10th Anniversary of St. Agnes’ Violin and Orchestra Project November 12th 2016, was celebrated with a performance of Benjamin Britten - Noah’s Flood - Noye’s Fludde Opus 59.
All our brightest talent of all ages, with participation ranging from instrumental, vocal, craftwork of all kinds and all that goes with putting on a performance of this kind were involved in this production.
We were delighted with the beautiful, colourful and imaginative work produced by the children of St. Agnes’ and Scoil Colm schools. There are animals two by two, rainbows, storms, construction, etc, etc. Well done to teachers and pupils on such great work. They really capture the story of the Ark very well.
A conductor willing to take on the challenge – Seamus Doyle, conductor of St Agnes/Scoil Colm Primary School Orchestra and double bass teacher for the ProjectRecipe for a Flood
Planning the Flood for St Agnes’ has been a long process, maybe two to three years in total from the earliest thoughts to the performances on November 12th which are to celebrate a 10th birthday – ten years since the initiation of the School Violin & Orchestra Project in September 2012.
The overriding concern was to find a way to involve as many people as possible, showing through performance how the Project has grown in itself and has also given birth to so many other musical ideas and musical activities within the wider Community.
To attempt an opera in original score seems audacious, but it was composed for children by Benjamin Britten and all the ingredients to make a great ‘FLOOD’ seemed to be present right there in St Agnes.
- A willing SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
- A spacious hall with a raised stage, steps on either side, a balcony, seating for a large audience as well as a large orchestra with facilities for light and sound.
- A conductor willing to take on the challenge – Seamus Doyle, conductor of St Agnes/Scoil Colm Primary School Orchestra and double bass teacher for the Project
- A professional string quintet – the Project’s own staff and teachers from Summer Camp – to lead the student orchestra
- The student orchestra – past and present secondary school students as well as some members of St Agnes Parents String Orchestra
- Noye, Mrs Noye, his three sons, their three wives, the Gossips (Mrs Noye’s drinking friends) – all members of St Agnes’ Musical Society
- Handbells – members of St Agnes’ Parents String Orchestra
- Percussion – members of St Agnes’ Parents String Orchestra AND primary school children
- Recorder soloist and cello soloist – professional musicians who regularly volunteer to play in the orchestra for our musicals. Other recorder players from SOUNDS Ensemble, regular partners in concert with the Parents Orchestra
- Bugles – from our friends in the Royal Irish Academy of Music
- The Raven and the Dove – talented local young ballet dancers
- Costumes and masks – a creative team who meet on Mondays to make costumes for the Musical Society productions and annual pantomime, and crafts for the annual Christmas Market. Two outstanding artists, Olivia Uhlar and Finola O’Keeffe, who regularly volunteer their assistance, design and paint the masks which are mounted on foam board.
- And finally but most importantly the ANIMALS and BIRDS – the primary school children - without whom the story of Noah’s Flood could not be told!
While we will have a cast of many on stage, in addition to musicians, backstage etc, the following is the initial list of principals for the opera.
CAST OF NOYE'S FLUDDE
The Voice of God …….….Declan O’Rourke
Noye……………………….Gerry Noonan
Mrs Noye ………………Jennifer Grundulis
Sem ……………………..Raphael Kelly
Ham …………………....Anthony Lindsay
Jaffet …………………....Carl Jones
Mrs Sem, ……………….Jenny Cowley
Mrs Ham, ………………Linda McGee
Mrs Jaffet,………………Rebecca Connell
The Raven ……………….Zoe Ray
The Dove……………………Sophie Nolan
Mrs Noye’s Gossips ………………..
Collette Connell, Denise Donohue, Rosemary Lindsay, Mary Maguire
Read more about Benjamin Britten and the hymns sung in Noye's Fludde