sun 01/12/2024

We Are Shadows, Spitalfields Music | reviews, news & interviews

We Are Shadows, Spitalfields Music

We Are Shadows, Spitalfields Music

The 2011 Summer Festival ends with an operatic community celebration

Rattus Rattus (Adam Green) and his cohort of exuberant rat-minionsJez C Self

Spitalfields Summer Music Festival is now finished for another year, but bid farewell to its audiences in fitting style with We Are Shadows – a new community opera devised by composer John Barber and librettist Hazel Gould. Bringing together over 200 local participants, whether as singers and performers or working behind the scenes to usher this two-year project to fruition, it’s a show that celebrates not only the talents of the Spitalfields community, but also that most universal of London icons: the rat.

Spitalfields Summer Music Festival is now finished for another year, but bid farewell to its audiences in fitting style with We Are Shadows – a new community opera devised by composer John Barber and librettist Hazel Gould. Bringing together over 200 local participants, whether as singers and performers or working behind the scenes to usher this two-year project to fruition, it’s a show that celebrates not only the talents of the Spitalfields community, but also that most universal of London icons: the rat.

An acrobatic semi-chorus of rats offering all the personality and energy you could hope for

Share this article

Comments

I really enjoyed your intelligent review, not least as one of the bravely tuneful men of chorus. But I felt I had to add something. It's easily done, of course, as we now know from the opera, but haven't you overlooked the shadow?! He was such a big, silent part of the show, and brought brilliantly "alive" by Krystian G. Just my opinion...

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters