
Dawn to Dusk
Learning@TheGrange
Overview
Friday 7 July 2023 | 6 - 7pm
A youth opera co-commission between Garsington Opera; Materelettrica-Conservatorio di Matera Consortium, Italy; The Grange Festival; Mascarade Opera for the Alsama Project; Lebanon with Al Farah Choir, Damascus; and Amwaj Choir, Hebron.
Learning@TheGrange is delighted to be part of this ambitious cross cultural, creative arts project to devise a contemporary youth opera. The piece has been conceived and devised by young people from UK, Italy, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon who have connected digitally to discuss their stories, beliefs and hopes through music and text. Composer Richard Taylor and librettist lisa luxx have woven their words and musical ideas into a mythical youth opera.
In addition, an ‘opera pack’ of learning vocal tapes, staging and design ideas will be created to inspire youth organisations to perform the youth opera in whatever circumstances are available to them.
Our full staged performance will be on 7 July 2023 in our Theatre, involving approximately 125 Hampshire young people.
- Composer — Richard Taylor
- Librettist — lisa luxx
Production Team
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Jonathan Gill Conductor
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Ruth Paton Designer
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Lynsey Docherty Vocal Director
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Paul Milford Lighting Designer
Synopsis
Dawn to Dusk: The Moon is Listening is a contemporary myth, weaving together families between Italy, Syria, Palestine, England and Beirut. The tale follows the voice of a young boy named Hamido, whose voice is taken by the hands of the Breeze across seas and continents. Hamido's voice gathers folksongs and sings to strangers who are in need of comfort, nostalgia and possibility. His travelling voice transcends borders - as music does - bringing siblings, grandmothers, café workers and young men closer to whatever they felt they had lost. Though the wayward Breeze carries Hamido’s voice under the watchful eyes of Moon, chaos soon ensues. Ultimately leading to the reconnection of two long lost friends separated by migration.

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