A youth opera with music by University of Sussex research student Julian Philips gets its world premiere at Glyndebourne opera house this week (4-6 Mar 2010).
Julian Philips is currently in the final year of his three-year term as Glyndebourne Opera’s first composer-in-residence, funded by an Arts & Humanities Research Council collaborative doctoral award. He was commissioned by Glyndebourne to write the score for the opera Knight Crew, based on a novel by Brighton writer Nicky Singer, which places the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in a contemporary urban setting.
Julian’s residency at Glyndebourne has been made possible by an AHRC project, ‘Investigating new models for opera development.’ It is funded through the AHRC’s collaborative doctoral awards scheme, which exists to promote and support research collaboration between universities and non-academic institutions.
“My residency at Glyndebourne has been an extraordinary opportunity to engage with opera in theory and practice,” says Julian. “I’ve been able to absorb myself in this complex art-form and develop my own creative response.”
Julian works under the supervision of University of Sussex Professor Nick Till in the Centre for Research in Opera and Music Theatre. Professor Till says: “Sussex and Glyndebourne have collaborated closely on this project, which investigated the potential for a composer to develop new operatic works that are both challenging and accessible for contemporary audiences and has demonstrated the value of academic and professional organisations working together.”
Julian Philips’ score will be performed by local young singers and musicians, many of whom will be experiencing opera performance for the first time. Six professional singers will be joined on stage by 60 performers aged 14-18 from Ringmer in East Sussex, along with a chorus of local adults and an orchestra of professional and youth musicians.
Gareth Malone, best known for BBC 2’s BAFTA award-winning The Choir, where teenagers were introduced to the world of choral singing, is choir master for the project, which has been filmed for a new BBC 2 programme called Gareth Goes to Glyndebourne. The programme follows the development of Knight Crew through rehearsals to performance.
Julian’s residency at Glyndebourne also received funding from the Alan and Karen Grieve Charitable Trust.
Ends.
AHRC Media Contact Tom Chlebik: t.chlebik@ahrc.ac.uk Tel: 0117 9876 816
Notes to editors:
Arts & Humanities Research Council: Each year the AHRC provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,350 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.
To find out more about Knight Crew, visit the project website. Book tickets at www.glyndebourne.com.
The Centre for Research in Opera and Music Theatre (CROMT) at the University of Sussex is a national and international centre for research and development in the practice and theory of contemporary opera, music-based theatre and other forms of musical multi-media performance. The Centre promotes innovative artistic and critical practices across a range of forms through academic programmes, creative and theoretical research projects, and research collaborations with relevant professional and educational partners.
The Centre also aims to further knowledge and understanding of recent and contemporary practice in opera and music theatre, and of historical precursors for such work, and to extend critical and theoretical understanding of new forms of music-based theatre by situating these practices within broader socio-cultural debates and discourses.