Rough for Opera

Second Movement's Rough for Opera returns on Tuesday 3 November 2015 at the Cockpit Theatre, NW8 8EH with three new operas by Ed Baxter, James Cave and Helen Noir. After each opera there will be a chance to discuss the pieces as Prof. Paul Barker leads a Q&A.

Ed Baxter's The Death of Kodak will be performed by the Resonance Radio Orchestra. Using a graphic score, the piece chart the decline of the Eastman Kodak company from its founding in 1892 to filing for bankruptcy in 2012. Ed Baxter is CEO of Resonance FM as well as BASCA Composer of the Year in 2013.

James Cave's Returns, sets a libretto by James Cave and Bethan Ellis based on a play by Joshua Casteel (1979-2012) which deals with Casteel's experiences of post-traumatic stress disorder. The extract from the opera will be directed by David Gothard, conducted by Jon Brigg with performers James Cave, Jack Comerford, Nils Greenhow, and CN Lester. James Cave is studying for a PhD in Composition at York University. He was Composer-in-Residence at the Banff Centre, Canada in March 2015.

Helen Noir's Acceptance Speech is a meditation on the absurdities of awards ceremonies. Helen Noir's work combines live looping, operatic vocals, trap, trance and other electronic music genres.

Further information from the http://roughforopera.tumblr.com.