lammermuir festival 2018

an cadal trom

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INTRODUCTION

Following in the wake of the successful 2016 production of Benjamin Britten’s “Noye’s Fludde”, a company of over 150 performers from Dunbar and the surrounding area join a cast of professional soloists and instrumentalists to present the premiere performance of “An Cadal Trom”, an operatic celebration of this area’s unique journey through history and folklore.

Taking its title from an old Gaelic song meaning “A Deep Sleep”, the opera explores the many tales and legends which abound these shores and harkens to one of the myths which lie at the very origins of opera itself, Orpheus’ universal theme of wanderlust, yearning and ultimately redemption. Rooted in the very rich and wondrous stories which run through Dunbar’s own history, we follow the interactions of two central characters whose story of love and rejection is woven throughout time, travelling through a kaleidoscopic musical landscape filled with pilgrims, invaders, visionaries and local townsfolk.

Critically acclaimed Scottish-Gabonese composer Matthew Rooke’s music celebrates the diversity of our musical life today, embracing classical, folk and traditional forms and wider world music influences.

With distinguished conductor Sian Edwards once more at the helm and directed by Shadwell Opera’s Jack Furness, a large cast of adult performers will join the children of Dunbar Voices, Dunbar Music School and Dunbar Primary School, with Community Theatre and Costume Design students from Queen Margaret University and a terrific professional cast to bring this premiere to Dunbar.

This year’s Lammermuir Festival Community Opera sees a welcome return of Scottish baritone Andy McTaggart and mezzo Penelope Cousland, fresh from the stage of Scottish Opera, the Edinburgh International Festival and Bayreuth Festival Opera 2018. For those of you who joined us for the 2016 production of Noye’s Fludde, Andy and Pen were our spectacular Mr and Mrs Noye, and a great favourite with our marvellous crew in the ark!

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