Encounters
From
February 5 – 8, the Fountain School of Performing Arts in Halifax presents Encounters ~ six contemporary Canadian
comedic operas. Recently we spoke with director Marcia Swanston about what
audiences can expect.
What are your
own roots?
I was born in
Southern Alberta, studied many places among then, in the UK at the Guildhall
School of Music & Drama, London then lived and worked out of Toronto for 20
years as a professional singer. I began
teaching voice at the Western University in Ontario and came to Dalhousie in
2001.
How long have
you been involved in opera, and in what capacity?
My mother was
a piano teacher and I studied piano and voice from an early age. My career as a professional opera singer began
the mid-80s working with the Canadian Opera Company and then across Canada and
into the States. I have always been interested in the backstage goings-on in
the theatre, and at music college I assisted with stage management, props,
costumes. A couple of years after my appointment to the then Music
Department at Dalhousie, I started directing opera. My first production as
director was in 20015, a comedy by von Suppé, Ten Belles without a Ring. This
was great fun and I directed again the next year: A dinner engagement and
La ServaPadrona.
What inspired
this particular production?
In 2012, I
spent a bit of time at the University of Toronto observing some the production
work going on in the Opera Program there. Michael Albano, who is the
librettist of Encounters and the resident stage director of the UofT Opera
program, told me about a project they were working on: Encounters for a number
of female voices and a few tenors. It sounded very interesting and I asked if I
might see the scores when the work was finished in case it might work for us
here in Halifax - and it does. The urban settings and current topics (Rob Ford,
for example) were interesting, and our students relate well to the dramatic
intent. A series of short operas allows
for a number of singers to be cast and the voice types fit exactly with our
current voice student enrolment. One of the composers is a Dal alumnus, Robert
Drisdelle, so this was an unexpected bonus! As of July 1, 2014 thanks to the
generosity of Fred and Elizabeth Fountain, the Theatre and Music areas merged
to become the Fountain School of Performing Arts. This is our first stage
collaboration with set, props and lighting designed by our Theatre faculty and
built by our Fountain School students.
The costume coordinator is a senior Costume Studies student supervised
by her professor. It’s also the first time we have had a chamber
orchestra and we are very fortunate to have a professional opera conductor
leading the shows.
What are the
challenges involved?
Finding
repertoire appropriate for singers in the undergraduate years is often difficult.
Traditional operas require a well developed vocal technique, something that
normally occurs much later than 18 – 20, the typical age of an undergrad voice
student. The repertoire this year is perfect for most of them but there
are challenges involved with learning new music and they have been studying the
music since September, with some staging rehearsals beginning in November and
continuing on weekends in January. Many of the singers do not have stage
training, in fact for some this is the first time on a stage. The orchestra
used in the premier in Toronto was much larger and different instrumentation.
The composers very kindly re-scored their works for the instruments in our
small ensemble of student instrumental players.
What are the
rewards?
Seeing the
growth in the students and the joy they have in doing something really well.
I have been given so much by so many talented directors and teachers;
it’s a privilege to be able to pass anything I can on to the next generations. It’s
wonderful to collaborate with my professional colleagues at Dal. What a
wonderful profession we enjoy: playing on stage for our whole lives!
What can
audiences expect during the run?
The show is a
smoothly running series of short operas that are clever and entertaining. This
is a show for both the first-time opera-goer and seasoned opera lover. Highly
approachable, fresh new music, visually stunning (sets and lights) should
produce an enjoyable evening at the theatre.
What are your thoughts on the state of opera in Halifax, and Atlantic Canada?
There are a
lot of people who love opera living here in Atlantic Canada. Opera Nova
Scotia with their annual production and events going on throughout the year,
the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts to cinemas on Saturday afternoons and Janice
Jackson’s summer contemporary opera workshop are all fine activities going on
here in Halifax. A major stumbling block to producing opera is the absence
of a hall with an appropriate stage (with flies and wings) and, most
significantly, an orchestra pit. I believe if we had a good performing space,
this would result in many more opera performances.
What's next on
your creative agenda?
I am curating
and performing a program of words and music entitled “Flight” at The Music Room
on March 18, with Susan Stackhouse, actor, Shimon Walt, ‘cello and Nina
Horvath, piano. In May I am performing with Opera Nova Scotia in a staged
version of Fly like a bird a piece by local composer, John Plant, which
was premiered in concert at a recent ScotiaFestival. In the fall I am
performing in a couple of newly composed operas with Essential Opera, as part
of OperaLyra Ottawa’s season. Maureen Batt, a former voice student
of mine at Dal, is a co-artistic director of Essential Opera and we will be performing
together in Ottawa. Fun fact: Maureen and I are part of the same program
for Opera Nova Scotia this spring. In addition to Fly like a bird, ONS is
presenting two other one act operas including La ServaPadrona. In
2006 I directed Maureen in this production for Dal Opera.
Encounters
February 5-7,
8pm / February 8, 2.30pm
Sir James
Dunn Theatre, Halifax
www.dal.ca/performingarts