A Child of Our Time
Date Saturday 23 May
Venue Winthrop Hall, The University of Western Australia
Acknowledgements Presented in collaboration with The University of Western Australia Conservatorium of Music
Composer Michael Tippett
Conductor Christopher van Tuinen
Soprano Prudence Sanders
Mezzo-Soprano Nicole Youl
Tenor Brett Peart *
Baritone Benjamin Del Borrello *
UWA Symphonic Chorus
UWA Symphony Orchestra
*Supported by The Roberts
Emerging Artist Program
UWA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Violin 1
Siobhan Makinson
Anika Collins
Sowon Kim
Megan Lim
Min Chan
Renee Chai
Grace Chen
Violin 2
Sophie Lenz
Ellie Malonzo
Leila Woods
Laurenne Candra
Frida Iacopetta
Heath Arbuckle
Hannah Dong
Nick Rooke
Viola
Elsabe De Klerk
Audrey Tan
Hannah Clark
Gabriel Yacopetti
Lucas Tomkins
Gabrielle Ang
Heather Brodie
Cello
Emma Luckley
Imogen Sartorello
Ana Hunter
Leia Ang
Jeremy Jiang
Misha Varhol
Michaela Yuan
Svara Bhat
Josh Kane
Angus Gerrard
Vihaga Jayasuriya
Trinity Hartland
Double Bass
Sarah Crawford
Lily Turbill
Oliver Porzig
Danwoo Moon
Flute 1
Jensen Henkel
Flute 2
Sophie Royle
Oboe 1
Steph Lourens
Oboe 2
Niamh Dell
Cor Anglais
Aurora Kristinato
Clarinet 1
Eva Tucker
Clarinet 2
Ted Godderidge
Bassoon 1
Tom Sobkowiak
Bassoon 2
Mia Scherini
Contra Bassoon
Kate Pitcher
Horn 1
Riley Eakin
Horn 2
Amy Leo
Horn 3
Sophie Alderson
Horn 4
Katy Lovegrove
Trumpet 1
Gabriella Beal
Trumpet 2
Alexander Dwyer
Trumpet 3
Bayden Adams
Trombone 1
Joshua Orr
Trombone 2
Celin Bombase
Trombone 3
Emma Nicholas
Percussion
Matthew Arnold
UWA SYMPHONIC CHORUS
Isabella Alves-Viera, Xavier Anthony,
Oliver Beeson, Jincheng Bian,
George Biggins-Leahy, Xuan Chin,
Finlay Epsley-James, Makayla Fazackerley,
Robert Floyd, Jay Gilbert,
Jacob Gordon, Jing Han,
Emily Hobday, Amy Howard,
Shengxiao Huang, Evelyn Le,
Joscelyn Leahy, Felix Longworth-Baker,
Yuehan Ma, Bianca de Mello,
Rhys Morgan, Anna Peachey,
Georgia Riolo, Elke Ruane,
Nicholas Sia, Ian Stone,
Laurence ‘t Hart, Isobel Torabi,
Xiaoyu Wang, Grace Wen,
Manqian Xiao, Jun Yang Yap,
Fan Yi, Lehan Zhang, Yizhen Zheng
UWA VOICES
Talya Aulia, Jared Ashely,
Lilian Cacho, Nika Classen,
Paris Cusack, Genevieve del Casales,
Jojo Ellis, Bethany Foster,
Alice Freeman, Tyler Hanrahan,
Vivienne Hingston, Beck Jones,
Ella Jurjevich, Keeva Kirwan,
Karoline Magpily, Max Murray,
Beth Musikanth, Kizito Mutoya,
Cassandra Palermo, Issy Pether,
Ilario Sellitto, Sade Stella-Joy,
Fiona Tan, Teddy Tasker-Murphy
CONDUCTOR'S NOTES
Sir Michael Tippett remains one of the most enigmatic composers of the 20th Century.
Known to have developed his style slowly, he withdrew or destroyed much of his early work,
only beginning to publish in his thirties. Politically, he was an avowed pacifist, imprisoned
in 1943 for refusing to carry out war-related duties. He wrote powerfully on subjects such
as freedom from persecution and the rights of people to live respectful lives regardless of
their race, religion, sexuality, and cultural background. Tying this into a lifelong connection to Jungian psychology, he explored the notion of “light and dark” within all people, advocating
for peace and understanding through the human condition.
Tippett draws inspiration from the events leading up to the beginning of WWII, the rise of
fascism and the outbreak of formal hostilities, leading him to begin the composition of A
Child of Our Time, a large scale “hymn for peace”, in September 1939. The work is in three
parts, copying the structure of Handel’s Messiah and uses a lyrical 20th Century language
which owes much to the history of choral music from the 16th and 17th Centuries as it does
to his contemporaries in Britten, Bartok, Stravinsky and others. A novel musical element is
the incorporation of African American Spirituals in place of the traditional chorales.
Requiring a large mixed chorus, romantic sized orchestra, and four soloists, it has earned its place as one of the most dramatic and powerfully moving oratorios in the repertoire. This concert also continues West Australian Opera’s exploration of oratorios as operas in disguise, beginning with our performances of Elijah in 2021, as well as the collaboration with the UWA Conservatorium of Music - the players and singers of the future.
SYNOPSIS
PART I
Chorus: “The world turns on its dark side”
The Argument: “Man has measured the heavens”
Orchestral Interludium
Scena: “Is evil then good?”
The Narrator: “Now in each nation there were some cast out”
Chorus of the Oppressed: “When shall the usurer’s city cease?”
Tenor solo: “I have no money for my bread”
Soprano solo: “How can I cherish my man?”
A Spiritual: “Steal Away”
PART II
Chorus: “A star rises in midwinter”
The Narrator: “And a time came”
Double Chorus of Persecutors and Persecuted: “Away with them!”
The Narrator: “Where they could, they fled”
Chorus of the Self-righteous: “We cannot have them in our Empire”
The Narrator: “And the boy’s mother wrote”
The Mother, the Uncle and Aunt, and the Boy: “O my son!”
A Spiritual: “Nobody knows the trouble I see”
Duet: “The boy becomes desperate”
The Narrator: “They took a terrible vengeance”
The Terror: “Burn down their houses!”
The Narrator: “Men were ashamed”
A Spiritual of Anger: “Go down, Moses”
The Boy Sings in his Prison: “My dreams are all shattered”
The Mother: “What have I done to you, my son?”
Alto solo: “The dark forces rise”
A Spiritual: “O by and by”
PART III
Chorus: “The cold deepens”
Alto solo: “The soul of man”
Scena: “The words of wisdom”
Ensemble: “I would know my shadow and my light”
A Spiritual: “Deep River”
West Australian Opera is proudly supported by the WA Government and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
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