My favourite's back!!

I do so love a good series don't you? And when Gareth Malone is involved you know there is going to be music and more music happening. This time the challenge he's been given is to get 50 teenagers to perform as the chorus in a new contemporary opera at one of the world's most prestigious opera houses in the world: Glyndebourne, in Sussex. It's called The Knight Crew and is a modern day version of King Arthur and his knights. In this first programme Gareth was searching for his chorus in schools and community centres and juvenile remand centres. Kids with no interest in opera, kids from varying backgrounds, kids who like heavy rock, shy, extrovert, talented, insecure, nervous - he had the lot! Over a period of two months he got them to sing and perform extracts from Carmen in order to be ready to audition for the opera in front of the Glyndebourne team. Out of the 100 he took to the audition, 47 were selected. Next time they will start to learn the score...................I just adore watching how he takes these children on the musical journey of a lifetime, and always cry at the last one when they will be performing the opera. This is television at it's best in my opinion because if the young people of today are not exposed to the real world of the performing arts, it will eventually die out. It's ok to assume that the more' privileged' youngsters will be given such opportunities to experience opera and ballet and symphonies etc but nowadays it is not the given that it once was when I went to school. I was lucky to have great music teachers who took us to London to the opera and ballet and we had a choir and performed Gilbert & Sullivan operettas every summer. I learnt to play the piano and had singing lessons, and my love of music is as much a part of me as my love of words and books and poetry and art.............and I went to an ordinary secondary school in Kent. I am fascinated to watch these teenagers go through their individual processes within the context of the opera scene and within a group and a professional operatic circle of performers. Several years ago I went with my daughter to the opera in Verona. What an experience for her! It was superb. I should do it more often, so that is my promise to myself for the future; do the things I love, fill my senses with them and make it matter again. I have sadly neglected these joys for the last decade which is such a great sadness to me. That trip to the Royal Albert Hall has just got to get back up there at the top of my shortlist of treats!!!! Anyway, watch Gareth and his chorus on BBC2 during the week or the repeat on Saturdays.

Sue xx