Wexford clutches opera to its heart

WHILE most of us were holidaying in August, in Wexford they were building the sets for this year’s Festival Opera.

By Sept 15, the chorus had arrived, with the artistic company following on Sept 23, and intensive rehearsals beginning for the 61st festival, which opens tomorrow and runs to Sunday, Nov 4.

“Each main opera takes turns rehearsing on the stage, thus requiring the sets to be assembled and disassembled for each production every other day,” says technical director, Dave Stuttard. “It can be quite challenging, but we are used to that in Wexford.”

It’s a diverse and exciting programme this year, with three main-stage productions: L’Arlesiana, by Francesco Cilèa; Le Roi Malgré Lui, by Emmanuel Chabrier; and A Village Romeo and Juliet, by Frederick Delius.

There will be two day-time ShortWork operas: A Dinner Engagement, by Lennox Berkeley, and Mozart’s much-loved Magic Flute, each compressed into one hour.

There will be recitals, concerts, and a day-time package for people who want to know more about opera but are reluctant to commit to a full- length show.

The package includes a lunch recital with one of the festival stars, lunch in the Sky View Café at the Opera House, and an afternoon ShortWork opera. The Wexford Fringe Festival is up and running and will continue in tandem with the opera festival until Nov 4, with visual art, classical and traditional music, theatre and dance, literature, craft, children’s events and more.

Artistic director David Agler says of the festival, which began half a century ago: “Today, almost 50% of our audience come from outside Ireland, and some have been coming since the beginning. Wexford Festival Opera is known as the warm one, the friendly one, as well as the last festival of the European year.”

Indeed, it is the atmosphere in the narrow, winding streets of old Wexford, the chatter and gaiety in the pubs and restaurants, the feeling of being part of a great occasion, that bring devotees back year after year.

Bayreuth and Salzburg may be older, but Wexford has a charm and a quality all its own. This writer remembers a great English lady, be-furred and be-diamonded, sweeping into White’s Hotel, and greeted by a waiter who exclaimed, “Ah, isn’t it great to see you again,” as he bestowed a smacking kiss on her elegant cheek. Which she accepted with delight, incidentally.

You wouldn’t find that at Bayreuth.

No-one could have imagined, back in the grey post-war days of 1950s Ireland, that an informal gathering of friends listening to gramophone music could develop into one of the top events on the musical calendar. Yet that is exactly what happened.

Dr TJ Walsh was one of the two men credited with the festival’s inception; the other was novelist Sir Compton MacKenzie. After giving a talk to the Wexford Opera Study Circle in 1950, he suggested that the town might stage an opera in its theatre.

From such simple beginnings developed one of the most impressive success stories in the history of the arts in Ireland.

The first Festival of Music and the Arts was held in 1951. Sir Compton was present and became festival president, a position he held until his death in 1972.

Five years ago, a new Wexford Opera House was built on the same spot with the same historic High Street frontage. How they did that, and still increased capacity and facilities, is a tribute to both the determination of the board of management and the vision of the consultants. “It’s a bit like a Tardis really,” said chief executive David McLoughlin, at the time.

“It fits into the historic streetscape as the old one did, yet inside you have four times the space.”

Fortunately, the legendary Opera House ghost took the rebuilding in his stride and is still making his presence felt. “We always say goodnight to Johnny when we’ve finished rehearsals and are locking up,” says Agler.

“If we don’t, we’re likely to find lights burning all night or doors flying open unexpectedly. You have to observe the courtesies or beware the consequences.”

Not all operatic singers pursue their chosen path from childhood. Baritone David Stout, who sings the haunting role of The Dark Fiddler in A Village Romeo and Juliet, took a fascinating route. A talented child singer, he became head chorister at Westminster Abbey, going on to Uppingham School with a music scholarship.

When Stout’s parents moved to South Africa, he followed, studying science at A level and pursuing his passion for wildlife as well as playing rugby. This was followed by a zoology degree at Durham, a postgraduate qualification in education at Cambridge, and several years as a teacher. Summer holidays were spent organising safaris, which took him all over South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Fate took a hand during a sabbatical year, when he enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a one-year Masters course.

“It was supposed to be a short break, but I realised, after much hard work, the potential that several of my colleagues had suggested that I might have.

“I was accepted onto the opera course and my first major role was the Forester in Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen. I couldn’t believe my luck,” Stout says.

Coincidentally, his director then was Stephen Medcalf, with whom he is now working on the Delius opera.

Since then, Stout has been in demand to perform with all the major companies, including Welsh National Opera, Covent Garden, English National Opera and Opera North. His love for nature still directs his summers, though, when he heads for Bregenz, in Austria, to seek inspiration from the Alps, as well as to sing in the famous festival there.

Stout is looking forward keenly to playing the Dark Fiddler in the Delius opera.

“The role involves seductive charm juxtaposed with a bitter, predatory menace. It is tricky to sing, as it starts off high and airy and then schizophrenically flips into low, ponderous and voluminous tones,” he says. Stout is particularly grateful to be singing it in Wexford, as it was a piece he had studied for Covent Garden.

“Sadly, the project was cancelled after the death of Sir Charles Mackerras, but, happily, it has been revived here. Delius has painted the story of Romeo and Juliet in broad and luscious brush strokes. I think the audience are in for a treat.”

Demand is high for festival tickets, with several performances already sold out. If you haven’t got yours, better get moving. From tomorrow until Nov 4, Wexford is the only place to be.

* The 61st Wexford Festival Opera, Wed, Oct 24 — Sun, Nov 4. Grant-aided by the Arts Council, Fáilte Ireland, and Wexford County & Borough Councils, this year’s production sponsors are Zurich plc, and INM plc. Tickets at www.wexfordopera.com, Lo-call 1850-4-OPERA or [phone].