CityLife

RNCM Christmas show is Archers. . . with music

Stefan Janski

Albert Herring is a comic opera of rural English life almost like an episode of The Archers set to music.

The story is based on the idea that in the town of Loxford there are no girls virtuous enough to be crowned May Queen, so the pure and somewhat naïve

Albert, from the greengrocer’s, becomes May King instead.

All goes well, until his celebratory glass of lemonade at the fete is spiked with rum …

It’s one of Benjamin Britten’s greatest creations, and the Royal Northern College of Music is presenting it as its major Christmas show, beginning on Sunday (3pm) and with evening performances on Tuesday, Thursday, and next Saturday.

Stefan Janski, pictured, the man behind many great RNCM opera stagings in the past, is directing, and design is by Lara Booth, who has worked
with Manchester Metropolitan University and Caroline Clegg – this is her first opera production.

“It’s got to be entertaining,” says Stefan. “The comedy is in the situations and the richness of the characters (there’s a lady of the manor, mayor, vicar, policeman, and so on).

“We’ve been delving into the period, and you realise they are not caricatures but really representative of a small community in east Suffolk in the early 1900s.”

The story, as he sees it, is about how the well-mannered Albert, brought up by his mum, but lacking confidence, grows up suddenly.

“Sid is the local rebel who urges him on – and Nancy is a girl he obviously cares for, and she for him.

“As for just what he gets up to when his eyes are opened – we leave that to the audience to imagine.”

The production is set in its original period – “It’s from a time when England was still a place of naïvety and innocence, and that area was very isolated and almost a different world from elsewhere.”

The opera is double-cast and has two orchestras, so although there are few characters and no chorus, and the score calls for few instruments, as many RNCM members as possible get a chance.

“And I’ve got some additional Loxford ladies as extras,” says Stefan.

“They’re teachers in the school or women in the town.”

Clark Rundell has been in charge of the musical preparation. He says:

“When we plan we look at the best singers we have, and for a piece that will showcase as many as we can, as best we can.

“One of the nice things about this piece is that everybody has a reasonable shot.

“All of them are good, strong characters – everybody is on stage for a good long time, and anyone could steal the show. The music is brilliant – almost flawless … just the right length, and all the vocal parts are right for the characters.

“There were just 12 in the original orchestra, and we are doing it exactly as in the original – it’s perfect for a theatre of the size of ours.”

On Thursday, the BBC Philharmonic is giving a special Christmas concert as part of the BBC’s Celebrate Sport festival at MediaCityUK, with the Manchester United Foundation Youth Choir.

It will include The Christmas Song, music from The Snowman and Hark The Herald Angels Sing with the backing of the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Richard Davis, and will be recorded for broadcast on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day by BBC Radio Manchester.

Formed i­n October last year, the Choir is drawn from schools in Salford, Trafford and Manchester and meets every Monday night at Old Trafford.

It’s already sung at MU events, but this will be its first public concert.