noyesfludde

lammermuir festival 2016

noye's fludde

PROGRAMME NOTES

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): Noye’s Fludde

So many operas designed for amateurs, children and communities have been written in the last 50 years that it’s easy to forget what a pioneering work Noye’s Fludde was when it was first performed in Orford Church, Suffolk at the 1958 Aldeburgh Festival. Britten had long wanted to make an opera out of one of the mediaeval Mystery Plays from 14th Century Chester, and when the commercial TV company Associated Rediffusion asked him if he’d be interested in doing just that, he jumped at the chance. Mystery or ‘miracle’ plays were Bible stories dramatized in simple everyday language for ordinary people (usually members of local craft guilds) to put on in town squares on Christian festivals. The cycle of plays used in Chester until, as far as we know, the 16th Century, is one of only four that survive.

Britten wanted to recreate that crucial element of communal involvement by ordinary people rather than professionals, so the familiar Bible story of Noah, his ark and the flood sent by God to wash away the sins of the world has a large cast in which only a small number of players and the three adult roles are taken by professionals while the rest of the singers and instrumentalists (playing everything from stringed instruments and recorders to sandpaper and china mugs!) are children. As well as that, Britten brings the audience or ‘congregation’ right into the centre of the action by asking them to join in singing hymns at key points in the story. Perhaps the most important thing about Britten’s composition is that he doesn’t ‘write down’ to his young cast. This is subtle, sophisticated, challenging music that requires much dedicated practice and hard work to bring off.

The story of Noah and the flood is a myth, but as with all great myths it embodies eternal truths. Perhaps the most obvious is the journey from dark to light - from sin to redemption, ignorance to knowledge, or in our production destructive wastefulness to sustainability. It falls to Mrs Noye (with her Gossips), as the cynical, disbelieving character in the drama, to reject the innocent optimism of children and represent our worst instincts. In the opening hymn ‘Lord Jesus think on me’ we, the adults in the congregation, sing about our human weakness and ask that we who have lost the innocence of children, may be restored to purity - “Through darkness and perplexity/Point the heavenly way”. The ordinary people participating in Noye’s Fludde effectively undergo a symbolic trial by water, passing through dire danger to emerge the better for it.

The music historian Wilfrid Mellers summed it up: ‘We start… with the consciousness of sin and earth-born passion, which we have to encompass before we can see “eternal brightness”. Although the Flood is in one sense a destructive force, it is in another sense (as it was in biblical myth) a necessary return to the unconscious waters’.

The Story

After the opening hymn "Lord Jesus, think on me", the Voice of God addresses Noye, announcing the forthcoming destruction of the sinful world. God tells Noye to build an ark ("a shippe") that will save him and his family. Noye agrees, and calls on the people and his family to help. His sons and their wives enter with tools and materials and begin work, while Mrs Noye and her friends (the Gossips) mock the project.

When the ark is completed, Noye tries to persuade his wife to enter: "Wyffe, in this vessel we shall be kepte", but she refuses, and they quarrel. The Voice of God predicts forty days and forty nights of rain, and instructs Noye to fill the ark with animals of every kind. The animals enter the ark two by two, while Noye's sons and their wives look on. Noye orders his family to board the ark; again Mrs Noye and the Gossips refuse. The sons finally drag Mrs Noye on board, but the Gossips are swept away by the flood; she rewards her husband by boxing his ears. Rain begins to fall, building to a great storm at the height of which the first verse of the seafarers’ hymn "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is heard from the ark. The congregation joins in the hymn, and the storm gradually subsides. When it is calm, Noye sends out a Raven, saying "If this foule come not againe/it is a signe soth to sayne/that dry it is on hill or playne." When the Raven fails to return, Noye knows that the bird has discovered dry land. He sends out a Dove, which brings back an olive branch. At this sign of deliverance, Noah thanks God.

The Voice of God instructs everyone to leave the ark. As they do, the animals sing "Alleluias" and the people sing a chorus of praise: "Lord we thanke thee through thy mighte". God promises that he will never again destroy the earth with water, and produces a rainbow as his token. The cast begins the hymn "The spacious firmament on high", with the congregation joining in. All the cast depart except Noye, who receives God's blessing and promise of no more vengeance: "And nowe fare well, my darling deare" before his departure from the stage.

Director's Note

Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland and our creative team have forged a fantastic collaboration with the town of Dunbar and surrounding areas, using Britten’s original vision to bring together professional, amateur and young musicians and singers in an epic performance with you, the audience, playing a vital role throughout.

Our Noye is a man of action. When crisis hits, he takes the initiative to save his family and the local street children by bringing them aboard his newly built ark to help create a new world after the storm. Noye and the children, like the people of Dunbar, are working towards a better way to live, a celebration of a community of people coming together to face the challenges ahead.

The process of creating this production has involved a phenomenal contribution from the local community working alongside the Noye’s Fludde team, to re-imagine this ancient story for contemporary Dunbar. Through our collaboration with Zero Waste Dunbar, we have adopted the town’s commitment to sustainable living as the central theme for our show in the story and in the supporting visuals. Our designer, Carys Hobbs, has created set and costume made entirely from recycled and up-cycled materials, much of it made in collaboration with members of the community. The show represents a shared effort in the true spirit of Britten’s original.
Caitlin Skinner

Zero Waste Dunbar

Dunbar and district is Scotland’s first Zero Waste Area. The area was awarded this accolade in 2014 after the town and its community put in a proposal to compete with other places in Scotland to try and accelerate the achievement of Scotland Zero Waste Plan. The project is a concentrated drive to test how our area could reduce, reuse and recycle more to accelerate our progress towards achieving zero waste to landfill by 2015.

After winning this competition to become Scotland’s first Zero Waste Area, The Zero Waste Dunbar Team and the community have been working very hard with schools, businesses and householders to put their Zero Waste proposals into action.As part of this work, the project is collaborating with the Lammermuir Festival this year on their production of Noye’s Fluddle. The story of Noah’s Ark is being updated in this performance to focus in on consumerism and it's resulting waste and how to work towards a more sustainable future.

Zero Waste Dunbar Team are working with this production to assist them to sustainably source the items for their show and to help support the production to find ways to reduce waste and reuse and recycle items they have used when the performances end. They are also hoping to help to communicate the contemporary messages around waste and sustainable futures to the school children involved and the wider public as part of the collaboration.
Susan Carleton
Education and Community Officer
Zero Waste Town Project

Community Support

Dunbar Primary School
Dunbar Primary School is delighted to be part of this production of Noye’s Fludde, working with our children and introducing music and opera to the next generation.
Helen Gillanders Headteacher

Bleachingfield Centre
The Bleachingfield Centre is Dunbar’s community hub and the base for a wide range of social, recreational ans educational activities and Council services. Every week it is visited about 2500 times by people of all ages who come to use its library, café, sports hall and meeting rooms. The Centre is pleased to be involved with and to support the Noye’s Fludde Project.
Jo McNamara Coordinator

CREATIVE TEAM

Caitlin Skinner – Director

Caitlin is Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed Village Pub Theatre in Leith and has directed the majority of the companies work since it was founded in 2012. Her freelance directing credits include The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde (Lung Ha Theatre Company), Sanitise (Winner of 2014 Scotsman Fringe First Award) Selkie and The Happiest Day of Brendan Smillie’s Life (A Play, A Pie and A Pint).

She has worked as Assistant Director with National Theatre of Scotland (The James Plays, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, Driver’s Seat) Dundee Rep (In My Father’s Words) Traverse Theatre (Breakfast Plays) and Royal Lyceum (Cinderella).

Carys Hobbs – Designer

Carys graduated from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh in 2009 with a First Class Honours degree in Costume Design and Construction. Starting out as a wardrobe supervisor with various UK companies for Theatre, Opera, Dance and Pantomime, she expanded her costume design portfolio in all of these areas.

Carys has developed lasting relationships with a variety of companies, including Bard in the Botanics and Aberdeen Performing Arts, is a returning designer with Scottish Dance Theatre, and has formed excellent working relationships with directors including Kenny Ireland, Gordon Barr and Jennifer Dick.

Moira Morrison – Assistant Director and Chorus Master

Moira studied music at Newcastle University where she majored in composition before going on to complete a masters degree in musical directing and conducting in 2010. Her final creation, a performance art piece for 16 musicians and 5 dancers entitled Strings, premiered at the Sage Gateshead. Whilst in Newcastle Moira musically directed Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, Bernstein's West Side Story and Kurt Weill's Mahagonny Songspiel, delivered workshops for the charity Streetwise Opera and vocal coached the children's choruses for Joseph, the King and I and Evita.

Since returning to Scotland in 2013 Moira has been composing and directing original youth theatre pieces, writing for physical theatre and contemporary circus productions and working for the National Youth Choir of Scotland in various capacities; running songwriting projects, teaching musicianship and directing the singing groups here in Dunbar.

Moira's unique style of musical directing is fuelled by her fascination in the relationship between music and movement and the Kodaly method of music education. She has recently created Scotland's first juggling choir - Circus Voices - which she directs and writes for.

Sian Edwards – Conductor

Sian studied conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music and with Professor A.I. Musin at the Leningrad Conservatoire. She has worked with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, the Halle and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Sian made her operatic debut in 1986 conducting Kurt Weill’s Mahagony for Scottish Opera and her Royal Opera House (Covent Garden) debut in 1988 with Tippet’s The Knot Garden, and has since worked with all the major UK opera companies and further afield. She was the Music Director of English national Opera from 1993 to 1995, and in September 2003 took up the post of Head of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.

Andrew McTaggart – Noye

A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Music in Glasgow, Andrew is an established singer on the Scottish circuit and is widely in demand.

Andrew has been a Scottish opera Roberston Trust Emerging Artist since the 2012/13 season, where he performed the roles of Bottom (Britten, A Midsummmer Night’s Dream) and Samuel (The Pirates of Penzance). Recent engagements include Garibaldo (Rodelinda), Notary (Don Pasquale), Yamadori (Madama Butterfly) and Morales (Carmen) all for Scottish Opera, the title role for Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Barone (La Traviata) for Opera Bohemia, and roles for both English National Opera and Clonter Opera. Future engagements include Lakai (Ariadne auf Naxos) for Opera National de Lorraine.

Andrew is also the co-Director of Caledonian Voices, and is Chorus Master to James MacMillan at the Cumnock Tryst.

Penelope Cousland – Mrs Noye

Penelope is currently completing her training at the Royal Conservatoir of Scotland’s Alexander Gibson Opera School under the tutelage of Scott Johnson

Previously she gained a Master of Music from the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied with Jane Irwin and Barbara Robotham, where she was awarded the prestigious John Cameron Prize for Lieder.

This year, Penelope performs at the Glynebourne Festival, in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg and Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen. Penelope was awarded the 2016 Joaninha Trust Award and has secured a position at the National Opera Studio in London for the 2016/17 season.

Donald Maxwell – Voice of God

Donald has sung with all the leading British opera companies, as well as La Scala Milan, Metropolitan Opera New York, Paris Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro Colon Beanos Aires and Theatre Musical de Paris amongst others. He regularly performs on the concert stage, radio, television and recordings.

Donald was born in Perth, Scotland and studied geography at Edinburgh University, before beginning his professional operatic career in 1977 performing with Scottish Opera. He has been in wide demand since then, performing major roles in operas by Janacek, Britten, Sullivan and Verdi all over the world.

Donald has been Artistic Director of Buxton Festival, Director of the National Opera Studio in London, and Head of Opera Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

Katie Hull – Leader

Katie Hull grew up in Dorset, then studied violin in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with David Takeno. She was appointed Principal 1st violin with the Northern Sinfonia at the age of 21, and eight years later moved up to Glasgow where she worked with the Scottish Ensemble and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

She was appointed Assistant Leader of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in 1996. She works regularly with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and has been a violin tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for the last 14 years.

Terez Korondi – Violin

Born in Budapest, Terez Korondi began playing the violin at the age of six. She received her early musical education at the Bartok Conservatory and at the prestigious Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest where her teachers included Peter Komlos,Eszter Perenyi and, for chamber music, Géza Németh.

She also spent a year studying in Vienna at the Academy of Music under the supervision of Eduard Melkus and Klaus Maetzl. In 1995 Terez joined the Hungarian State Opera and worked with many world-class conductors and undertaken tours across Europe. Since 2002 she has been a member of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera holding the position of Sub-Principal First Violin.

Rachel Davis – Viola

Rachel Davis began her musical studies with the violin and attended Trinity College of Music as a Junior Exhibitioner. She entered the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 17, studying the viola with Martin Outram and was appointed No 2 Viola with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera at 21, a position she has held ever since.

She has also enjoyed a varied freelance career including playing with all the major Scottish Orchestras including BBCSSO and RSNO and SCO. In addition to her orchestral life Rachel is also a co-founder of Classical Soundwaves, introducing live classical music and instruments of the orchestra to pre-school children.

Sarah Harrington – Cello

Sarah Harrington was born in Lancashire but has been a resident of Scotland since the age of one. Sarah’s passion for the cello took hold at the age of 10 and after a little wait while her father made her first cello, she began private lessons and later studied with Tim Walden.

In 1990 Sarah enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Derek Simpson and David Smith . Graduating in 1994, Sarah worked with various Orchestras including English Chamber Opera, Glyndebourne Touring Opera and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra before returning to Scotland in 1998 to join the Orchestra of Scottish Opera.

The experience and enjoyment of performing many great Operas over the years has been a privilege and one never to forget is Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Sarah is also an active chamber player (as well as a full time Mum ) performing regularly with the Edington Ensemble , Eumelia Ensemble and the Cantilena Festival on Islay.

Pete Fry – Double Bass

Pete Fry studied at the Royal College of Music. In 1991 he joined Welsh National Opera, and in 2009 became a member of the Orchestra of Opera North, where he stayed for 3 years before being appointed principal bass of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in 2012.

Pete also runs a chamber orchestra, the Serenata of Wales.

Siobahn Grealy (Thomas) – Recorder Coach

Siobhan Grealy began her studies at The Royal College of Music & went on to postgraduate studies at The Royal Academy of Music where she studied with William Bennett & then in France with Charles Dagnino.

As a young artist Siobhan won numerous prizes, awards & competitions which launched her career as a Chamber Musician & Soloist appearing throughout the UK & Europe in concert halls, on television & on radio.

Orchestral success also followed & Siobhan became established as the foremost freelance player in London before eventually accepting a position with The London Symphony Orchestra as their 2nd Flute. As a member of The LSO Siobhan toured the world, recorded extensively both live in concert & commercially for film soundtracks such as Harry Potter. She also appeared as a chamber musician, an adjudicator, worked as part of the LSO’s award winning education team & gave masterclasses & workshops at the music colleges in London. Siobhan’s experience as a freelance orchestral musician and then as a member of The LSO has, unusually, seen her in demand as both a principal player as well as a section player & principal piccolo.

Guest principal appearances include The London Symphony Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philharmonia, The BBC Symphony Orchestra, The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, The English Chamber Orchestra, The City of London Sinfonia, The Royal Northern Sinfonia, The BBC National Orchestra of Wales & The Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Siobhan left The LSO in 2013 & moved to Scotland which has lengthened her commute to London only slightly as the flights are somewhat faster than South West trains! She is still in demand with her London colleagues & also now appears regularly in the commercial recording studios recording sound tracks such as 'How to Train your Dragon 2'.

Janet Larsson – Treble Recorder

Janet read Music at King's College London, followed by postgraduate flute studies at the Royal Academy of Music. She started her career in London, freelancing with orchestras including BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia 21, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Glyndebourne touring and English Touring Operas. She was an active chamber music player with the Epsilon Wind Quintet and the Cameo trio ( 2 flutes and piano).

Since moving to Scotland in 1995, Janet has freelanced on a regular basis with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Sympony Orchestra and other freelance orchestras. As a member of the Scottish Flute Trio she has released CD recordings and played in festivals and chamber concert series, premiering many new works written for the group by contemporary composers.

Janet has worked for the education departments of the RSNO and SCO and is flute tutor at East Renfrewshire Saturday centre.

Simon Bird – Trumpet Tutor

Simon was born in Birmingham in 1972 and began playing the trumpet at the age of 11. He accepted a place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 1991 and upon completion of his course embarked on a busy freelance career working with various orchestras including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

In 2004 Simon accepted the position of 2nd Trumpet in The Orchestra of Scottish Opera and combines this with a post at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Ruari Donaldson – Timpani & Percussion

Ruari was born in Glasgow and studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. After returning to his home city he freelanced for several years with all the Scottish orchestras before becoming timpanist of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in 1998.

Ruari enjoys teaching and has a wide range of students from primary age to adult as well as coaching the percussion section of the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra.

Sue Baxendale – Project Manager/Producer

Sue Baxendale has worked in performance for many years as Section Principal Horn with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, and as both Producer and Education and Outreach Officer for Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland (McOpera) for which she has both devised and led numerous projects.

Throughout her creative life, she has been a strong advocate for the unique power of opera to express and articulate our modern lives. Recent productions for McOpera have included the Scottish premiere of Fleishmann/ Shostakovich’s opera Rothschild’s Violin, and the world premiere of the original version of Erik Chisholm’s haunting Simoon with dance film, as part of the Cottier Chamber Project 2015 After attaining a degree in English Literature and Music from the University of Birmingham and a Postgraduate performance diploma from the Royal Northern College of Music, Sue was appointed as Section Principal Horn with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in 1996.

Alongside her opera commitments, Sue works extensively throughout the UK, playing both horn and Wagner Tuba, with ensembles including the Scottish Ensemble, BBC SSO and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, RSNO, Opera North and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra amongst many others.

Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland (McOpera)

was created in 2012 by musicians from the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and has a wide portfolio of activity ranging from bespoke recording projects, to operatic productions, orchestral performances and community outreach projects across a wide social and cultural demographic.

Recent operatic activity includes the critically acclaimed (5 star) production of Britten’s community opera Noye’s Fludde (Lammermuir Festival 2016) and the world premier of Scottish composer Erik Chisholm’s opera Simoon accompanied by live edited film by Roddy Simpson (Cottier Chamber Project 2015, and released as a live performance on Delphian label in November 2016).

“Britten’s warm-hearted monster of a masterpiece fitted beautifully in among the festival’s bold offerings….celebrating the talents of the community, and all the benefits that brings, it was an astonishing achievement… there can have been barely a dry eye in the house” - The Scotsman (September 2016) *****

“Teeming and seething, percussive, restless and evocative…” - The Guardian (“Simoon” June 2015) ****

Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland also has a thriving business portfolio with strands in the corporate sector (including promotional work for the Glenfiddich label), wedding services, and in the community (McOpera Outreach).

McOpera Outreach has a wide range of current activity from opera projects for the Early Years (Squirrel), interactive workshops for young parents and babies with in collaboration with Reeltime Music, and bespoke orchestra accompanied compositions for children’s voices (The Tales’ Project).

Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland was the recipient of the 2012 Co-operative Development Scotland Collaboration Prize, heralded by CDS as “one of the crown jewels of Scottish culture”, is Ensemble in Residence at the University of Aberdeen and hosts a regular series of concerts in its home town of Glasgow.

CAST & CREW

Conductor: Sian Edwards
Director: Caitlin Skinner
Designer: Carys Hobbs
Assistant Director/ Chorus Master: Moira Morrison
Film Sequence: Roddy Simpson
Production Manager: Ronnie Herd
Project Manager/Producer: Sue Baxendale
Repetiteur: Beth Jerem

Noye: Andrew McTaggart
Mrs Noye: Penelope Cousland
Voice of God: Donald Maxwell

The Orchestra of Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland (McOpera)
Leader: Katie Hull

Sons and Daughters of Noye:
Peter Napier
Ollie Marshall
Joe Adie
Eve Doyle
Jess Mackie
Lucy Kilfara
Natasha Hilferty

Mrs Noye’s Gossips:
Ellen McNeill
Monika Rogge
Diane Kerr
Nancy Bird
Hannah Coffey
Jeanie Adie

Dancers (Dove and Raven):
Coached by Clare Bungay and Dance Discovery
Maia Baptie
Natalie Wilson

Children's Chorus

Chorus Leaders:
Annie Rose Dickson
Gina Wright
Hannah de Boer-Smith
Jessie Smith
Kara Thomas
Paige Woods
Rebecca Sangster

Chorus:
Aaron Mackenzie
Aimee Mill
Alexandra Whitehead
Andrew Irvine
Arlo Treacy
Ava Thorburn
Catriona Ford
Emma Cameron
Eve Allen
Jay Courtney
Kirsten Irwin
Luke Foster
Marisa Kay
Martha Cornish
Meghan McNeil
Merlin Kerr
Olivia Hamilton
Ryan Lough
Saxon Kerr
Shay McCaw
Sylvie Christopherson

Stage Crew:
Beth Sangster
Peter McNeil
Dave Hill

Materials sourced by Zero Waste Dunbar, with workshops and sessions led by Susan Carleton and Tracy Norman
Costume Assistant: Caroline Nelson
Stand Covers by craft groups in Dunbar, led by Beth Nelson
Rainbow, Sun and Moon created by Noye’s Chorus from Dunbar Primary School

With huge thanks to Zero Waste Dunbar, Dunbar Paris Church, Dunbar Primary School and Helen Gillanders, Jo MacNamara and the Bleachingfield Centre, Clare Bungay at Dance Discovery, and all our parents and chaperones without whom this project would not happen.

Video footage from videvo.net, pixabay.com, vidsplay.com and epicslowmo.com, released under a Creatives Commons license.

ORCHESTRA

Violins
*Katie Hull leader
*Terez Korondi
Naomi Barnes
Isobel Barber
Gillian Treacy
Sally Harris
Kirsty Adair
Molly McHugh
Ewan Jack
Dolly Glass-Slyth
Ben Nightingale
Anna Smart
Lia Harris
Salyen Dick

Violas
*Rachel Davis
Molly Young
Phoebe Hayman

Cellos
*Sarah Harrington
Ruari Woodsend
Ron Shaw
Kimberley Harper
Adam Barnes

Double basses
*Pete Fry
Brooke Ritchie
Emily McDougall

Descant recorders
*Siobhán Grealy
Fiona Nightingale
Beth Preston
Anna Waters
Aiddie Finlay
Imogen Fletcher
Anushka Demer
Amy Kendall
Heidi Henderson
Marg Hall
Ellis Love
Holly Shotton
Emily Waters
Euan Gillespie
William Love Rodgers
Charlotte Dunn
Ben Wall
Daniel Nightingale

Solo treble recorder
*Janet Larsson

Ripieno treble recorders
Kate Hajducka
Louise Guy
Eileen Finlayson

Bugles
*Simon Bird bugle tutor
Amy Leitch
Charlotte Davey
Isla Thom
Samuel Torrance

Timpani/Percussion
*Ruari Donaldson

Percussion
Murray Sedgewick
Thomas Bain
Liz Woodsend
Jakob Dalland
Lucy Weatherhead
Eve Smart
Jodie Thomas

Holy Trinity Handbells
John Elcock
Stuart Clelland
Joan Clelland
Rosemary Brannan
Felicity Haire
Isobel Colley

Piano
*Beth Jerem
*Derek Clark

Organ
*Craig Haggart

*members of Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland

HOLY TRINITY HANDBELLS

Holy Trinity Handbells was formed in 1988 with a two-octave set of second-hand English handchimes. With much fundraising effort and a grant from Awards for All, the band now possesses 38 American Malmark handbells. Ringing from staff notation, the group accompanies Sunday worship, entertains group meetings, fundraises for charity and makes merry music. As an active supporter of the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain, Holy Trinity Handbells has hosted Scottish regional rallies on four occasions. The band meets in the Trinity Centre Meeting Room, Haddington, on the first, third and fifth Mondays of each month. New ringers are very welcome.

John Elcock
Stuart Clelland
Joan Clelland
Rosemary Brannan
Felicity Haire
Isobel Colley

DANCE DISCOVERY

The two dancers in Noye's Fludde were coached by Clare Bungay and Dance Discovery. The school was set up in 2013 by Clare Bungay. Its main aim is for students to have fun and enjoyment while working towards examinations run by the Royal Academy of Dance and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. It also presents performances including gala days, Christmas fairs and its own annual showcase held at the Brunton Theatre.

REVIEWS

Noyes Fludde 2016

Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland

On the opening weekend of the Lammermuir Festival, the largest event yet staged was Benjamin Britten's great community opera Noyes Fludde. For this there was a capacity audience in Dunbar Parish Church. Over a hundred performers consisted of a blend of top professional musicians, plus amateurs and children drawn from Dunbar Primary School. This made for a chorus of twenty-eight, and an orchestra of around fifty, which included members of Music Co-OPERATIVE Scotland, who had spent much time with the young musicians. The assembled forces, including of course the audience-congregation, gave a true community performance, with rousing singing from all.

The evidence of hard work in the lead up to the Festival was there for all to see. By all accounts, Siân Edwards, having taken several days out from her busy international schedule, had played a great role in encouraging, indeed galvanising, all the participants. Sue Baxendale, too, as Project Manager had given up many days to help prepare the performers for this remarkable experience.

To our reviewer, present for the matinee, the performance was all he'd hoped for. Britten's music made a strong impact, its intriguing blend of instruments coming through clearly. Donald Maxwell, a veteran of international houses, used all his experience and projected the Voice of God with a variety of tone and colour. Andrew McTaggart continues to grow in stature, his presence growing with every production. Penelope Cousland too did well, interacting with the cast and 'congregation'.

Costumes, props and sets - all made of recycled and upcycled materials - were eye-catching. The youngsters themselves had made a splendid rainbow and lots of stars as well as a crescent moon. Mention should also be made of the atmospheric video projections, which were well managed.

This was a wonderful experience - all children everywhere should be able to take part in such an event.

On this evidence the Lammermuir Festival, founded only in 2010, is clearly going from strength to strength under Artistic Directors Hugh Macdonald and James Waters.
Iain Fraser (Opera Scotland)