Coming to the End

The final push of the tour saw Opera North head back up the country to Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the lovely Theatre Royal. It is always a joy to visit this highly individual city. I usually stay in an hotel in the centre, however this time the call of the on the Northumberland coast was too great and I found myself staying in a big house near Seahouses. I was not alone.

The house had been organised by Yvonne Howard (Aunty) and was big enough to fit several of "The Borough": Amy Freston (Niece), Stephen Richardson (Hobson), Giselle Allen (Ellen Orford), Christopher Purves (Balstrode) and Ethna Robinson (Mrs Sedley). Luckily none of us stay in character off stage, and we had a very relaxing time eating fine fare and drinking the odd glass of wine to ease the chill of the coastal wind! We were a stone's throw from Farnborough Castle and had a long walk along the beach here. Wonderful to be together and talk afresh about the sea and Britten and Peter Grimes. It was so beautiful and peaceful, yet the lap of the tide reminded us that we were in the presence of an all-powerful source that could be as dangerous as it is tranquil. This was made even clearer when we visited Holy Island. This was a place I had wanted to visit for a very long time. The time of year made it incredibly bleak. We stood and leant on the wind whilst looking out at the boiling sea. This really was Peter Grimes teritory. A great time was had by all, and the audiences in Newcastle were spellbound by the production.

Heading back to Leeds for the final three performances, I felt as if Peter Grimes was coming home. A kind of calm descended, and strangely I felt rather relieved that we were coming to the end of the run. This is to take nothing away from a fantastic tour, but to be honest I was starting to feel emotionally exhausted. For such a production to work, you have to give 110 percent every performance. With such a complex, on-the-edge man as Grimes, I suppose it was inevitable. We had three performances in Leeds, the last two back-to-back. Again, all three performances at The Grand were packed to the rafters. Jim Holmes conducted the last two shows, and his love for the music and energetic conducting swept us through the stormy music. Phyllida, who had been working abroad, flew back to join for the last night. This was an amazing experience. We had reached the last hurdle. We all received a wonderful ovation, and as the final curtain fell I wept like a child. The culmination of many months of preperation and the extraordinary experience released in tears of joy, relief and gratitude. The whole experience has been massive. I know that it was unique and I am so humbled to have been part of it.

I know Opera North have future plans for Peter Grimes. They are rightly very proud of their new flagship production, that was hailed in several national newspapers as the operatic event of 2006. It has been nominated for a South Bank Award, and I have been asked to attend this event in January with Phyillida and Richard Mantle. I can not quite believe it is all over. It has been a total privilege to share the experiences of the last few months with you. Dreams sometimes really do come true.

This fantastic journey has come to an end.

Jeff

[PS (from Opera North, January 2007): News just in - this production of Peter Grimes will be revived with many of the original cast members, including Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts, in early 2008!]

Entering the final stages...

Last week Opera North could be heard trundling down the M1 on its way to London. The innovatory quality of the company's work is very appreciated by audiences in the capital, and this season's offerings were bound to attract favourable crowds. However, there was a very special buzz around the arrival of Peter Grimes, as Sadler's Wells Theatre, where we were performing, was the hallowed turf where the great opera was first performed in 1945.

During the second World War this theatre, like many others, had been closed, and it was decided that Britten's first big-scale opera would re-open the house. It is hard for us to grasp, but there was a considerable amount of hostility to this at the time from a number of fronts. The modern nature of the music was seen as some as un-singable and un-playable, and the fact that Britten and Pears were conscientious objectors didn't go down well at all in some camps. Their personal relationship was also the source of much gossip.

Thankfully, there were many others who realised that the shadow of the war was not only cold, but seemed to stretch on forever. A new piece by the young English composer was what was needed. However, those expecting a nationalistic back-patting must have been shocked at this unveiling of a closed and somewhat harsh coastal community. The opera was an immediate hit.

We were warned many weeks ago that tickets were nearly sold out for this venue, and when the show received such wonderful reviews, the remaining tickets went overnight. Luckily I had booked several tickets for some family and friends well in advance.

I had performed at Sadler's Wells before, but as I left the tube at Angel and turned onto Rosebury Avenue, my heart leapt. I thought of Britten, Pears and all the folk involved in the premiere walking the same path, and wondered how they must have felt on their opening night. The theatre had been rebuilt since their day, but I felt an amazing sense of history at this place, and that in singing the role of Peter Grimes here I was perhaps becoming part of that history.

There was an incredible nervous energy amongst the cast, heightened perhaps by the fact that Radio 3 was present doing a sound check for a live recording at the second London performnce (to be broadcast in January 2007). As Richard Farnes started the piece, I couldn't quite believe that I was performing on the stage where this music was heard for the very first time.

I looked out into the audience during the first interlude, and tears welled in my eyes. I knew Britten and Pears were there in spirit. Both performances went very well indeed, and the ovation was quite incredible. Even in a theatre of this size, the atmosphere was tangible.

My brother and sister and some very good friends caught the show in London, amongst them my music teacher from my school days: Jonathan Gulliford. I wouldn't be doing any of this if it wasn't for him. He had also taught my siblings and we raised a glass in a little reunion after the show.

We are now entering the last phase of the tour and the final stages of our journey. I am determined that the remaing shows in Newcastle and Leeds be as vibrant and rewarding as the others have been. With only a handful of performances left, I am starting to feel a little strange, to be honest. I will soon have to say a fond farewell to Peter Grimes and let him go. I wonder if there is a help line out there somewhere?

Jeff

On the road

The Peter Grimes band wagon is well and truly on the road. In fact we are exactly halfway through the tour.

To be honest, it felt a little strange leaving Leeds, which had been my home for nine weeks. However, the Lowry in Salford was calling, and off we all went. The Lowry couldn't be more different from the Grand. A modern building with a big wide auditorium that we were told was full to capacity on both evenings. Again it felt to me as if we were at opening night. The nerves as fresh and vibrant as the premiere. The production had received more extraordinary reviews in the Sunday newspapers, and we were all very aware that expectations were very high. Both performances were very well received, and I was able to meet up with some friends and have a catch-up after the second show.

Our next port of call was Nottingham. We were not met by Robin Hood or his merry men but by a beautiful little theatre, which felt very small coming from the Lowry. The side walls of the set were enclosed to fit into the smaller space of the Theatre Royal, and the shows here had a slightly claustrophobic feel that fitted very well with the concept and the close-knit Borough.

Onwards now to Sadler's Wells London, Newcastle and a final week in Leeds...

There is, of course, a part of our very own Opera North family that I have never mentioned before. These are the stage staff and the crew who run the performances and make sure all the technical elements of the show are in place. Needless to say how important these folk are, and as you would expect, Opera North has assembled the best people in the business. They also have to put up with a large group of nervous performers each night and have learned that some singers need to be held by the hand and some need to be told very firmly what to do. The team consists of Peter Restall, Sophie Higson, Ben Frost and Sally Lyndsay-German. In fact, Sally's last performance was in Manchester, and I just wanted to use this opportunity to mention her and the rest of the team. I have in fact worked with Sally at the Garsington and Grange Park summer opera festivals. The stage management attend all the rehearsals from day one. They take copious amounts of notes and keep detailed records of how the show is progressing. They have the unenviable task of keeping order during the whole proceedings. Great people.

I thought it may be an idea to share with you my experiences in the music of Britten thus far: my musical map that has led to Peter Grimes.

I was very fortunate to have attended a high school that was musically rich. As a keen eleven-year-old, I remember sitting in the Christmas carol service and hearing the girls' choir sing Britten's Ceremony of Carols. The musical language was new to me, and I hadn't heard anything like it before. I was too young to appreciate the subtleties in the music, but I remember the choir members were totally involved, loving every note they sang. Some of Britten's folk song arrangements also became familiar to me during my school days.

As an undergraduate at Lancaster University, I worked on Les Illuminations but was not vocally prepared or mature enough to do them any justice. On This Island was much more appealing, the poetry being more immediate. To my shame, I was probably more interested in meeting my pals in the bar than in studying the finer qualities in Britten's music.

My days at the Royal Northern College of Music introduced me to the operas of Britten and I was totally hooked. I sang the role of Lysander, one of the lovers in A Midsummer Nights Dream. (It was a long time ago, when I had hair!) I also prepared the role of Albert Herring which I was to sing shortly afer graduating from Manchester at The Garsington Festival. I also sang this role under the baton of Stuart Bedford at The Harrogate Festival. Stuart was Britten's right-hand man in his twilight years and conducted the first performances of Death In Venice. He is the leading authority in the music of Britten, so I was greatly privileged. The unequalled Dame Josephine Barstow sang Lady Billows, so it was quite an occasion.

Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw was next to come my way, and I sang this at with Grange Park Opera and also with Opera Omaha in the USA. This is a very disturbing piece. Working closely with the boys playing Miles was in hindsight very good ground work for the complicated relationships Grimes has with his apprentice.

The breathtaking War Requiem was always on my hit list, and I was asked to perform this in Belgrade a few years back. My fellow perfomers will be known by many of you: Alan Opie (this season's Rigoletto), Lada Biriucov (a past Opera North Madama Butterfly) and the conductor Stephen Barlow.

I am so glad that I had sung these pieces of Britten before coming to the role of Peter Grimes. To have a feel of his demands in other areas of his prolific writings gave me a few more touchstones.

This journey, now in its performance phase, is still as rewarding and fulfilling has it always has been. The audience reaction, and the atmosphere at each show is thrilling and a little overwhelming. I wonder if Opera North knew they were going to unleash such a beast? I am very glad they have.

Jeff

On Stage at Last

Opera North's new production of Peter Grimes opened on October 26th. The stage rehearsals went very well indeed, and Roddy Williams, complete with arm in plaster and sling, was back with us for the dress rehearsal. Alas, the cold that we thought had wreaked its havoc and moved on paid one last cruel visit to Giselle Allan, our Ellen Orford, and she was absent for this rehearsal.

With a few hours notice, her understudy Rachel Hynes was told she was on. She did a wonderful job with only a few hours rehearsal on the day. People are always worried that if the dress rehearsal goes too well it may lead to a somewhat iffy first night. However, with Giselle back with us for the premiere, the atmosphere was incredible. We all met as a cast and had a note session with Phyllida and a physical warm-up with Tim Claydon, the assistant director. This gets us in the zone for the performance. I was incredibly nervous, but the support and good will of my colleagues on stage and in the pit kept coming at me like the waves we sing of in the opera. The Grand Theatre was packed to the rafters.It was wonderful to see the place totally sold out, and even more wonderful that in its packed-out glory the newly-improved acoustics seem even better.

The performance couldn't have gone any better. Everyone was in tremendous form, and this incredible piece, with its huge demands, showed Opera North off at its best. Richard Farnes steered us through the wild storms and the calmer waters with unique skill and love for the music. It was the most exciting, rewarding, and thrilling experience I have had on any stage.

The atmosphere in the theatre was truly electric, and in the moments of silence it seemed to engulf us. It was for me a spiritual experience. In the unaccompanied mad scene at the end of the opera, this very atmosphere governed my every utterance. I had no choice in my timing really. The mood and energy in the theatre on this extraordinary evening is really something I can't put into words. The raw emotion that Phyllida had slowly pulled from us over eight intense weeks reached its natural climax and struck an incredible resonance with the audience. Britten's genius was as strong and mind-blowingly evident as it must have been at its first performance in 1945.

The reaction and appreciation at the end of the evening excited us all, and there were many tears shed in the dressing rooms after the performance.

Tears of joy and tears of relief. We had a good party afterwards.

The reviews for Peter Grimes have left me totally overwhelmed. I am delighted for us all, and we are all geared up for the tour in front of us.

I am a very, very lucky man. My dream is now a reality. I will never ever forget this night.



Jeff

Almost there...

Our Peter Grimes opens in four days!!! I haven't been too nervous, but sitting down to type this, the last update before the big night, I have suddenly been visited by a large family of butterflies taking refuge in my stomach.

We still have an orchestral run-through and the dress rehearsal before we open. Everyone has upped their game, and the level of concentration is incrdible. Before I continue, I make a plea to all of you reading this to send very positive vibes and energy to Roddy Williams (Ned Keene). Poor Roddy had a nasty accident during the rehearsals on stage, and badly broke his wrist. He has had an operation, and as I write we are all praying he will be back with us for the opening night. As Roddy was carted off to Leeds General Infirmary by Jane Bonner (the company manager), his understudy Paul Gibson stepped forward from the chorus to make sure there was no hiatus in the rehearsal. The wheels of the slick Opera North machine started to turn, and within minutes the costume and wig Paul was to wear, if ever called upon to perform Ned Keene, appeared in the wings. All of this was done in a quiet, professional manner, a credit to the team work and trust between colleagues which is itself the hallmark of Opera North.

The dreaded cold, that had never been invited, hung around the Grand Theatre and, when I wasn't looking, paid me a silent visit. This was very frustrating. However, better at this point, allowing me time to recover before we open.

Apart from old Roddy, the rehearsals in the theatre went very well indeed. The improved acoustics are so very welcomed by us singers. It is a joy to sing in the theatre. The whole atmosphere of what we are trying to achieve has been transformed by the lighting of Paule Constable. The designer, Anthony Ward, is at hand and, with Stephen Rodwell, is making last minute alterations to certain costumes and in some cases making totally new costumes. Phyllida Lloyd, who had control of the piano stage rehearsals, gave way to Richard Farnes for his orchestral rehersals. At this point the music police are scattered about the theatre. Anthony Kraus (chorus master) is back stage conducting the off stage chorus and band. Annette Saunders (repetiteur) sits in the front row of the stalls, taking notes from Richard which are then relayed to us and worked on during the rehersal. Fiona McSherry, who has been working mostly with the understudies, is present, and Jim Holmes, the chief constable of the music police, sits in the front row of the dress circle. The musical preparation is being polished daily. We are nearly as ready as we ever will be to share our work with you.

Those of you who have shared my experiences over the last six months through this blog know how much this piece means to me. I am as humbled and excited by this fantastic work from Benjamin Britten as I was when I first heard it.

I am treading in the footprints of giants. Heppner, Langridge, Vickars and the great Pears himself. It would be folly to try and copy these fantastic men, as that would be a cheap impersonation. The work I began eighteen months ago, picking the brains of the country's leading coaches, has given me a freedom and a wide palette of colours from which to paint my own picture of this complex character.

My work at Opera North began in the mid 1990s under the eye of Christine Chibnall, the director of planning and casting director. I am indebted to her for her faith and guiding presence. At a meeting with her a decade ago, I remember her asking what my dream role was. Peter Grimes was my immediate reply. She said that if I developed as she thought I would and should then she could see me singing Grimes for Opera North in about ten years' time.

Those years have passed, and my dream is about to come true.

Jeff

PS. For those who were curious, I've added photos from my Sing-along-a-Sound of Music adventure to my earlier blog post!

Moving, a Sitzprobe and our own 3 Tenors

We have a new home! The Peter Grimes production has moved lock stock and barrel into the Grand Theatre, thus beginning the final part of our rehearsal journey. I always adore this part of the process. There is nothing quite like the atmosphere in a theatre when everyone gets on stage. We all see each other in full costume for the first time. Some colleagues are unrecognisable under wigs and heavy make-up. We now inhabit our set properly for the first time as well, and get used to the lights, props and added space the theatre gives us.

The period before this move was very busy. Time was spent in the rehearsal room working on the big chorus scenes in far more detail. We also had our sitzprobe. This is a wonderful rehersal, where we all get together with the orchestra for the first time and deliver, in effect, a concert performance. However, as stated, it is a proper musical rehearsal, and there are several starts and stops to work on any changes needed. A shift in dynamics or tempo, or working on the overall ensemble. It was a fantastic occasion, although two of the cast were hit by the dreaded cold that has been doing the rounds, Alan Oke (Bob Boles)and Claire Booth (Niece) were both unwell. This gave their covers, Pete Bodnam and Joanne Dexter, a chance to take centre stage. They were both excellent.

Richard Farnes conducted as if inside the music itself, and we were all totally inspired. The orchestra is relishing the opportunity to play this fabulous score Britten has given them. Each player seems to take the spotlight in turn, with many little solos that are played with passion and wonderful clarity. The players were very generous to us all. I feel, to be honest, that I rediscovered the piece in a way that I didn't think was possible at this stage in the proceedings. When singing with an orchestra of this caliber, you feel as if you are being carried on a magic carpet. It was such a wonderful day. About 22 of us went out to have supper together that night, cast and covers together, and that was great as well.

Of course, I must not forget to tell you of another incredibly wonderful moment for Opera North this week. Some time ago I organised a trip for about 20 of us to go to the Sing-along-a-Sound of Music at the City Varieties. This was meant to be some light relief before the busy stage rehersals. We got in the spirit and dressed up, little knowing that we would be adding bounty to the prestigious Opera North Trophy Cabinet.

Ben Kerslake (from the tenor section of the chorus) and I won joint first prize as the best Nuns. Arwel Price, also from the tenors, won first prize in the single category as the infamous nodding woman from the song competition near the end of the film. It was our own unique twist on the Three Tenors.

They say that time and tide wait for no man, and neither, it appears, do the Leeds Christmas Lights. They appeared about two weeks ago out of thin air (I can only assume it was Santa's little helpers) and hang tantalizingly above us awaiting their celebrity switch-on. I look forward to seeing them in their full splendour when we all return to Leeds for a week in December. There is much to do before then, and my next update will be the last before our show opens. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!

Jeff

Opera families

Autumn, which seems to have been flirting with us from the Pennines, has stretched its cooling fingers into West Yorkshire. I'm very glad. I love it when the seasons change. It also makes life in the rehearsal place more comfortable. Some of the work we are doing is quite physical. 60+ people in a space getting worked up can get a bit stuffy some times, even in the large, spanking-new studios of Opera North.

The cast of Rigoletto are now in the theatre and seem delighted with the improvements. Their studio was above ours, and up until last week, the lack of a Green Room meant that the Verdi and Britten casts didn't have a chance to mingle in the break periods. I'm sure that will be different now that the the theatre is open and we have a space to relax together in-between rehearsals.

The workplace environment often becomes like an extended family. This is definitely the case with opera companies, especially those that tour. The music is obviously a touchstone for us all, but it is great when the combination of people is such that you seek each other's company outside working hours. Opera singers, perhaps more than most, don't need much of an excuse to get a pint or a glass of wine in their hands. We do, however, have to be careful about when this happens. The stage rehearsal period is a no-go area for socialising. This is when everyone's focus shifts up another gear in anticipation for the dress rehearsal and opening night.

Over the last two weeks, we have met as a cast once a week and had a wonderful time. It is beneficial as a bonding experience as a newly formed family, but also to enjoy the calm before the storm of the above-mentioned stage period. It was my good friend Giselle Allen's (Ellen Orford's) birthday this past week, and a very good time was had by all. I sat opposite Richard Angas (Mr Swallow) at dinner. A total gentleman, and dare I say a veteran of the British opera scene. We tend not to talk shop much at these get-togethers, but after a few glasses of red wine I couldn't help but pick his brains regarding his experiences with the music of Britten. It was fascinating. Richard shared the stage with Peter Pears several times and spoke highly of him as an artist and of his very kind nature, not to mention his renowned musicality. Britten, who could be quite prickly at times, was more intense and meticulous in the musical preparation. Having Richard in the cast adds an incredible sense of gravitas to the proceedings.

Stephen Richardson (Hobson), with whom I have sung several Strauss Operas at Garsington, shared the red wine and also his experiences as a very keen fisherman in his spare time. He is giving us tips that Phyllida is weaving into the production to make everything as real as possible.

We have two weeks left in the rehearsal room before we hit the stage ourselves. A sense of excitement and expectation is growing amongst us. We are still discovering new things every day, and nothing ever stands still. Boundaries are being pushed, and emotional journeys are taking on extra dimentions. As a family, we will soon be put under the spotlight, warts and all. I wonder what you will make of us?

Jeff