A program of three evenings of music featuring music highlighting women’s points of view is now going into production in San Francisco’s Goat Hall. The performances will be focused around the themes of:

Evening 1: White Horse - inspirational, heroic, iconic women

Evening 2: Red Horse - women and war, with all its related effects, political, economic, and domestic

Evening 3: The Black Horse - woman and famine, plague, or other disasters

Impresario Harriet Page has asked to include the “Dance of the Worm” aria, sung by Rita Haronian at the first act sing-through on January 12, 2008.

So Rita will be reprising her role at the Red Horse Evening on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Goat Hall in San Francisco.

‘ray!

Christopher

After the sing-through, Scott began thinking about having Hunter be a tenor in the first act and a countertenor (as the post-op M2F) in the second act. Following a tip from Sanford Dole that that idea probably wouldn't work, we met with Jesse Antin, a countertenor and the founder of Clerestory , an a capella singing group in Berkeley. (See the Web site at http://www.clerestory.org.)

From talking with Jesse, we found out that countertenor is any male singing a female vocal range, alto or soprano -- the term is not limited to a man singing in the (female) alto range. Countertenors actually have two distinct ranges, about an octave apart, chest and head voice. So a tenor/alto range countertenor role probably wouldn't work for any performer, while a baritone/alto range role (or tenor/soprano range) would be doable.

That suggests that Max and Hunter will both be baritones in the first act. Since Wiki is already a bass, and should really stay that way, that means that Charles should be redone as a tenor. And what about Bob?

So, onward!

Op Squad

Last night at a small music party at the Whipple's house we tried out a new song for Act 2. It's the scene where Max and Hunter meet and attempt to reconcile. It's called "Why don't you know me?" and it's working well as a window into the tragic depth of Hunter's experience.

Bravo !There is just so much potential in your new work. I can't wait
to hear its final incarnation.
BRAVO!

Quentin Gooden



It was fun! I think you've got the beginnings of a great work.

Tim Whipple

Dear Performers and Audience--

Thank you, thank you! Saturday was one of the most important nights
of my life in music. I am editing the raw recording and I am amazed
and moved by the quality of the performances. By cutting the
mistakes out and compressing the time we will have a read
through-version that reflects the composition remarkably well.

It's actually a great help for me to hear the mistakes. Some are
just mistakes but most are a revelation and an inspiration for a
revision. If creating an opera is like sculpting what we hear will
helps chip away unneeded things and start sanding to a
polish. Christopher and I will have a lot of work now and the opera
version 2.0 will be very much improved!

Some people (Chris H, Esther, Michael Barger) have asked to get the
CD and have promised to make detailed suggestions in the score. If
you would too let me know.

Again, thanks for a brilliant evening.

Scott
for OpSquad

PS Special thanks for Sanford for his usual high quality work, Dave
for dealing with my abundant key changes, and to Brian Rosen who
showed up to listen (I think) and stepped in to do a great job on the
challenging part of Charles Chapp.