Noye's Fludde
Encyclopedia
Noye's Fludde is an early 15th century mystery play
from the Chester Mystery Cycle
. It was set to music by Benjamin Britten
in 1957 based on an edition by Alfred W. Pollard
. Britten's opera
, opus number
59, is written to be performed in a church or a large hall — but not in a theatre (Britten's request) — by a cast primarily of amateurs.
The orchestra calls for a small concertino ensemble of professionals consisting of string quintet, recorder, piano (four hands), organ, and timpani. The amateur ripieno orchestra calls for strings, recorders, bugles, hand-bells, and percussion. The audience, which Britten refers to as the "congregation", is invited to join in by singing along in the three hymns inserted into the original text.
The first performance was on 18 June 1958 in Orford
Church, Suffolk
, as part of the Aldeburgh Festival
, with the English Opera Group
and a local cast.
while the first complete radio broadcast was given on 30 November 1964 by the BBC Northern Ireland Home Service.
The second performances took place, appropriately, in St. Johns Church Chester in March 1959 with Jolyon Dodgson in the title role.
In the United States, the opera was heard on the radio in New York City
on 31 July 1958 and, also in New York in the School of Sacred Music of Union Theological Seminary
on 16 March 1959, the US premiere was given.
Performances have been and are presented fairly frequently by community organizations in churches and schools. One of the early US productions of this type was given at The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia
under the direction of John Langstaff
who later founded the Christmas Revels
group in 1971, but who presented the first of such entertainments in 1957.
Later performances by community groups have included those in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City
and by Revels, Inc. directed by Paddy Swanson on 5 and 6 March 2004 presented at First Congregational Church Cambridge. In February 2009, the opera was given by the Cantata Singers of Boston
and, on 7 March 2009, a free community event was presented by the Los Angeles Opera
under the direction of James Conlon
and with Noye and Mrs. Noye sung by James Johnson and Beth Clayton
respectively. In 2004, the opera was performed by the Scottish Borders Community Orchestra in the Victoria Hall
s of Selkirk with around 300 schoolchildren attending.
It was presented in the UK in March 2010 at Brentwood Cathedral
.
In recent years, the opera was presented at the Teatro Villamarta in Jerez, Spain
(2008), other performances by European opera companies are planned in May 2010 at the Theater der Stadt Heidelberg
and Staatstheater Darmstadt
.
There will once again be a free community event presented by the Los Angeles Opera
under the direction of James Conlon
on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
in Los Angeles.
tells Noye to build "a shippe". Noye agrees and calls on his family to help. His sons and their wives enter with tools and materials and begin, but Mrs Noye and her Gossips (close friends) mock the project. The cast build the ark
on stage.
God tells Noye to fill the Ark with animals, and they enter in groups from all parts of the church, singing or squeaking "Kyrie eleison!" Noye orders his family to board, but Mrs Noye and the Gossips refuse, preferring to drink; the sons carry Mrs Noye on (she slaps Noye's face). Rain begins (roughly tuned teacups called "slung mugs" are struck to give the sound of the first raindrops), building to a great storm. The storm is represented by a passacaglia
in which each statement of the theme a new aspect of the storm is represented: for example, trills in the recorders represent the wind and scales in the string section signify waves. At the height of the passacaglia, the congregation sings "Eternal Father, Strong to Save
", a Victorian naval hymn by John B. Dykes. When it is calm, Noye sends out a raven saying "If this fowl come not again it is a sign sooth to say, that dry it is on hill or plain." This is a dancer, accompanied by a cello; he never returns. Noye now knowing that the raven has discovered dry land he sends out a dove accompanied by a solo recorder (played with fluttering tongue to imitate a dove's cooing), which brings back an olive branch. Everyone leaves the Ark, singing "Alleluia" accompanied by bugle
fanfare
s. To the sound of handbells, God promises never to send another flood, with the rainbow as a sign. The cast file out singing Addison
's "The spacious firmament on high" to Tallis
' Canon
, leaving Noye alone to receive God's blessing.
conducting the English Chamber Orchestra and Owen Brannigan
as Noye. This is available on a CD which also contains a recording of Britten's The Golden Vanity.
Source: Recordings of Noye's Fludde on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
Mystery play
Mystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song...
from the Chester Mystery Cycle
Chester Mystery Plays
The Chester Mystery Plays is a cycle of mystery plays dating back to at least the early part of the 15th century.A record of 1422 shows that the plays took place at the feast of Corpus Christi and this appears to have continued until 1521. Plays on Corpus Christi Day in 1475 included 'The trial...
. It was set to music by Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
in 1957 based on an edition by Alfred W. Pollard
Alfred W. Pollard
Alfred William Pollard was an English bibliographer, widely credited for bringing a higher level of scholarly rigor to the study of Shakespearean texts....
. Britten's opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, opus number
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
59, is written to be performed in a church or a large hall — but not in a theatre (Britten's request) — by a cast primarily of amateurs.
The orchestra calls for a small concertino ensemble of professionals consisting of string quintet, recorder, piano (four hands), organ, and timpani. The amateur ripieno orchestra calls for strings, recorders, bugles, hand-bells, and percussion. The audience, which Britten refers to as the "congregation", is invited to join in by singing along in the three hymns inserted into the original text.
The first performance was on 18 June 1958 in Orford
Orford, Suffolk
Orford is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Like many Suffolk coastal towns it was of some importance as a port and fishing village in the Middle Ages. It still has a fine mediaeval castle, built to dominate the River Ore.The main geographical feature of the...
Church, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, as part of the Aldeburgh Festival
Aldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
, with the English Opera Group
English Opera Group
The English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten for the purpose of presenting his and other, primarily British, composers' operatic works. The group later expanded in order to present larger-scale works, and was renamed the English...
and a local cast.
Performance history
Quickly following the premiere performances, Associated Television (a British television company) broadcast a relay of the performance on 22 Junewhile the first complete radio broadcast was given on 30 November 1964 by the BBC Northern Ireland Home Service.
The second performances took place, appropriately, in St. Johns Church Chester in March 1959 with Jolyon Dodgson in the title role.
In the United States, the opera was heard on the radio in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 31 July 1958 and, also in New York in the School of Sacred Music of Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
on 16 March 1959, the US premiere was given.
Performances have been and are presented fairly frequently by community organizations in churches and schools. One of the early US productions of this type was given at The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
under the direction of John Langstaff
John Langstaff
John Langstaff , a concert baritone, and early music revivalist was the founder of the Northeast United States tradition of the Christmas Revels, as well as a respected musician and educator. He attended the Curtis Institute of Music as well as Juilliard. In 1943 he married Diane Hamilton...
who later founded the Christmas Revels
Revels
Revels is a contemporary series of American seasonal stage performances, initially given at Christmas time as the Christmas Revels at Town Hall in New York City in 1957, which involve singing, dancing, recitals, theatrics , and usually some audience participation, all appropriate to the season...
group in 1971, but who presented the first of such entertainments in 1957.
Later performances by community groups have included those in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and by Revels, Inc. directed by Paddy Swanson on 5 and 6 March 2004 presented at First Congregational Church Cambridge. In February 2009, the opera was given by the Cantata Singers of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and, on 7 March 2009, a free community event was presented by the Los Angeles Opera
Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.-Current leadership:...
under the direction of James Conlon
James Conlon
James Conlon is an American conductor and the current Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera.-Early years:Conlon grew up in a family of five children on Cherry Street in Douglaston, Queens, New York. His mother, Angeline L. Conlon, was a freelance writer. His father was an assistant to the New...
and with Noye and Mrs. Noye sung by James Johnson and Beth Clayton
Beth Clayton
Laura Beth Clayton is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer, and a native of Malvern, Arkansas.-Education and early career:Clayton's father was a Methodist minister. She sang in church and then in musical productions in church camp and in high school...
respectively. In 2004, the opera was performed by the Scottish Borders Community Orchestra in the Victoria Hall
Hall
In architecture, a hall is fundamentally a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age, a mead hall was such a simple building and was the residence of a lord and his retainers...
s of Selkirk with around 300 schoolchildren attending.
It was presented in the UK in March 2010 at Brentwood Cathedral
Brentwood Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Helen is the Roman Catholic cathedral in the English town of Brentwood, Essex. It is the seat of the Diocese of Brentwood.-History:...
.
In recent years, the opera was presented at the Teatro Villamarta in Jerez, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(2008), other performances by European opera companies are planned in May 2010 at the Theater der Stadt Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and Staatstheater Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
.
There will once again be a free community event presented by the Los Angeles Opera
Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.-Current leadership:...
under the direction of James Conlon
James Conlon
James Conlon is an American conductor and the current Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera.-Early years:Conlon grew up in a family of five children on Cherry Street in Douglaston, Queens, New York. His mother, Angeline L. Conlon, was a freelance writer. His father was an assistant to the New...
on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, also called "COLA" and the Los Angeles Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California, United States...
in Los Angeles.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 18 June 1958 (Conductor: Charles Mackerras Charles Mackerras Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan... ) |
|---|---|---|
| Voice of God | spoken role | Trevor Anthony |
| Noye | bass-baritone | Owen Brannigan Owen Brannigan Owen Brannigan OBE was an English bass, known in opera for buffo roles and in concert for a wide range of solo parts in music ranging from Henry Purcell to Michael Tippett... |
| Mrs. Noye | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
Gladys Parr |
| Sem | treble Boy soprano A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily... |
Thomas Bevan |
| Ham | treble | Marcus Norman |
| Jaffett | treble | Michael Crawford Michael Crawford Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City... |
| Mrs. Sem | girl soprano | Janette Miller |
| Mrs. Ham | girl soprano | Katherine Dyson |
| Mrs. Jaffett | girl soprano | Marilyn Baker |
| Mrs. Noye's Gossips | girl sopranos | |
| Children's chorus of animals and birds; congregation | ||
Synopsis
Noye's Fludde opens with the congregation singing "Lord Jesus, think on me" as Noye enters. The spoken Voice of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
tells Noye to build "a shippe". Noye agrees and calls on his family to help. His sons and their wives enter with tools and materials and begin, but Mrs Noye and her Gossips (close friends) mock the project. The cast build the ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
on stage.
God tells Noye to fill the Ark with animals, and they enter in groups from all parts of the church, singing or squeaking "Kyrie eleison!" Noye orders his family to board, but Mrs Noye and the Gossips refuse, preferring to drink; the sons carry Mrs Noye on (she slaps Noye's face). Rain begins (roughly tuned teacups called "slung mugs" are struck to give the sound of the first raindrops), building to a great storm. The storm is represented by a passacaglia
Passacaglia
The passacaglia is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used by contemporary composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often, but not always, based on a bass-ostinato and written in triple metre....
in which each statement of the theme a new aspect of the storm is represented: for example, trills in the recorders represent the wind and scales in the string section signify waves. At the height of the passacaglia, the congregation sings "Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Eternal Father, Strong to Save
"Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a hymn often associated with the Royal Navy or the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Accordingly, it is often known as the Royal Navy Hymn or the United States Navy Hymn , and sometimes by the last line of its first verse, "For Those in Peril on...
", a Victorian naval hymn by John B. Dykes. When it is calm, Noye sends out a raven saying "If this fowl come not again it is a sign sooth to say, that dry it is on hill or plain." This is a dancer, accompanied by a cello; he never returns. Noye now knowing that the raven has discovered dry land he sends out a dove accompanied by a solo recorder (played with fluttering tongue to imitate a dove's cooing), which brings back an olive branch. Everyone leaves the Ark, singing "Alleluia" accompanied by bugle
Bugle (instrument)
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...
fanfare
Fanfare
A Fanfare is a relatively short piece of music that is typically played by trumpets and other brass instruments often accompanied by percussion...
s. To the sound of handbells, God promises never to send another flood, with the rainbow as a sign. The cast file out singing Addison
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was a man of letters, eldest son of Lancelot Addison...
's "The spacious firmament on high" to Tallis
Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
' Canon
Canon (music)
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
, leaving Noye alone to receive God's blessing.
Recordings
A recording was made in 1961, with Norman Del MarNorman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar CBE was a British conductor, horn player, and biographer. As a conductor, he specialized in the music of late romantic composers; including Edward Elgar, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. He left a great legacy of recordings of British music, in particular Elgar, Vaughan Williams,...
conducting the English Chamber Orchestra and Owen Brannigan
Owen Brannigan
Owen Brannigan OBE was an English bass, known in opera for buffo roles and in concert for a wide range of solo parts in music ranging from Henry Purcell to Michael Tippett...
as Noye. This is available on a CD which also contains a recording of Britten's The Golden Vanity.
Source: Recordings of Noye's Fludde on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
External links
- The Thirde Pageante of Noyes Fludd as presented by the Waterleaders and Drawers of Dee