Opera, isn’t that for rich snobs and aren’t academies elitist educational establishments, if so, what is Stan Graham doing at this event? The short answer is, enjoying himself! Now, put away your pre-conceived ideas and read on, you will feel much better for it.
Let me begin with the opera part. Up until a few years ago I would have agreed with you, but having attended quite a few Opera North productions I can say that it is not as exclusive as you would imagine. OK, I have been to a couple which do take a bit of concentration, especially the Wagner one which lasted over five hours, but was well worth the effort, however, they are mostly entertainment with superb music. The plots are usually bonkers, so you don’t have to be a committed intellectual to follow them. They are invariably enhanced by screens displaying a translation of the lyrics, or libretto, if you really want to understand every word.
Should you feel that you are not ready for the full experience, or funds won’t allow it in these troubled times, please see the link at the bottom of this article for details of other free events in this series.
On to academies. In the UK academies are state run schools which are not overseen by the local authority and so can be a bit more adventurous in their curriculum. That makes them about as elitist as a stag weekend in Blackpool.
When these two elements combine with a shared goal then you know something special is going to happen and, on 29th June it did, at the Party In The (Car) Park.
You can’t have a party without a spread, and no, those two missing rolls had nothing to do with me. Honest!
In September, 1956 I was one of the first pupils through the door of the brand new Richmond Hill County Primary School, having been transferred from Cross Green Lane School. The latter had pupils aged 5 – 15 years old, but the education system was changed so schools were split into County Primary with pupils aged from 5 – 11 years old at which time you took the 11+ exam to decided whether you then went on to Grammar School, if you passed, or Secondary Modern (or big school) if you failed. We were allowed to use the term failed in those days.
The catchment area was mainly slums at that time, none of which are still in evidence now, thank goodness. The suburb was so run down that I was once off school ill with dysentery, a disease more associated with Third World countries. I googled the area just now and found that its recent claim to fame is that it had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the country, with one in ten girls expecting by the time they were 18. In spite of this, Richmond Hill Academy still rates Good in its OFSTED Report with several sections being classed as outstanding.
OK kids, do you want the vodka and orange or the rum and blackcurrant.
So, there I was at my old alma mater, well not quite, as the school I walked into all those years ago has been demolished to make way for this huge new educational institution, to enjoy a party and listen to a concert by the school choir and members of the Chorus of Opera North. Its parent organisation has strong links with the academy encouraging the pupils to take an interest in music. They provide cool instruments such as day-glow yellow trumpets and lime green saxophones to make them attractive to young ‘uns, not to mention drums which are a kid magnet no matter what colour they are. All we had was a wooden recorder and I never saw Elvis Presley or Tommy Steele (google him) with one of those in their backing group.
The event began with a song, complete with actions, from the children’s choir. The enthusiasm was infectious and the kids not in the ensemble were joining in, in-between mouthfuls of chicken wraps, samosas and cup cakes with Maltesers on top. During the second offering, a set of grown-ups filtered into the car park like a flash mob and took up positions behind the children, joining in with the ditty.
After this intrusion, the children in the choir were asked to turn round to face these oversized upstarts who regaled them, and us, with a magnificent rendition of Verdi’s Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from his opera Nabucco. It was magnificent. So much so that I have it on loop in the background whilst I am typing this. Not by Opera North, sadly, but the only one I could find on YouTube. Why not give it a go yourself, why should the ankle biters have all the fun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VejTwFjwVI
When the applause from the parents and children had died down there was another song from the full ensemble. You could tell the professionals from the amateurs here. The Opera North singers were reading from the score whereas the kids knew the thing off pat.
Seriously, this was a day to remember, hopefully not only for me, but the children present who I sincerely hope will not bear the prejudice that we oldies do, but will see going to an operatic recital, or even a full opera, as being a legitimate way to spend an evening when they are old enough. Who knows, it might even prompt one or two of them to take up singing seriously and make a career out of it, although I suspect that there will be a musical genre in a few years time which will be far more lucrative.
Opera North must be congratulated on seeing the potential afforded by their association with academies to foster an appreciation of this art form at an early age. When they have someone as receptive to new ideas as the Principal of Richmond Hill Academy, Anna Mackenzie, they can’t go wrong.
The Party in the (Car) Park is the first in a series of events in the Richmond Hill/Burmantofts area of Leeds, called Culture in the Community. For more details please go to https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/new-festival-celebrates-culture-in-the-community/
For more conventional Opera North productions it is https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/ and have a look at the programme for Howard Assembly Room while you are there. If ten year olds can approach new musical experiences with an open mind I am sure that you can. As an incentive, there are special offers from Opera North for those who are new to the art form. For full details please go to https://www.operanorth.co.uk/your-visit/new-to-opera/
It is reassuring to know that some things never change. When I was walking back from the school I got beaten up by a gang of twelve-year-olds from the big school for my sweetie money. Ah! memories.
All photographs by Stan Graham
Tyke It To The Limit 