Cumbria’s magical fables, myths and legends will spring to musical life this summer as a new opera premieres in Penrith, writes Matthew Connolly.
Kings, Witches, Lovers, and Souls – a compass of Cumbrian legends is the latest production by Cumbria Opera Group, and it features three home-grown Cumbrians, too, all of whom are making waves in the wider opera world.
The audience at Penrith Playhouse will be led on an operatic tour of old Cumbria’s legendary haunts, through the ruined abbeys and enchanted stone circles of Eden, the Lakes, and the Dales, immersed in battles of loyalty, love, betrayal and superstition.
On stage, singing the story and performing the characters will be soprano Eleanor McIntosh of Kendal, mezzo-soprano Anna Cooper, of Kirkby Lonsdale, and Carlisle baritone Jonathan Hill. The event also features the Cumbria Opera Youth Chorus.
Eleanor said: “Having sung in different places around the world it feels like a real full-circle moment to be Cumbrian and singing a Cumbrian opera here. It’s a wonderful feeling!”
The opera is the work of composer Jen Hartley. She said: “For me, the passage from memory to distant past into legend is partly shaped by the way the landscape outlives it and holds it forever.
“Images connected to the hills, to water especially, and of course to the weather, prompted much of the language of the lyrics.
“If a story is tied to a place, that physical context will have affected the experiences of every character, human or otherwise, so the use of language was really important. Once you have that, the mood is set, and the music follows.”
Cumbria Opera Group’s conductor and artistic director, Joe Davies, said: “Cumbria Opera Group was created to bring world-class opera to the UK’s most beautiful county. And what more exciting way to celebrate the county’s myths and legends than by setting them to music.”
Kings, Witches, Lovers, and Souls will be performed at Penrith Playhouse on Friday August 30 and Saturday August 31.
