The Magic Flute

DavebytheSea · Post by **DavebytheSea** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:16 pm

Christ's Hospital is putting on Mozart's opera from tomorrow to celebrate his 250th. I understand that this is the first time a school has ever performed it without using professional soloists and that one newspaper has hailed it as the most ambitious production ever staged by a secondary school.

Is anyone else going?

Jonathan is doing the lights and I am particularly wondering how the Queen of the night will cope with the famously difficult aria in act two which includes an F6 - the celebrated "Queen of the Night F"! I will try and report it on here when I get back from CH at the beginning of next week.

One acquaintance of mine is very concerned about the masonic symbolism in the opera and its impact on young minds. He claimed that the Holy Spirit struggled to get through in a TaizÃ© service held last week in Truro Cathedral, the building of which was largely funded by local masons and contains many masonic signs and plaques in its structure. Personally I am totally mystified by the whole thing but am aware that very often people shake my hand in a funny way. I have often wondered what the CH Masonic lodges are all about - and why we need three of them.

I know masons do not like to talk publicly about the Craft, but it would be very interesting to know if we have any masons on the forum who could enlighten us a little.

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 1:36 pm

How did the opera go?

DavebytheSea · Post by **DavebytheSea** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 1:47 pm

Just leaving home now to drive up. Will be there tomorrow for the last night.

gingertom · Post by **gingertom** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:42 pm

The first night went incredibly well, and the students did an amazing job. As I sit here we are just approaching the end of Act 1, and it seems to be a little more polished than last night (touch wood).

If anyone has any questions feel free to launch them in my direction.

All the best,

Tom

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:50 am

How was the stage management Tom?

J.R. · Post by **J.R.** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:10 pm

Is the 'Magic Flute' any relation to the 'Passionate Piccolo' ??

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:51 am

Hmmmm...

blondie95 · Post by **blondie95** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:13 pm

oh dear!

Apalacia · Post by **Apalacia** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:59 pm

Who was the one who sung the F then? Hannah Reilly?

Laughingmonsta · Post by **Laughingmonsta** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 4:03 pm

The Magic Flute went extremely well, the effort from all involved were a real blessing to the CH name, and in answer to the question yes Hannah O'Reily was Queen of the Night, i will try and post up some production shots up for you all to see!

Laughingmonsta · Post by **Laughingmonsta** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 4:28 pm

As promised here are some production photos - photographs were taken by Anthony Shepard.
(Edit by JT:- JR volunteered to re-touch the images. Version on the right is JRs.)

Tamino - Nick Pritchard

Monostatus - Tristin Franklinos & Pamina - Claudia Parks

Queen of the Night - Hanna O'Reily

Papagana - Callum Madge & Papageno - Gabbriella Younge

Three ladies - Zoe Munday, Issi McCall, Laura Reading

hope you get a tiny feeling of the show from these pics.

The next big drama production will be Bard-Fest on the 6th and 7th Feb, which will be four new 30 min adaptations of four of shakespeares finest plays, and your chance to see for the 1st time in years the CH theatre completely in the round.

Romeo & Julliet - directed by Jeffrey Mayhew
Midsummer Nights Dream (dance version) directed by Ian Wooller (dancer in residence)
Twelfth Night - directed by John Garfield-Roberts (actor in residence)
Othello - directed by David Saunders

show starts at 7:30 and tickets are Â£5, Â£4 & Â£3

stpandp · Post by **stpandp** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 12:59 pm

Thanks for the photos - just a comment - they could do with a quick colour correction edit in (e.g.) photoshop.

Post by **jtaylor** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:58 pm

JR edited - alternatives posted next to each.

DavebytheSea · Post by **DavebytheSea** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:03 pm

i prefer the original - in the amended version i think more colour saturation is needed. Either way I wish some of these photos had been available for my review - if it gets published!

Post by **jtaylor** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:11 am

My take on one of the photos:-

I'm no expert - any Photoshop expert fancy showing us what can be done?