“I saw the deep...”
Gilgamesh’s final words of the opera hang heavy in the air, as he turns to the light, leaving the realm of the gods. He is now stripped of all his earthly power and triumphalism – musically, it is as if time has stopped, and all that remains is this single moment.
Gilgamesh - a new opera by Jack Symonds, with libretto by Louis Garrick, has been a profound and challenging project, with demanding vocalism and physical performance. It has been realised by an incredible creative team, led by director Kip Williams, and brought to life by inspiring artists. I have relished every moment and feel very lucky to be part of this!
Not least, because the project has coincided with some of very challenging weeks in my personal life. Yet the team at Sydney Chamber Opera have offered nothing but support, understanding and flexibility. It is a beautiful thing to work for a company with such humanity, and I do not take it for granted.
For me, working with SCO has been a decade in the making. 10 years ago, I was booked to sing a role in one of the company’s early projects, the opera Mayakovsky by Michael Smetanin, which Jack would conduct. But a couple of weeks before rehearsals were due to commence, I was struck down with glandular fever and had to withdraw from the project. I recommended my good friend and fellow tenor Brenton Spiteri to jump into the role, and he did a spectacular job. This grew into a wonderful artistic connection, which saw Brenton perform in many subsequent projects with SCO. My own recovery was a slow journey, which I have written about elsewhere in this blog.
Then in 2023, while in Sydney for Cinderella, I arranged to audition again for Jack and SCO. I was excited to reconnect with the company, having witnessed its growth and strong artistic identity make a real impact on the Australian opera scene. Yet, once again, I was thwarted. Two days out from the audition, I slipped while descending a staircase in bare feet, skidding down and splitting the webbing between my toes. It was extremely unpleasant. Fortunately, Jack agreed to postpone the audition by a few weeks, and I was able to make a decent recovery before returning to sing for them.
So now, after a full decade, I finally have the opportunity to perform with this uniquely wonderful company. There have been many obstacles, and it has taken a good deal of determination and understanding from all parties to get here. But my goodness, it has been worth it! To finally perform Jack’s incredible music, which spans such a rich dramatic range. To work with my fellow cast-members: Jessica O’Donoghue, Jane Sheldon, Mitchell Riley and Jeremy Kleeman, who are all superb musicians, singers and actors. Each day in the rehearsal room as full of discovery, inspiration and delight. I have learned so much from them.
To be shaped by the directorial team of Kip Williams and Tait de Lorenzo, and the design team of Elizabeth Gadsby (set), David Fleischer (costumes), Amelia Lever-Davidson (lighting), Nigel Poulton (fight choreography), Ben Carey and Bob Scott (electronics and sound). And to top it all off, to sing with the luxurious virtuosity of the Australian String Quartet and Ensemble Offspring.
Who could ask for a better job?
Tickets for Gilgamesh are still available for our last 3 shows! https://opera.org.au/productions/gilgamesh-sydney/
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