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DOES EVERY COUNTRY HAVE OPERA? |
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Close to 300 elementary school students from Inglewood Heights P.S. , St. Charles Garnier Catholic School, and St. Joseph the Worker School were treated to the launch of the 2005 Opera for Schools concert series at Vaughan City Playhouse on Tuesday February 1. The popular arts education program, is presented by Opera York as an entertaining and accessible way of introducing Opera to the next generation of music lovers. The concert featured a quartet of accomplished singing voices ranging from high to low and in between. Baritone Andrew Tees (Artistic Director), Tenor James McLellan, Mezzo Soprano Marion Newman, and Soprano Tamara Hummel gave the children an experience they will not soon forget. From the moment Andrew Tees entered the theatre singing the popular "Toreador Song" from Bizet’s Carmen the audience of grades 4 through 6 never took their eyes and ears off the performers. Hands shot up to volunteer to come on stage and be a bird child in Mozart’s Magic Flute for the song "Papagano, Papagana". Half the audience raised a hand when asked if they spoke Italian. Another half raised theirs when asked if they spoke French. Only two brave boys admitted to having a girlfriend for the love song "Non so piu" from the Marriage of Figaro. For the finale, the whole audience learned how to conduct the singers through Offenbach’s "Barcarolle" from Tales of Hoffman. And then there were the questions … Is all opera tragic? Can I be a conductor? Do you go other places besides here? Were you nervous in your first play? Did you want to be an opera person when you were young? Are most of your plays in Spanish or French? Are you guys married? How long does it take to get your singing voice? Does the maestro always play the piano or other instruments too? Does every country have opera? More Opera for Schools performances will be scheduled later on this year. For
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