

No I didn't know what course you are doing, but you mentioned 'fellow students' so I wondered if you were doing something like the Newcastle Folk degree.
We used to love Chippenham Festival but hate the drive down (I get car-lag, and am fit for nothing for a couple of days), so now we go to the Chester Festival which is smaller but within walking distance.

Good luck with it. The Cause is an excellent venue.

Subject: RE: Singers wanted for folk opera Chippenham
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 02 Mar 12 - 06:34 PM

Thank you. I recruited another singer today, another talented music student. I just need one more person and I'm there. I'm holding myself back as the understudy for all parts.