Captain Blood’s Revenge: A Pirate Opera

How sorry I feel to report that so much good work ends up being a disappointment. I loved the singing and for the most part the music, but as a work for young people it simply did not work. Not that the content wasn’t good but there were a few fundamental errors. Firstly, after a promising start, with the conductor bringing children up to conduct and the band actually following what they were doing, the following 15 minutes failed to engage. The music was too difficult and lacked tunes. Sad as after that there were some fun songs, but all too late, by then many of the younger members of the audience were lost. I also thought that it lacked some swash and buckle, the cafe setting was a let down when tempted by the title, we wanted sails and ropes and a sense of the open sea. Full marks though to the company and to the band who certainly gave it their all and at the end the children were won over by a silly high five, low five ditty and a piratical conga!

The Old Market, 25 May 2013

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