Baby love
There are people who believe opera to be a somewhat stuffy artform -I'm not one of them- but there was no hint of stuffiness in the front row for Scottish Opera's latest production.
Indeed, someone was peeling his clothes off, another was eating a banana and one poor soul simply burst into tears.
It's an occupational hazard for performers in as young as six months old.
Scottish opera has been working with children for more than 30 years but even jane Davidson, its head of education raised a few eyebrows when she first suggested the idea last year.
"They did think I was mad," she says. "Absolutely mad. Lots of laughter about four hours of Wagner and babies crying throughout.
"But it made sense. Babies have very poor sight to begin with but their hearing is acute from a very early stage and we started to wonder if they could spot the difference in soprano and baritone and in different notes."
The audience for the first performance in Stockbridge Library in Edinburgh is young but sophisticated.
Most come to regular bounce and rhyme sessions where kids and carers recite nursery rhymes.
But this is different.
Seated round a purpose built grassy arena, they watch three singers parade a variety of objects - silver fish on sticks, welly boots and a washing line - and as they do, they sing.
Not full blown opera arias - but recognisably operatic.
"It is proper singing,"says soprano Gloria Ellis, "Not full strength singing like we'd do in an opera house or they'd disappear but a slightly quieter version of that."
The babies seem to love it - only one cries and a bottle of milk soon settles that.
They're attentive for the full half hour - which is more than you can say for the average audience.
Babies seem to enjoy the physical effects of such intimate singing - the vibrations and the interaction. Carers report it relaxes both them and babies.
The trick now, for Scottish Opera is to keep those little opera fans for a lifetime.
Not London’s South Bank, but the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow - every bit as lively in cultural terms as its namesake. I’m Pauline McLean, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Scotland’s arts correspondent, and I’ll be blogging here about arts events and issues happening across the country.
Comment number 1.
At 20th Apr 2010, graeme0309 wrote:Any kind of music appeals to babies.
However, it seems appropriate that opera is the chosen medium for children in Edinburgh.
The adults have chosen the medium here though, which is appropriate when I think about it, for the wives of bankers who have enough free time and cash (no need to work) to spend their time grooming their children for an elitist later life which will exclude interaction with other classes 'below' them.
It's the equivalent of fence building. It's anceint, tiresome and ridiculous.
I love opera. I was lucky to be raised in Barrhead but enjoy having an amazing operatic mentor later in life who explained the values of this form of music and the history and sociolgy surrounding the work.
This exercise isn't the same thing - it's about upper class adulst pleasing themselves.
Tish.
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Comment number 2.
At 21st Apr 2010, lankyscot wrote:I've just been to this with my wife and 7-month old daughter and it was fantastic. All the babies there were rapt with attention, and care was taken to interact directly with them.
Graeme - I don't think this was elitist and I hope it succeeds in bringing new audiences to Scottish Opera from all walks of life. Yes, my wife and I like opera, as well as other music, and it would be great if our daughter was to do the same, but it's nothing to do with training her up for elitist pursuits. (What a poor reason to get into opera anyway - people should go because they like it). I was able to go in my lunch hour and my wife is on maternity leave. I'm not a banker or anything so well-paid and this initiative is accessible to lots of people. Long may it continue.
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Comment number 3.
At 21st Apr 2010, Tariak wrote:It's odd this, I can see it working. I developed a craving for opera when I was pregnant having previously either loathed it or been disinterested. I was running round the island where I was living asking people if they had any opera tapes, it really got to me. When he was born my son liked reggae better however.
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