SYDNEY CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC ENGLISH ECCENTRICS Malcolm Williamson

MONDAY 12 OCTOBER, 6.30PM WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER, 6.30PM FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER, 6.30PM SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER, 2PM

MUSIC WORKSHOP CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC Sydney Conservatorium of Music presents

ENGLISH ECCENTRICS Scene 2 – An Amateur of Fashion Malcolm Williamson All the eccentricities one might expect from an Sung in English unconventional interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. Approximately 2.5 hours, with one interval of Scene 3 – The God of this World 20 minutes The Story of Sarah Whitehead, whose brother Musical Director Stephen Mould is hanged for forgery. Williamson creates a fully developed operatic mad scene that allows a Director and Designer Kate Gaul complex portrait of Ms Whitehead who earns Lighting Designer Hartley T A Kemp herself the epithet of the ‘Bank Nun.’ Act 2 Assistant Conductors Keiran Brandt-Sawdy Scene 1 – Quacks and a Beau Shilong Ye Various doctors of questionable qualifications Stage Manager Fraser Orford and skills proffer unusual wares and services while Lady Jersey and the Duchess of Devonshire engage Beau Brummel in conversation Synopsis Scene 2 – An Ornamental Hermit Each of the seven scenes in the Opera’s two acts Captain Philip Thicknesse writes memoirs of presents a different form of eccentricity. his adventures. In later life he had become an ‘ornamental hermit’ – living in a purpose built Act 1 home usually on a wealthy estate, common in the Scene 1 – Goose-Weather 18th Century. We are introduced to a variety of our eccentric Scene 3 – A Traveller characters – a snuffbox collector, a lady afraid A maid from Devonshire tricks people into of being taken for dead while remaining alive; a believing that she is a stranger from a mysterious man who has been married 17 times; another who and distant land. spends his life in the bath; a woman who does not wash, and a man who has a desire to be buried Scene 4 – The Beau Again head downwards in the ground, and others who In his day, a leader of fashion and elegance, Beau have fascinating and wacky obsessions. Brummel is now old and senile, having descended into madness.

2 Performers

CAST Second Nun ORCHESTRA Barbara Jin Ensemble Violin 1 Lord Petersham Emma Townsend Soprano John Ward of Hackney Michaella Edelstein Robert (Romeo) Coates Cello Alto A Clerk at the Bank Melinda Heinrich Nyssa Milligan Beau Brummell Tenor The Vicar of Almondsbury Double Bass Will Millard Mr Clanronald Macdonald Ainsleigh Coates Christopher Bryg Bass Clarinet Young Whitehead Joseph Jae Kwon Kim Jessica Budge Jack Ayoub Princess Caraboo Deepka Ratra Rev. Mr Jones Bassoon Dr. Wilkinson Justin Sun Duchess of Devonshire Evan Kirby Mrs Dards Trumpet Livia Brash Dr. Graham Ryan O’Donnell Alfred Carslake Sarah Whitehead Amelia Linquist * Major Labelliere Percussion Camilla Wright ‡ Mr Worrall Nicole Johnson Hayden Barrington Miss Beswick Piano First Nun Alderman Birch Stephen Mould Jessie Wilson * Dr. Katterfelto Josephine Tam Michaella Ye Zhang ‡ Jeremy Dubé Miss Tynley Long Lord Rokeby Sarah Ampil * Lord Rothschild/Etienne Imogen Malfitano‡ Henry Wright Lady Lewson Thomas Parr The Prompter * Performing 12 & 16 Oct Mrs Worral ‡ Performing 14 & 17 Oct Sarah Kemeny A Governor of the Bank of England Countess of Desmond Roberts the Forger Mrs Birch Dr. Dalmahoy Charlotte Merz Philip Thicknesse Lady Jersey The Parish Constable Miss Fitzhenry Christopher Nazarian

Malcolm Williamson was born in Sydney and studied horn and composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. His teachers included Eugene Goossens. He moved to London in 1950 and after Sir ’ death in 1975, the post of Master of the Queen’s Music was left vacant. His selection to occupy the title came as a big surprise as there were at least three other well suited British composers for the job such as , and . made the famous remark that ‘the wrong Malcolm’ had been chosen. It should be noted though, that Williamson was the first Master of the Queen’s Music in over a century not to be knighted.

3 Chair of Opera Production and Musical Director’s Note The amount of eccentricity in a society has attic, visited daily by a Doctor Charles White, generally been proportional to the amount of who was left a considerable sum to secure his genius, mental vigour and moral courage which it services, which were maintained until his death. contained. – John Stuart Mill. Others who projected their eccentricities In 1933 published English beyond their lifespans include Major Peter Eccentrics, a book that confirmed that truth Labellière, who died on 6 June 1800, and left is often stranger than fiction. Drawing heavily instructions in his will to be buried upside down, on works dating from the nineteenth century, head downwards ‘as the world was turned when interest in the origins of eccentricity topsy-turvy, it was fit that he should be so began to gather force (such as John Timbs’ buried that he might be right at last’. Perhaps English Eccentrics and Eccentricities, 1866), more beneficial eccentricities manifested in the Sitwell presents a series of case studies from life of Lord Rokeby (1712–1800), who Sitwell English history of people who conform to the categorises as ‘an Ornamental Hermit, adorning non-conformist epithet of ‘eccentric’. Sitwell nature’. After visiting Aix-la-Chapelle (‘a city was well placed to engage with such a subject, distinguished for its baths’) in his youth, he her own family being well endowed with became addicted to an aquatic lifestyle, bathing eccentric characters, notably her father, Sir for long periods (‘eternal baths’), including George Sitwell, who had a sign made and hung a regiment of swimming at the beach a few outside the family home: miles from his home, where he would swim I must ask anyone entering the house never to in all weathers for long periods, often fainting contradict me or differ from me in any way, as and having to be rescued from the water by it interferes with the functioning of my gastric his servant. Lord Rokeby also advocated the juices and prevents my sleeping at night. drinking of large quantities of water, at a time This familial propensity resulted in Edith’s own when most people eschewed it in favour of life being a potential contender for inclusion alcohol, due to the risk of poisoning. Further in her book, beginning in her childhood where eccentricities cultivated by Lord Rokeby her father attempted to pay her school fees included the growth of an extremely long beard by bartering produce from his farm, and that eventually reached down to his toes, calculating her pocket money on fourteenth and an unusual diet, consisting principally of century currency rates (he was a keen beef tea, although he would occasionally eat medievalist). a roast loin of veal, if it was placed in the bath Sitwell’s book introduces characters such as with him. Lord Rokeby’s eccentricities were Lord Petersham, who possesses a collection of evidently helpful to him as he seems to have snuff boxes so vast that he has one for every enjoyed a happy and active life, living until the day of the year (some designated for summer age of 88. Longevity was a characteristic of use, others for winter). Other characters Thomas Parr, who was ‘painted by Rubens whose obsessions are unveiled include Miss when he was a hundred and forty years old.’ Beswick, who was afraid of being taken for He eventually died at the age of 152, in 1635, dead while remaining alive. As a consequence and in his later years he cultivated the habit she requested not to be buried, rather that of marriage, beginning when he was 80 years her mummified corpse should remain in her of age. We learn that ‘there was an occasion

4 when, owing no doubt to an oversight, he job at the Bank of England facilitiates risky was made to do public penance, at the age speculation, and a disastrous pact with Roberts of one hundred and five, for omitting this the Forger. Whitehead is executed for his ceremony.’ In the opera, Williamson effects a crimes, but this news is kept from his sister meeting between Parr and another ancient, for some time. On learning the truth, ‘those the Countess of Desmond, who died at the age wrecked and jagged pieces left by ruin were of 140, the result of falling from an apple tree. drawn together until they formed some kind of In spite of their combined ages, they sing a despairing prison, for a huge world of primitive lively‡ patter-song in the tradition of Gilbert and chaos, wherein no form existed, only a period of Sullivan, begging to be married without delay huge clots of darkness followed by an universe by the Reverend Mr Jones, another long-lived of mad and chattering light that had been eccentric (dying at the age of 80), who wore empty waiting sunlight. Then, slowly, her whole the same hat and coat every day for 43 years. being would be invaded by some huge and At the opening of Act II, we are introduced to formless bulk, growing vaster as it loomed out a number of quacks – doctors of questionable of the blackness and the light, until blackness qualifications and skills, perhaps the most and light were blotted out.’ Williamson creates famous being Doctor Graham, who qualifies as a fully developed operatic mad scene, with being an early example of a sexologist, or sex Donizettian musical references that allows therapist. He was the owner of ‘The Temple a complex portrait of Sarah Whitehead to of Health and the Hymeneal Temple’ in which emerge, who in her wraith-like existance resided a Celestial Bed, which reportedly cost continued to visit the Bank of England daily him 60,000 pounds. This could be hired for a after her brother’s death for twenty five years night for 100 pounds, and it is reported that in search of him, earning her the epithet of the ladies ‘though they had hitherto been childless, ‘Bank Nun’. became prolific.’ With a choice between the Another figure who descends into madness is Celestial (100 pounds) or the Megneto-Electric Beau Brummell, in his day a leader of fashion (50 pounds) bed, Dr Graham’s ‘cures’ were very and elegance, and a friend of the Prince popular with the ladies, and many wrote poems Regent. Sitwell tells us that, having fallen in praise of his therapies. from favour, he eventually was exiled in Caen, Much of the opera of English Eccentrics where his last days were lived out in a ghostly, presents a pageant of such characters, poverty-stricken existence. In the opera, a many little more than thumbnail sketches of cameo appearance early in Act II is followed by eccentric attributes and behaviours. However his return in the final scene. As is the case for there are several scenes where characters much of the opera, it is no longer clear which are presented in stark detail, revealing layers characters are real, and which are ghostly of behavioural complexity and exploring the phantasms, a situation made more poignant limits of eccentricity where what have been by the fact that all of Sitwell’s characters are regarded as quaint, harmless, even creative drawn from history. Brummell, accompanied attributes arrive at insanity. One such case by his footman, Etienne welcomes his guests study comes in the final scene of Act I, where – characters we have met before, though we are introduced to Young Whitehead, and their presence in any form other than within his sister Sarah. For reasons that are not clear, his own mind is questionable. Eventually two Whitehead suffers a compulsion to create vast nuns arrive, and we understand that Brummell sums of money for his sister, keeping her in is to be taken away ‘to a place of warmth a style that he cannot possibly maintain. His and comfort’. Singing a prayer, the nuns lead

5 Chair of Opera Production and Musical Director’s Note (continued) him away, to music which references the ‘In Music (1975), which caused a considerable stir Paradisium’ from Faure’s Requiem. The clouds in British musical circles. In spite of an element gather, the ‘Goose Weather’ which opened the of the Australian larrikan in Williamson’s opera returns, and the work ends suddenly, nature, subsequent to settling in England, he without preparation, in statis. moved in influential circles including those of Malcolm Williamson (1931–2003) ended this Sir Adrian Boult and Benjamin Britten, who work, giving thanks in the margin to the ‘Glory were important figures in the establishment of God’. His interest in both the Catholic and of his career. The plurality and eclecticism of the Jewish faiths followed him throughout Williamson’s character and life is reflected in his life and feature in his artistic output, along his music. The musical language of English with an abiding interest in opera, producing at Eccentrics draws upon the pastiche and not least 10 major works in that genre, along with infrequent parody of a multiplicity of musical numerous ‘cassations’ – small scale works styles, summed up by Denis Hennig: often as short as seven minutes in length which Perhaps in Williamson you are reminded of flashes originated in his efforts to introduce his own of Stravinsky, Bartok, and Messiaen particularly but also Britten, Richard Rogers, Hindemith, Sibelius, children to the world of opera. Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Honegger. Or English Eccentrics is Williamson’s second perhaps all these various attributes get into what opera, following ‘Our Man in Havanna’ we do not yet recognise as an Australian voice? (1963) which won the composer significant English Eccentrics was premiered in 1964 to attention – enough to have English Eccentrics great acclaim, and Edith Sitwell attended the commissioned by the , who performance along with her brother Sir Osbert, invited him to create an ‘anti-opera’. Edith in what was to be her final public appearance. Sitwell’s libretto was adapted by actor and The work has not been as accessible as his wordsmith Geoffrey Dunn (1903–1981) and other operas, with no published score being preserves much of Sitwell’s rich and musical for sale. It remains uncertain why the work is prose verbatim. This poses a challenge not in the catalogue of Williamson’s publisher in performing the work, as the richness from that time (as it that case with ‘Our Man in and complexity of the text alongside the Havanna’). Rumours persist that the resounding atmospheric music can compete for the success of the premiere caused Britten to attentions of the audience. One is reminded of feel threatened by the young enfant terrible Walton’s musical settings of Sitwell’s ‘Façade’ and he used his influence to have the work poems, where the sound of the words often suppressed. Nevertheless English Eccentrics is adhere to the music, creating a stream of one of Williamson’s most important works, and sound which invites an experience beyond an a natural choice to program in celebration of intellectual comprehension of the meaning of the Centenary of the Sydney Conservatorium the text. of Music, of which Malcolm Williamson was an There is perhaps some irony to an Australian alumnis. composer creating an opera on the subject of Stephen Mould ‘English Eccentrics’, though no less so than Chair of Opera Production his appointment as Master of The Queens’s

6 7 Biographies

STEPHEN MOULD Die Zauberflöte, Le nozze di Figaro, La CHAIR OF OPERA DIRECTION, Voix Humaine, Rusalka, Carmen and The MUSICAL DIRECTOR Makropulos Secret. Sydney-born Stephen Mould is a graduate In addition, he has appeared with the Sydney of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. and Queensland Orchestras, the In 1985, he moved to London to continue SBS Youth Orchestra, and is a regular guest his studies at the Royal Academy of with Willoughby Symphony Orchestra. In Music. During this time, he was active as 2006, he conducted Cavalleria Rusticana and an orchestral and choral conductor and Pagliacci for the Macau International Music as a freelance repetiteur. In 1988, he was Festival and, in 2008, made his American appointed Head of Music at the Lyric Opera debut for Baltimore Opera conducting of Queensland, in Brisbane and, in addition Madama Butterfly. He also appeared in New to conducting several productions for that Zealand with the Auckland Philharmonia. , was also engaged for concerts Mr Mould is currently Chair of Opera with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra, Production and Senior Lecturer in Operatic the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of conducted opera productions with the Music while continuing his freelance activities Queensland Conservatorium of Music. In as a conductor and accompanist. Recent 1990, Mr Mould returned to Europe and was operatic engagements have included The engaged as a conductor and musical assistant Mikado and a new production of Le nozze by a number of opera houses and festivals di Figaro for Opera Australia and Così fan in Germany, Belgium, Norway and Italy. In tutte for Opera Queensland. 2014/2015 1990, he was engaged as an assistant at the performances included concerts with the Théatre de la Monnaie, Brussels and in 1992 Queensland, and Willoughby was appointed to the staff of Opera Frankfurt Symphony Orchestras, Messiah for New as assistant to the Music Director. During this Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Assistant time, he was also engaged as a teacher at the Conductor for Elektra with the Sydney music conservatorium in Frankfurt. In 1996, Symphony. he joined the music staff of Opera Australia. Subsequently, Mr Mould has undertaken engagements for the Sydney Festival, the KATE GAUL Melbourne Festival, Symphony Australia DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER and the Sydney Philharmonic . He Kate graduated from NIDA (Directing Course) was also engaged for State Opera of South in 1996 and trained with the Anne Bogart Australia’s productions of Wagner’s Der Ring SITI Company in 2005. In 2004–5, Kate des Nibelungen (1998 and 2004) and Parsifal was the Associate Director at the Ensemble (2002). Stephen Mould was Head of Music Theatre where her productions included at Opera Australia between 2004 and 2008 The Violet Hour, Kimberly Akimbo and Lobby and, since 1998, has regularly appeared as Hero. Other directing credits include Castor conductor for the Company. His repertoire + Pollux (Pinchgut), The Cunning Little Vixen has included: La Bohème, Simon Boccanegra, (Sydney Chamber Opera), Carmen (Oz Opera),

8 Beautiful (Mudlark Theatre), The Altar Boyz Australian theatre: Les Liaisons Dangereuses, In (Ovations Live), Camarilla (Merrigong Theatre), the Next Room (STC), The Gift (MTC); Old Man Coup d’Etat (Melbourne Theatre Company), (Belvoir); Duchess of Malfi (Bell Shakespeare); The Gates of Egypt, Our Lady of Sligo, Run Dreams In White, Rapid Write: Hollywood Ending Rabbit Run, The Laramie Project, Svetlana (Griffin); The Story of Mary MacLane by Herself in Slingbacks (Company B), Wicked Sisters (Malthouse/Griffin); This Year’s Ashes (Red (Griffin/National tour),Rabbit (Griffin Theatre) Stitch), Cordelia (Motherboard Productions/ and projects for all major drama schools and Little Dove Theatre Art); and with Kate Gaul, The theatre companies throughout Australia. Violent Outburst that Drew Me To You (Griffin) Kate is the Artistic Director of Siren Theatre and Misterman (Old Fitz). Co, where her productions include Misterman UK/international theatre: The Voysey Inheritance, (Enda Walsh), The Violent Outburst that Elmina’s Kitchen, Scenes from the Big Picture Drew Me to You (by Finegan Kruckemeyer), (National); Romeo and Juliet, The Merry Wives Penelope, The New Electric Ballroom of Windsor, Coriolanus (RSC); Kiss of the Spider (Enda Walsh), The Lunch Hour and Human Woman, Days of Wine and Roses, Play, Resources (Chris Aronsten), The New Electric Good (Donmar), Lower Ninth (Donmar/Trafalgar), Ballroom (Enda Walsh), FOX (Monkey Baa/ Gaslight (Old Vic); Mrs Warren’s Profession National Tour, 2010), The Seagull (Chekhov), (Strand); The York Realist, Faith (Royal Court); Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Richard III and Metamorphosis (Lyric Hammersmith/tour); The Twelfth Night, Duck (Stella Feehily), Hard Rubenstein Kiss (Hampstead); Certain Young Swallow (Mirra Todd), Polly Blue (Belinda Men, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Tongue of a Bird Bradley), Connie and Kevin and the Secret (Almeida); Our New Girl, Apologia, Wrecks, How Life of Groceries (Noelle Janaczewska), Blue to Curse (Bush); Sunset Baby, Nakamitsu (Gate, Heart (Caryl Churchill), Frozen (Michael London); The White Devil, The Common Pursuit, O’Brien) and two shows devised by the Total Eclipse (Menier); As Good a Time as Any company, eeni meeni mini mo and Wanna (Print Room, Notting Hill); Land of Our Fathers, Go Home, Baby? Kate has also written and A Handful of Stars (Theatre503/Trafalgar); directed two short films,Embrace and Cake. The Birthday Party ( Rep); Arcadia, www.sirentheatreco.com The Rivals, Loot, Paradise Lost, The Comedy of Errors, The Caretaker (Bristol Old Vic); Crave, 4.48 Psychosis, A Number, Gladiator Games, HARTLEY T A KEMP A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Original Sin, The LIGHTING DESIGNER Tempest, Don Juan, The Country Wife, A View From the Bridge, As You Like It, Twelfth Night Opera and music theatre: (Sheffield); Rutherford and Son (Royal Exchange, (Menier and Garrick, London, and Walter Kerr, Manchester); Where There’s a Will (Theatre Broadway); Miss Saigon (Gothenburg Opera); Royal Bath); Treehouses (Northcott, Exeter); Showboat, West Side Story (Innsbruck); Dealer’s Choice (Clwyd Teatr Cymru); Dealer’s Promises, Promises (Sheffield); The Wizard Choice (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Great of Oz (Birmingham Rep), Les Pêcheurs des Expectations, American Buffalo (Gate, ); Perles, Iris (Opera Holland Park); Mary Seacole, Hysteria (English Theatre, Frankfurt); A Number Oreste, Oresteia (ROH Linbury); M Butterfly, (Fugard, Cape Town).Hartley is artistic director of Martha, The Barber of Seville, La Sonnambula, C venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Carmen (Castleward Opera); and in Australia, (Darlinghurst).

9 Production credits

Stage Manager Fraser Orford Makeup and Hair Designer Rachel dal Santo Repetiteurs Josephine Tam, Julia de Plater Assistant Makeup and Hair Designer Nikolina Vujancevic Orchestral Management Scott Ryan, Tom Westley Assisted by students from The Australasian College, Broadway and the SLA Academy, Piano Tuning David Kinney, Steve Allison Castlehill: Head LX Lori Piquemal Educator Rachel Dal Santo Lighting Board Programmer Supervisor and Designer Brent Forsstrom-Jones Nikolina Vüjancevic Lighting Board Operator Lori Piquemal Production Photography Diana Popovska Rigging and Technical Work Publicity Jacqui Smith, Mandy Campbell Brent Forsstrom-Jones, Ceilidh Newbury, Fraser Orford, Lori Piquemal, Roo Smith, Tom Westley Costume Assistant Famke Visser

Acknowledgments The Australasian College, Belvoir Theatre, Tony Davies, Chris Harrison and James Williams – Chameleon Touring Systems, Wayne Kellett – Herkes Pro Lighting, Owen Horton, Deborah Joyce, NIDA, Opera Australia, Peter McKenzie – Philips Lighting, Padraig Ó Súilleabháin – Sydney Theatre Company

10 Unit Staff

OPERA PRODUCTION UNIT Kate Johnson Ingrid Sakurovs Chair Stephen Mould Languages Opera Coordinator Gareth Collins Simon Lobelson (French) Anke Hoeppner (German) VOCAL AND OPERA STUDIES UNIT Tanith Bryce (Italian) Chair Maree Ryan Acting Vocal Staff Paige Gardiner Rowena Cowley Dance and Movement Andrew Dalton Olivia Ansell and Jo Ansell Michael Halliwell Anke Hoeppner Ensemble Barry Ryan Stephen Mould Maree Ryan Performance Robyn Wells Barry Ryan Stephen Yalouris Stagecraft Narelle Yeo Narelle Yeo Coaching Staff Theatre Studies Stephen Mould Simon Lobelson Siro Battaglin Julia de Plater Andy Morton Andrew Greene Alan Hicks OPERA & VOCAL STUDIES AT THE CON

Join the fast track to the operatic stage with the Master in Music Studies in Opera Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

The study of opera within the master of music studies degree contributes to a comprehensive, research and practice-based opera training for singers who face a highly competitive and dynamic career path. The course recognises the need to connect students to national and international professional practice, and to give them the knowledge, understanding, expertise and personal skills to compete in an increasingly competitive international market. The Sydney Conservatorium of Music has an outstanding record for producing opera singers and is uniquely placed in Australia to produce young singers who find work on national and international opera stages. This course provides excellent training in the four key areas of opera voice and performance, opera repertoire, opera diction/language and stage skills. Each of these is drawn together in two staged, orchestrally-accompanied performances of operas per year, providing students with experience at a professional level which helps to equip them to enter the profession.

More information about our opera and vocal studies programs can be found here: music.sydney.edu.au/study/areas-of-study/vocal-opera-studies or by emailing [email protected] or calling +61 2 9351 1216.

Stay tuned with What’s on at the Con to hear about our 2016 concerts and research talks program.

Sign up for our eNewsletter here: music.sydney.edu.au/contact