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| Andrew Kennedy Credit: Benjamin Ealovega |
Woodwose
was the culmination of a yearlong collaborative effort from the Wigmore Hall Learning Programme
involving a new opera written for tenor Andrew Kennedy,
the Wigmore Hall’s own chamber group Ignite, Harrow Road Community Choir, St
Marylebone School, Queen’s Park Primary School and Burdett-Coutts and Townshend
Foundation C of E Primary School, performed on Friday 19 July 2013 at the Wigmore Hall.
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| Kerry Andrew |
Composer KerryAndrew was commissioned to write an opera for 150 people local to
Westminster to honour the centenary of Benjamin Britten. By basing the opera in
a
folk tradition Kerry was able to join together the multiple ethnic heritages
of the performers. During the initial stages of investigating what stories
frightened the performers during their childhood Kerry developed a central character
of ‘Woodwose’ a wild man of the forest. It is this mythical being that becomes the
central focus for misguided village fears as Kerry explores the narrow
mindedness and mass hysteria which lies behind hate crimes. In the tradition of
Britten Kerry was also able to join together the musical folk heritage of
lullabies and folk songs and weave them throughout the score.
The opera began by introducing all the groups in turn
starting with the smallest children as spirits of the wood – forest trees and
animals, in homemade costumes, followed by scouts playing games, then the older
children and main chorus in a 1940’s inspired set complete with WI jam stall.
Elsewhere on this blog:
Bearing in mind that this was largely an amateur performance
there was a lot of good here. Working together the performers led the audience
on a journey which veered close to the edge of anarchy and lawlessness before
reaching a Hollywood feel-good ending.
Andrew Kennedy was perfect as the main protagonist - I saw
him earlier in the year in Bach’s St John
Passion at the Barbican. Here he really shone - his interpretation of Woodwose was outstanding. A slightly
deranged forest man, wanting to be left alone and minding his own business, Woodwose is harried by a girl from the
village who won’t leave him alone. Sometime later the villagers realise that
the girl is missing, jump to conclusions, and assume that Woodwose has done something horrible to her. Even when the girl
reappears the villagers decide to punish him.
Andrew’s tortured Woodwose
character builds up to an emotional climax as he sings his life history: how he
went to war, how he was changed by the violence and death around him. This
performance was truly moving and I cannot praise it enough. Finally, via the
power of a folk song – ‘Early one morning’ - the villagers recognise Woodwose and bring him home.
The 1940’s setting brings obvious comparisons, but this
could be applied to any war, or indeed to societies often misunderstanding of
mental illness. Quite rightly for the fairytale nature of this opera, Woodwose finds
family and closure.
Kerry Andrew’s liberetto was simple, but powerful, and the
score was sympathetically written. For the most part the singers were in
unison, making the most of the combined sound of untrained voices, moving into
duets or trios. Solos (apart from Andrew and Amber Kerr who played Betty) were
shared out, with people drifting to prominence and then back into the chorus.
Ignite were supportive of the singers without being
obtrusive. They provided an emotional underlay which drove along the surface
content. There were some instrumental sections that were a little too avant garde
to fit in with the general scheme, but after a while they became less
noticeable.
Isabelle Adams deserves high praise for keeping the show
running. Her directions were clear and enthusiastic. Any eye on her could not
be lost. The relationship she had with the chorus and children represented a
lot of hard work, talent and understanding.
The staging made the most of every inch of the hall – the
stage, the isles, the balcony, even the ceiling (we had paper snow falling and
spring flowering). The costumes and scenery may have been homemade with sticky
tape showing, but this fitted with the make do and mend ethos of the 1940’s and
the community spirit of the spectacle.
Kerry’s blog
describes some of the comments she received after the performance.
Woodwose was
directed by Hazel Gould and designed by Ruth Paton. It was supported by the
City Bridge Trust, Mayfield Valley Arts Trust, The Monument Trust and the
Samuel Sebba Charitable Trust.
review by Hilary Glover
Elsewhere on this blog:
- OHP - I gioielli della Madonna
- Hitting the high notes
- Dvorak/Schumann piano concertos - CD review
- Glyndebourne - Don Pasquale
- Rachmaninov/Shostakovich sonatas - CD review
- OHP - L'elisir d'amore
- Jung Soo Yun recital
- Constella - The Soldier's Tale
- Proms: Les Siecles
- Grange Park Opera - Fortunio
- Les Siecles: La Mer - CD review
- Home
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