2023 Fundraising: Community opera Noye’s Fludde
We are currently seeking sponsorship to produce and perform Benjamin Britten’s community opera Noye’s Fludde.
We are currently seeking sponsorship to produce and perform Benjamin Britten’s community opera Noye’s Fludde.
It is 70 years since the great North Sea floods, which had a devasting impact on the east coast. The project would engage with local schools and community groups and community choirs, working with these groups to create costumes, and props and to take part in the performances.
As part of the project, the Choirs would like to commission a second short choral work by the British composer Russel Hepplewhite, to be performed alongside the opera. This work would take climate emergency and environmental issues as its key theme. The commissioned work would include contributions from young people in the community, from a series of workshops with local children, giving the young people a voice to share their concerns over the climate emergency in our world.
The production of the opera would also strongly relate to the climate emergency, making use of recycled materials for props, costumes, sets and effects, which would be designed and created by young people, working with professional artists. The production would enable local children to take part as performers, instrumentalists, dancers, singers, prop and set designers. The funding would contribute towards the costs of professionals working in schools, soloists, transport, music hire, PRS fees, props, set etc. The funding would also help to allow these performances to be free for the local community to attend.
Noye’s Fludde was written as a community opera, with the opportunity for people of all ages to be engaged. The orchestral parts, whilst including some professional players, also have a lot of opportunity for non-professionals to take part, including children and young people who may have only just started learning instruments. Taking part in this project may well be their first musical experience. The opera includes a wide range of participation of all ages, from ‘animals’, chorus, recorder players, string players, percussion, soloists and professional soloists, giving everyone the chance to perform together, regardless of their experience or training.
For many children and young people, this would be their first chance to perform in an orchestra, or to perform alongside opera singers and actors. Taking the work into schools and community groups also provides a level of training for school staff and teachers. Many primary schools do not have specialist music teachers and would gain valuable skills from the engagement of this project. Working alongside practitioners and performers will develop the skills of staff in the schools. The Choirs would engage with adult community choirs and instrumental groups in the area.
Lord Britten was the first President of the Southend Boys’ Choir from 1970 until his death in 1976, and the Choirs have a strong affinity with his work.
We are very grateful to have secured donations from the City Celebration Fund and the Essex Community Fund, but are still seeking further sponsorship to cover items such as rehearsal and performance venue hire (£1200), music hire (£1500), instrument hire (£1500) and costumes and props (£500).
If you think you can help, please contact us or fill out the form below
Heritage Lottery Fund
In 2016, the Choirs were awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £10,000 for a project to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.
In 2016, the Choirs were awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £10,000 for a project to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. The Choirs worked with four local schools to explore the First World War and its impact on the local people of south Essex through poetry, literature, music, family history and creative writing. From this work, the students contributed lyrics to a new choral work Never Forget which was composed by Roger Humphrey and performed in Southend. This piece of music was subsequently performed at the closing ceremony of the 1418 NOW Poppies Wave Exhibition on Gunners Pier, Shoeburyness, to an audience of over 3,000.
In 2013, the Choirs presented the opera Noye’s Fludde in Southend, Tilbury and at Southwark Cathedral to celebrate the centenary of Benjamin Britten’s birth - composer and former President of the Southend Boys’ Choir. This project received funding from Arts Council England and involved pupils from local schools, youth orchestras and professional musicians.
Arts Council England
In 2021, we worked with the composer Kerry Andrew on a COVID recovery project ‘Unlocked’ for choir members and children in the local community, supported by Arts Council England.
In 2021, we worked with the composer Kerry Andrew on a COVID recovery project ‘Unlocked’ for choir members and children in the local community, supported by Arts Council England.
Worshipful Company of Musicians and Worshipful Company of Grocers
We are very grateful for the support that we received from the Musicians’ and Grocers’ Companies for our Christmas concert in 2022 at St Bartholomew the Great, London.
We are very grateful for the support that we received from the Musicians’ and Grocers’ Companies for our Christmas concert in 2022 at St Bartholomew the Great, London.
Jack Petchey Foundation
A big thank you to the Jack Petchey Foundation for their financial contribution towards coach travel for our 2022 Christmas concert at St John’s Smith Square, London.
A big thank you to the Jack Petchey Foundation for their financial contribution towards coach travel for our 2022 Christmas concert at St John’s Smith Square, London.
