Britten Church Opera To Be Performed

    One of the highlights of this year's Northern Lights Festival will be performances of Benjamin Britten's rarely performed church opera, Noye's Fludde on July 12 at Holy Rosary Church in Aurora and on July 13at Resurrection Catholic Church in Eveleth.

     Based on a 16th century mystery play, Noye's Fludde was completed in December 1957 and first performed during the 1958 Aldeburgh Festival. It is Britten's most extended and elaborate work for children and is written in such as way as to combine professional and amateur performers, the music often tailored to take account of the abilities of less accomplished players but without any sense of compromise or writing down. Most of the main vocal parts are written for children (the exceptions being Noye himself, Noye’s wife and the Voice of God) and the orchestral forces comprise strings, recorders, bugles, hand bells and a large assortment of percussion including such home-made instruments as sandpaper blocks and slung mugs. The audience, referred to as the "congregation", also gets the opportunity to participate in three hymn-settings, ‘Lord Jesus, think on me’, ‘Eternal Father, strong to save’ and ‘The spacious firmament’.