REGINA! TRIUMPH and TRAGEDY

REGINA - TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY
A DOUBLE BILL OF ENGLISH OPERAS PREMIERED 299 YEARS APART

"We nearly called it Great Queens, until someone pointed out that audiences might turn up expecting a drag show. Nothing wrong with a drag show, but a double bill of operas written three centuries apart is a rather different offering!" says David Haines, Musical Director of South Devon Singers Community Choir (SDS).

SDS plans to celebrate twenty years of entertaining local and not-so-local audiences this June by joining forces with its sister company Red Earth Opera (REO) - celebrating its own tenth anniversary this year. REO is well-respected locally for its lively semi-staged performances of classical operas using a combination of professional and amateur singers. Musical Director Jane Anderson-Brown says "the creative collaboration between talented professionals and enthusiastic (and also talented!) amateurs benefits everyone involved - granting a unique sense of energy, enthusiasm and dynamism to our performances."

REO's half of the bill comprises a performance of Henry Purcell's great opera Dido and Aeneas, featuring what is arguably the greatest, most-loved classical song in the English language - Dido's Lament. In the space of an hour, the opera tells the passionate love story of Queen Dido of Carthage and the Trojan hero Aeneas, whose romance is tragically thwarted by sorcery and political intrigue.

SDS's contribution to the evening will be Haines' Armadadrama - also one hour in duration - a unique retelling in song of the events of 1588 when the English navy's victory over the Spanish Armada marked a pivotal moment in European history, thwarting Spain's attempt to invade England and asserting England's naval dominance. The two nations' respective monarchs are not exactly painted in heroic colours, and the ultimate message? - it's the 'common' people who suffer most when the leaders decide to go to war.

At the heart of Regina - Triumph and Tragedy are two formidable queens - the mythical Queen Dido, and the historical Queen Elizabeth. Through their compelling stories, audiences will delve into the complexities of female sovereignty, witnessing the paradoxical strength and vulnerability of these iconic figures. Both works - though ultimately tragic - include wit and humour, uplifting choruses, heart-rending laments, and catchy melodies which will linger in the memory.

Performances:
7pm Saturday 8th June 2024 at Teignmouth Pavilions
7pm Sunday 9th June 2024 at Chudleigh Parish Church