Wednesday 26 June 2024
6pm
Milton Court Studio Theatre
Vocal Scenes
Liz Marcus music director
Linnhe Robertson music director
Victoria Newlyn stage director
Digital Programmes
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Milton Court
Eating is not permitted in the auditorium. Drinks are allowed inside the auditorium in polycarbonates.
Filming or recording of the performance is not permitted.
Latecomers will be able to enter the auditorium at a suitable break in the performance.
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Founded in 1880 by the City of London Corporation
Chair of the Board of Governors
Emily Benn
Principal
Professor Jonathan Vaughan
Vice-Principal & Director of Music
Armin Zanner
Welcome
Each year our vocal students rehearse and perform a set of Opera Scenes. Tonight’s performance is our final set of scenes for this academic year and involves postgraduate singers on the Master’s course and the Graduate Certificate course.
In preparing these scenes, our young singers have the opportunity to try out a small section of an opera role where they can combine their stagecraft skills, their language skills, their musicianship skills and their performance ensemble skills. Many balls which need to be juggled in the air for the world of opera singing.
Tonight, the singers are also joined by a student pianist, Ben Cook, from the Accompaniment Course (PACC) who has used this opportunity to ‘test the waters’ in the specialist repetiteur area of opera.
Tonight’s scenes cover a wide range of music periods and have been musically prepared by Linnhe Robertson & Liz Marcus. They have been cleverly linked together in the staging by Victoria Newlyn with a theme running throughout.
Stage Manager
Agatha Giannini
Assistant Stage Manager
Agnes Ronningen
Lighting Designer
Eli Hunt
Lighting Programmer
Tom Shackleton
Thank you Benoit Dechelotte, Jo Holmes, Manuela Rey-Alvarez, Rachel Young and Simon Cole.
Programme & Synopses
Jonathan Dove Flight
Opening Scene
Controller
Seohyun Go
Refugee
Alex Hutton
Bill
Sholto Biscoe-Taylor
Tina
Kristina Ammattil
Pianist
Liz Marcus
Location: the departure lounge of an airport. The Refugee cannot leave because he does not have a passport or other documents to allow him to enter the country legally. He is spellbound by the Controller, a “first class enchantress” who orchestrates the dance between earth and sky. She prefers planes to people. Married couple Bill and Tina are going on holiday to try to fix their relationship.
Donizetti Don Pasquale
Act 3 Duet
Norina
Maud Niklas
Don Pasquale
Alex Zasiadko
Pianist
Liz Marcus
It is the evening of Don Pasquale’s wedding day. A lifelong bachelor, he has married in order to beget an heir and disinherit his nephew, Ernesto. Ernesto is in love with Norina, of whom Pasquale strongly disapproves. A plan is in motion, whereby a disguised Norina has been presented to Pasquale, and the old man has taken the bait. The meek convent girl he was expecting has turned into an extremely demanding bride, running up huge bills and calling the shots. Now, instead of embarking on their honeymoon, Norina says she’s off to the theatre, and that “granddad” Pasquale should go to bed.
Gluck Armide
Act 1 Scene 1
Armide
Chloé Underwood
Sidonie
Harriet Cameron
Phénice
Roberta Philip
Pianist
Liz Marcus
Armide has just achieved a major victory over an invading force, but has failed to capture the enemy’s star warrior Renaud. Her aides Sidonie & Phénice encourage her to celebrate; Armide is tormented by the threat Renaud poses – to her country and to her psyche.
Mozart Don Giovanni
Act 2 Sextet
Donna Anna
Kayla Raschke
Donna Elvira
Hayley Meth
Zerlina
Eleanor O’Driscoll
Don Ottavio
Sholto Biscoe-Taylor
Leporello
Max Catalano
Don Giovanni
Jacob Dyksterhouse
Masetto
Alex Zasiadko
Pianist
Linnhe Robertson
So far today, Giovanni has made sexual advances on Anna at her home, resulting in the death of her father who came to her defence. Giovanni was then tracked down by his ex-lover Elvira, whom he had promised to marry but subsequently abandoned.
Next, he gatecrashed Zerlina & Masseto’s wedding, seduced the bride, and threw a party at which Anna, her fiancé Ottavio, and Elvira joined forces to try to bring Giovanni to account for his behaviour. At every step, Giovanni has forced his servant Leporello to collude, procure and excuse; under threat at the party, he even tried to frame Leporello for the assault on Zerlina, then somehow disappeared.
Just now, Giovanni forced the reluctant Leporello to switch clothes with him, and then flirt with Elvira, to keep her off his trail. Elvira wants to believe “Giovanni” (Leporello in disguise) has reformed, and is hoping the relationship will have a second chance. Giovanni is watching the charade play out.
Anna & Ottavio enter, he trying to console her for what she’s been through, her wishing only for vengeance or death. Zerlina and Masetto arrive, and believing they have found the evil Giovanni, both couples demand his death. Elvira pleads for the man she believes to be her husband… and to save his life, Leporello reveals his true identity.
Menotti The Old Maid and the Thief
Act 1 Scene 4
Miss Pinkerton
Maud Niklas
Miss Todd
Hella Termeulen
Pianist
Ben Cook*
Miss Todd, a spinster, has recently given refuge to Bob, a handsome, displaced man, urged on by her housemaid, Laetitia. The whole thing must be kept secret from those who know her. Miss Pinkerton, a fanatical gossip, rushes in with breaking news of a criminal on the loose, and reads his description to Miss Todd… who recognizes Bob, and has to think fast.
Rossini Tancredi
Duet
Amenaide
Seohyun Go
Tancredi
Cecily Shaw
Pianist
Liz Marcus
Tancredi has been in exile, and has returned to see his beloved Amenaide. His life is doubly in danger if he is recognized: firstly, as an exile, and secondly because Amenaide’s father has used his daughter as a political pawn by promising her in marriage to Tancredi’s former enemy. Tancredi is unaware of this second factor, and is confused by the cool welcome the terrified Amenaide gives him. They share a desolate wish for peace, which grows into a daring plan.
Offenbach Orphée aux enfers
Duo de la Mouche
Eurydice
Harriet Cameron
Jupiter
Pablo Boira-Boulding
Pianist
Linnhe Robertson
Jupiter has shape-shifted to become a fly, and wants to gain power over Eurydice. Eurydice is intrigued by Jupiter’s transformation, and has some powers of her own.
Douglas Moore The Ballad of Baby Doe
Act 1 Scene 4
Mrs (Baby) Doe
Madeleine Keane
Augusta Tabor
Hella Termeulen
Horace Tabor
Jacob Dyksterhouse
Pianist
Ben Cook*
Horace Tabor is a rich and famous man who came from humble beginnings, and owes much of his success to the hard work and determination of his wife, Augusta. Both are now in middle age, and their marriage has already lost its shine when Elizabeth Doe, known as Baby (although aged 26), arrives in town, alone and in need of a knight in shining armour. Horace has filled this role, finding a sense of youth and romance entering his life which he is heartily indulging.
Augusta has had enough, and comes to confront Baby, who has in fact just decided to leave Horace.
Mark Adamo Little Women
Act 2 Scene 5
Jo
Eleanor O’Driscoll
Amy
Roberta Philip
Beth
Hayley Meth
Meg
Cecily Shaw
Laurie
Pablo Boira-Boulding
Friedrich Bhaer
Alex Hutton
Pianist
Linnhe Robertson
Jo’s journey has been to accept that things change. She lost her eldest sister Meg to marriage and motherhood, and her beloved Beth to scarlet fever. She lost her best friend Laurie when he declared romantic feelings for Jo which she could not return, and lost her youngest sister Amy when the conflict between them could no longer be contained in the family home.
Now Laurie has married Amy, who always loved him, and Jo assures him that they can move forward in new roles.
Jo summons the memories of her sisters in girlhood; in the composer’s words, “she celebrates what they were and releases them to what they are now: they join in harmony a final time before disappearing forever”.
Jo is left in the present, visited by her friend, Friedrich. She accepts that it’s time to embrace change, and welcomes him into her home.
*PACC student on the accompaniment course.
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