Happy grant win from Arts SA
June 29, 2007 at 4:53 am | In travel | No Comments
We are pleased to announce that in the most recent grant round from Arts SA, Anthony was awarded a $5,000 grant towards his overseas study.
We are getting closer and closer to our fundraising target for our upcoming trip - it’s getting close now, we booked our flights the other day, and we’re leaving on the 4th of September; we’re flying with FinnAir, which will be a first for us - definately a cheaper flight though! We’ll also be very happy to be flying with our friends Eleanor Blythman and her husband Clint - Eleanor will be studying at the Royal College of Music while we’re at the RAM, so we will travel together!
Handel’s Carmelite Vespers
June 23, 2007 at 3:27 am | In Concert, Singing, choir, recital | No Comments
Heads up about a great performance featuring Jessica coming up in August.
Jessica has been invited to sing as guest soloist with the Adelaide Chamber Singers, performing with orchestra under guest conductor Graham Abbott - Australia’s foremost Handel specialist, also known to many ABC Classic-FM listeners as presenter of Keys to Music, the endlessly informative and entertaining guide to sundry musical topics!
The music is the “Carmelite Vespers” by Handel - Jessica’s involvement is specifically in the blisteringly exciting motet “Saeviat Tellus” and in the setting of the “Salve Regina,” both of which are large solo soprano works. The rest of the psalms and antiphons are choral works, including soloists from the Adelaide Chamber Singers, which is not only Adelaide’s finest choir, but one of the world’s finest choirs.
The “Carmelite Vespers” is a brilliant and interesting set of works - they are rarely performed, partly due to their difficulty. It has only been a fairly recent musicological discovery that this collection of psalms and antiphons was certainly intended to be performed at the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in Rome, July 16th 1707. Some of the Psalm movements were composed earlier, and used again for this extraordinary celebration, in the church of St Maria di Monte Santo; others were only finished by Handel days before the performance - reminding us of the extreme swiftness with which he could work to a deadline (the famous story of “The Messiah” being composed in just 24 days being a great example.)
There is a nice short essay about the Carmelite Vespers HERE, and info on concert tickets under upcoming performances.
Scholarship win!
June 16, 2007 at 2:29 am | In Singing | 1 Comment
Well, some very good news on the fundraising front!
Jessica has just found out she has been awarded the EMR Scholarship for overseas study by the Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide. Valued at $20,000 this of course will make a nice dent in her fundraising target, covering the remainder of her course fees for her first year of study in London. It certainly makes us more secure for that first year in particular!
Jessica would like to thank the Elder Conservatorium for supporting graduates and recent-graduates in such endeavours as hers.
“Duelling Divas”
June 10, 2007 at 3:28 pm | In Opera, Singing | 1 Comment
Our next venture is Mozart’s “The Impresario” - transported in a new production by Patrick Lim to The Casino Salzburg, Las Vegas!
Jessica Dean and Eleanor Blythman play the showgirls, who both want top-billing on the latest act at the casino. They demand big hair, silk frocks and, most importantly, high notes! In between these two temperemental divas is the beleagured Impresario (Patrick Lim), who has a difficult task ahead making sure they don’t walk!
It will also be performed in double-bill with “A Boy called Wolfie,” a miniature youth-musical by local composer Glyn Lehman, taking a tour through a few of the favourite tunes of Mozart as the cast of children tell the story of the young and talented Wolfgang.
Both these pieces will be performed with piano and string quartet, directed by Anthony. It’s the newest venture at the Opera Studio for Swell Productions, a smaller but definately no-less-entertaining piece while we are all planning our various overseas journeys.
Be sure to come along, it’s a great fun show - performances over two weekends, 16/17 and 23/24 June. More information HERE.
The Little Women Wind-down
June 7, 2007 at 12:58 pm | In Opera | No Comments
Little Women was such a treat to work on! What a thrilling piece! It’s only a pity a few of the critics didn’t recognise the quality of the work - some did, but perhaps not those who count most for getting “bums on seats.” (Although, thankfully, all praised the quality of the performers - it was a wonderful team of very talented singers.)
In the end, it proved a little difficult to post any photographs of the rehearsal process, mainly because that sort of thing shouldn’t be done without permission from all sorts of people! So, sorry about that!
However, we point you towards the State Theatre website, where, if you follow the “Media” tab, you can find some official rehearsal photos, and a few great shots from the production too.
Above is Jessica and close friend, soprano Eleanor Blythman (Beth & Amy) backstage on the final night - you may recognise Eleanor from the wedding photos below as one of Jess’s bridesmaids!
It was very exciting to have the composer, Mark Adamo, come and work with us during the last week of rehearsals. He had a lot of extremely interesting and useful insights into the characters of the novel, and his music; in all, his compositional process was fascinating to talk about. There are some interesting videos HERE of Mark Adamo workshopping some Arias from Little Women, and some from his newest opera, Lysistrata - it gives you an idea of the passionate and frantic intellectual style with which he speaks!
ALSO: Watch out for “Innocence” this Saturday Night (8th June) - a concert featuring the Elder Conservatorium Chorale, Anthony playing some extremely loud organ, and soprano Greta Bradman (from EVE vocal trio) singing extremely high notes! The photo below appeared on the front page of the City Messenger this week. More details HERE.
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