On the Ark, Two by Two, Creatures (and Performers) Great and Small
Britten’s ‘Noye’s Fludde,’ With Young Performers
Ben Asen
Noye’s Fludde
Samuel Wong, lower left, conducting a cast assembled by Lighthouse
International and Park Avenue Christian Church, at Park Avenue United
Methodist Church.
By ANTHONY TOMMASINI
Published: November 17, 2013
Benjamin Britten loved composing pieces for children, not just for
children to enjoy but also to perform. There is no better example that “Noye’s Fludde”
(“Noah’s Flood”), a 60-minute opera based on a 15th-century mystery
play, written for amateurs, especially children, with professionals
mixed in. This telling of the biblical story was first performed in 1958
at Orford Church in Suffolk, England. It was presented as part of
Britten’s Aldeburgh Festival with artists from the English Opera Group
along with a large local cast, including a children’s choir.
A sortable calendar of noteworthy cultural events in the New York region, selected by Times critics.
It was an inspired idea for Lighthouse International,
an multifaceted organization serving people with vision loss, to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of its Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School by joining with Arts at the Park,
an affiliate of Park Avenue Christian Church, for an enchanting
production of “Noye’s Fludde” on Friday night. The performance occurred
exactly a week before the 100th anniversary of Britten’s birth.
Here was a cast that included adult singers, church choristers and, most
moving of all, a roster of vision-impaired performers from the
Lighthouse music program, including many children. Even the location of
the production was an expression of shared community: Because of
construction at Park Avenue Christian Church, the performance took place
around the corner on 86th Street at Park Avenue United Methodist
Church.
There were musical moments and dramatic images in this “Noye’s Fludde”
that I will never forget, especially the children’s chorus when Noah
gathers into the ark the creatures of the earth in male and female
pairs: camels, asses, horses, marmosets, birds and more. The children,
drawn from the youth choirs of both Lighthouse and Park Avenue Christian
Church (directed by Dalia Sakas and Nicole Becker), walked up the aisle
singing the score’s lovely “Kyrie.” They marched two by two, arm in
arm, all wearing costumes designed by Haley Lieberman, topped by playful
hats suggesting their animal type. They sang the music beautifully.
And what music! Even when the choral writing is accessible to children,
the voices are buttressed by pungent, intricate instrumental music for a
chamber orchestra of strings, recorders, piano (four hands), organ,
timpani and, in this staging, a brass ensemble in a loft at the back of
the church. During the scene when the rains come, the first droplets are
evoked by piano plunks and the clinking pitched sounds made by a
percussionist rapping a row of coffee mugs hanging on a cord.
When the storm turns terrifying, the orchestra bursts into gnashing
chords, darting riffs and harmonic chaos. Then, calmly, the inhabitants
of the ark start to sing the hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.”
The impressive conductor was Samuel Wong, an ophthalmologist with a dual career in music, who made his New York Philharmonic debut
in 1990 when he was an assistant conductor with the orchestra. The
production, with a simple, charming set by Vitek Kruta, was directed by
Sarah Meyers, from the staff of the Metropolitan Opera.
As Noah, the strong bass-baritone Peter Stewart
conveyed the character’s mix of confusion and devotion when a vengeful
God, displeased by man “set full foul in sin,” warns him of the coming
flood and directs him to build an ark. The Voice of God (an offstage
speaking role) was performed by Elliott Forrest, whose disembodied voice
is familiar to those who listen to him as an announcer for WQXR and
WNYC radio. The plush mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin
was wonderful as Mrs. Noye, who is at first deeply skeptical of her
husband’s mission, preferring to bury her fears chatting with a female
chorus of gossips. Being blind has not prevented Ms. Rubin from gaining attention
as a fine vocalist. Noah’s sons were portrayed by three endearing young
singers: Francesco Magisano, Geanny Trinidad and Mateusz Rogowski.
The church was packed to overflowing for opening night. Sadly, there
were only three performances. With additional financial support, this
inspiring show could probably have run for two weeks.
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