On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Toronto’s Viva! Youth Singers and Trinity-St Paul’s United Church present one of the great modern-era vehicles for community musicmaking: Benjamin Britten’s opera Noye’s Fludde, based on a Medieval mystery play.
Britten’s performance instructions call for a mix of professionals and amateurs. The composer also insisted that the opera be presented in a community hall or a church, not in a concert venue.
Noye’s Fludde was a hit at its premiere at the 1958 Aldeburgh Festival, getting a further boost from a BBC radio broadcast. It was enthusiastically taken up by groups able (and not so able) throughout the English-speaking world, and remains a favourite among performers and audiences alike.
There are even three old Anglican hymns included in the score for full community participation.
I think it’s been quite a while since a Toronto group has presented Noye’s Fludde and shared Britten’s magical musical way with the simplest of means.
This production features Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio alumnus Justin Welsh as Noah and mezzo Marion Newman as his bibulous wife among the professional contributors.
This production has brought back a flood of memories for soprano Mary Lou Fallis:
“My first real operatic role! at Ledbury Park Junior High. I was cast as Mrs. Sem in Noye’s Fludde by Benjamin Britten. Our teacher was Laughton Bird, rest his soul. He was a far-seeing music educator who brought in “real musicians” like Nexus and the Canadian Brass for in-school sessions. Members of these groups took some of the musical leadership in that long-ago production.
“This opera sounded very modern to my ear (it was 1962, and Noye’s Fludde was written in 1957) but the rhythmic pulse and the fabulous story made it so exciting. Never mind that my “husband,” Mr. Sem, didn’t have a changed voice. It was my introduction to real stage direction and working with other singers. I can remember counting like mad against strong percussion effects.
“The big storm of the flood starts with raindrops played on banged teacups — during rehearsals we broke about six.
“Memories: Animals rushing onto the stage, the dove and crow dancers, the olive branch at the end. The voice of God coming from the balcony. Noah’s wonderful deep voice. Mrs. Noah and her drunk gossips, who almost didn’t make it into the ark.
“When we got to sing those marvelous well-known hymns with the 80 strong cast, audience and orchestra, trumpets and drums, the experience became transcendent. Oh yes, my costume was burlap and itched mercilessly but that didn’t diminish my sense of wonder.
“So many of my musician friends remember being part of a production of Noye’s Fludde across this country over the last 50 years. Many of them were deeply affected and went on to have careers as performers or administrators as a result, they’ve told me.
“Fludde truly is a masterwork and a model of community music making. It is what it is all about. Everyone should see it at least once in their lifetime.”
For some extra background, you can visit the Britten Pears Foundation website here. For more information on the four performances in the Toronto production, click here.
Here’s an excellent background video on Noye’s Fludde prepared by the Britten-Pears Foundation:
John Terauds