Bubble McBea and Sounds Of Singing
An exciting collaboration with Scottish Opera and The Highland Council means that two top quality performance events for young singers and musicians will take place in Inverness next Thursday (12 June).
The Undersea World of Bubble McBea is an interactive opera for 3 to 6 year olds. The story is told entirely through song and the show features puppetry, dance, musical instruments, film animation and a host of larger than life characters.
Scottish Opera has been working with the Council to teach young children the songs and movements in advance of the show so they can get the most out of the show and really feel part of the performance. Teachers have also been able to use specially designed resources in their classrooms to introduce pupils to the characters and the fictional island on which the opera is based.
The performances for Highland schools on the 12 and 13 June are completely sold out although there are still limited seats available for the public shows with tickets for sale through the Eden Court Box Office.
The Highland Council’s Director of Education, Culture and Sport, Councillor Bill Fernie said: “We really welcome this opportunity to work in partnership with Scottish Opera to provide a really exciting experience for 3 to 6 year olds, a young age group often over-looked when it comes to arts events. The opera is about a journey and introduces the young audience to a number of important environmental issues. We hope The Undersea World of Bubble McBea is the first of many such collaborations.”
Also on Thursday the Orchestra of Scottish Opera will be hosting a Sounds of Singing event for P6 and P7 pupils at Inverness Sports Centre at 11am. Sounds of Singing is an interactive concert which introduces pupils to the various instruments that make up the orchestra before moving on to let them hear live opera performance from four guest opera singers. As part of the concert the pupils also get the opportunity to take on the role of the opera chorus and sing along with the orchestra.
The event will have a Scottish theme, including a performance of Malcolm Arnold’s Tam o’Shanter and songs which the schools taking part have learnt in their class beforehand.
Children from Holm, Farr, Dochgarroch, Cradlehall, Merkinch, Duncan Forbes, Kinmylies, Smithton, Beauly, Teanassie, Grantown & Cromarty Primaries will be taking part.
Norman Bolton, The Highland Council’s Music Development Officer said: “Scottish Opera has compiled an easy to use teaching support pack which our teachers have been using to work on songs in advance of the performance.
“This will be a great experience for the young pupils and a privilege for them to see, hear and be part of such high quality live entertainment. By offering young people the chance to interact closely with professional singers and musicians, we hope many will feel inspired and will develop an interest in music and song.”
Scottish Opera’s Head of Education, Jane Davidson said: “We're delighted to return to the Highlands with these two fantastic events, created especially to introduce young people to opera. Nearly 500 pupils from schools and nurseries across Highland will take part in Sounds of Singing and The Undersea World of Bubble McBea - and we're sure they'll love it!"