The Opera also likes to encourage children who are shy, have special needs or learning difficulties, or are unused to being in the limelight. A whole range of children from thirty-five local schools take part. For many the opportunity to perform in or contribute to an opera may never occur again. Auditions are held in September and rehearsals run from then until the four performances in December. You are asked to make a small contribution towards the company, but the Trust also runs a mini opera sponsorship scheme - ask Lucy Le Fanu or Landra Melrose about this if you are worried about paying this subscription.
Parents also have the opportunity to get involved with every aspect of the production.
Knowing that many of them had never been involved in such a project, she was expecting ashen faces and a grim atmosphere, and instead found everyone in tremendous high spirits, delighted with the work they had done and the sense of community that comes from working together. Parents also sew costumes, edit programmes, generate advertising, sell tickets, and generally help with the huge amount of organisation required. The Group Mothers are a vital part of the production. I have never done anything like this before. I really like having the opportunity to meet different people I don't go to school with and having the chance to mix with different age groups.