Opera North Youth Company will head to Buxton Fringe to perform Dr Ferret’s Bad Medicine Roadshow, a musical version of Hilaire Belloc’s Cautionary Tales.
The Opera North Youth Company comprises young singers and aspiring orchestral players from in and around Leeds. It grew out of the Opera North Youth Chorus, a group of 14- to 19-year-olds who meet weekly at Opera North to gain practical experience in music, singing, drama, composition and direction.
On this occasion, they will be joined by a more recently formed ensemble of young musicians who have been honing their skills under the guidance of members and tutors of the Opera North orchestra.
Written by Stephen Deazley, the one-act opera follows Dr Ferret as he sets out to discover just how mischievous today’s children are. As the adventure unfolds, the doctor tells the curious story of Matilda whose compulsive lies led to a terrible fire, Henry King who ate too much string, Jim who had a rather unfortunate encounter with a lion and George, a small boy who manages to create a large amount of trouble.
Jacqui Cameron, Opera North education director, said, “we’re delighted to be performing at such a highly-regarded festival as the Buxton Fringe. At Opera North, we aim to give young people as many opportunities as possible to become involved with music whether they prefer singing or playing an instrument—and to broaden their musical horizons by arranging performances not only in their home city but throughout the UK and overseas.
“By doing so, we hope to create lifelong memories and to inspire a lasting love of music among all the young people who take part.”
Opera North Youth Company will perform Dr Ferret’s Bad Medicine Roadshow in the Pavilion Theatre, Buxton on Sunday 16 July at 5PM.