Benjamin Britten was an opera composer. He may be best known for his Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, but it is in his stage works that his genius shines most brightly. Caleb Williams, music director at Portage Chapel Hill Methodist Church, fell in love with Britten's mini-opera Noye's Fludde (Noah's Flood) during his post-graduate study at Boston University. This weekend, he will conduct a performance with the participation of singers Carl Ratner (Noah), David Little (God), Chelsea Helm, Katelin Meffert, Andrew Miller, KaitieBadalamenti, Colleen Stano Williams, and Melanie Walker. Organist Carl Doubleday, pianist Barbara Hong, the PCHUM Chancel and Children's Choirs, and members of the Kalamazoo Recorder Players and the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony are also featured.
Mr. Williams and Dr. Carl Ratner discuss many of the opera's features, including its unique appeal to both amateur and professional performers. The piece is based on a "miracle play," a religious entertainment that was passed down from medieval practice in England.
