Special to the Times
Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) presents a special free public performance of composer Benjamin Britten’s 1958 work, NOAH’S FLOOD (Noye’s Fludde) on May 3 at 2pm at Symphony Hall. This participatory, family-friendly opera brings together professional artists, community musicians and young performers for a vibrant retelling of the classic story of a man driven to save his family, his community, and the Earth’s animals from an existential flood.
Part of BLO’s ongoing commitment to accessible, community-centered performances, NOAH’S FLOOD is designed for audiences of all ages, offering an introduction to opera through Britten’s charming score. The production will be conducted by BLO Music Director David Angus and is directed by Dayron Miles. Performers include David McFerrin, a BLO Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumnus, in the title role, and Alexis Peart, a current Emerging Artist as Mrs. Noah, alongside hundreds of local schoolchildren, instrumentalists and choral singers in an inclusive, participatory musical experience.
Community partners and performers include Boston Children’s Chorus, Boston String Academy, Back Bay Ringers, VOICES Boston, Boston Recorder Orchestra, Community Music Center of Boston, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory Preparatory School and Artists for Humanity.
The production is part of BLO’s “Rising Waters/Rising Voices” initiative, which aims to use its performances and other resources to bring attention to environmental concerns that threaten its communities. For ten years before NOAH’S FLOOD premiered, Britten had been interested in writing operas accessible to children and based on biblical stories and as a vehicle to teach young people about music creation. He was asked to write a piece for a summer music program and looked to adapt one of the medieval “Chester ‘Miracle Plays’” that are among the first dramatized biblical stories. Poignantly – and by some accounts his impetus to create this work – Britten’s hometown of Aldeburgh, England and the areas around it had been devastated by a string of storms that destroyed homes and flooded communities years earlier.
This free performance (donations of $25 suggested) continues BLO’s tradition of bringing opera to new locations in and around the heart of Boston. Reservations are required due to anticipated demand.