DON’T be fooled by the summer sunshine, Tilbury. The waters will start rising again during June and reach fludde levels by July. The fludde will begin in Southend-on-Sea reaching Tilbury on 17 July and stretching all the way to London, reaching Southwark Cathedral by July 19. But don’t worry: This fludde won’t cause any damage. Indeed it will be a great spectacle enjoyed by all as the Southend Boys’ and Southend Girls’ Choirs present a fantastic and authentic production of Benjamin Britten’s joyous children’s opera Noye’s Fludde.
Britten’s opera Noye’s Fludde tells the biblical story of Noah and the Flood. It was written for children to perform and schoolchildren from Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea will take part, accompanying the Choirs to play the animals in the ark and provide music for this exciting production. During June, children from two schools in Thurrock and five schools across Southend-on-Sea take part in creative workshops to design animal masks. Award winning dancer and artist Hi Ching, from the Foundation of Indian Performing Arts (FIPA), will lead the workshops and FIPA will create the hand-held masks for the performance.
Children from Lansdowne Primary, Herringham Primary and Gateway Free School in Thurrock will play the animals rescued by Noah in a performance of Noye’s Fludde at the London Cruise Terminal on Wednesday 17 July. They will join children from St Mary’s Church of England Primary, St George’s Primary, Temple Sutton Primary and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary and Kingsdown School in Southend-on-Sea. They will all travel on to London for a final performance in the splendour of Southwark Cathedral.
Noye’s Fludde was written following the devastating floods that caused so much damage and loss of life across the East Coast of England 60 years ago in 1953. Britten’s own home was flooded and Noye’s Fludde was his response to this natural disaster. It was first performed in 1958 in Aldeburgh. 2013 marks Britten’s centenary. Arts Council England awarded the Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs a grant to stage this production.
Roger Humphrey, Musical Director of the Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs said: ‘2013 is the ideal time to celebrate the links between one of the UK’s most prominent composers of the 20th Century and The Southend Boys’ Choir. Lord Britten accepted the position of President of the Choir in 1970 when the choir was formed, and held this position until his death in 1976. The Presidency was then taken by Sir Peter Pears, international tenor and long time partner of Lord Britten. Both the Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs have performed Britten’s music in London and across Essex, and Noye’s Fludde is one of his most accessible works for children, who will take both singing and instrumental roles in our production. The performers will work alongside professional opera singers and the Britten Sinfonia in this colourful and exciting work.’
Noye’s Fludde is being produced by Essex-based creative arts organisation Pinpoint Create. Pinpoint Create Creative Director Mary-Ann Connolly is excited about this opportunity to re-create an authentic production of one of Britten’s most popular operas:
‘Evoking the images of 1953, Noye’s Fludde portrays Noah as a lone English eccentric, watching the waters of the River Thames and waiting for change. His wife finds him hard to live with and is more interested in the glamorous fashion scene emerging after the drab years of the Second World War. His sons yearn to be Teddy Boys, dressing in the fashions of the modern London dandies and their wives in the winkle pickers, pencil skirts and stiff petticoats of the dance halls. Pinpoint Create is delighted to be involved this evocative and joyful production. It is great to be working with Thurrock schools on an ambitious project that will show once more what an enormous amount of talent and creativity there is in the area.’
There will be four performances of Noye’s Fludde. The London Cruise Terminal performance is on Wednesday 17 July at 7.30pm. Tickets for this performance are free. They can be obtained from Tilbury Library or from the Thameside Theatre Box Office on 0845 300 5264
The first two performances of Noye’s Fludde at St. Luke’s Church in Southend-on-Sea on 15 July at 6.30pm and 8.15pm and the final performance will take place at Southwark Cathedral on Friday 19 July at 7.30pm. Southwark Cathedral was the first place Noye’s Fludde was performed after its premiere in Aldeburgh in 1958, and this performance will be conducted by composer and Musical Director of Guildford Choral, Jonathan Willcocks.
Tickets for Southend and Southwark are £5. Please call the Box Office on 01702 303628 for tickets for Southend or go to www.eventbrite.co.uk for tickets for Southwark Cathedral.
A special preview of a section of the production will be shown at Village Green in Chalkwell Park, Southend on Saturday 13 July.
More information about Noye’s Fludde can be found at www.southendchoirs.org.uk.
