22/12/2024
Allenheads, Northumberland. The map (see link) shows one of the highest villages in England. The location of the cottage that my partner and I stayed in over Christmas 2023 is on here. Sometime on the 22nd of December, I created 'Everyman Opera'. The green shoot is small, but it has purpose, and remains full of vigour. There's still every prospect of staging a performance of the new opera, 'Pawn Queen' in 2025. As of writing, I am requiring £641 to meet my target of hiring 'The Arts Fundraisers' consultancy company to represent me before the Arts Council of England. Being forced to regularly promote my need for donations, I have developed the idea of taking to social media with recordings of my singing one of my own tunes, and requesting musicians to collaborate by arranging a jamming session. I name the project, 'Colour My Number'. There are no takers, as of yet, but then Yuletide makes many commitments to go places, and do tasks on behalf of the family. The downside of promoting Everyman Opera, and specifically Pawn Queen's production, has been the zero amount of time that I have had for creating new work. It is quite frustrating. I am toying with the idea of an opera set in Venice, featuring the students of Vivaldi. I am convinced an opera can be fashioned about the young women who contributed to Vivaldi's formidable, and vibrant compositions. "Plus ça change", or so it appears, concerning my efforts to move this project forward, in order to get back to my writing. I believe that once I have a completed (social media emission) of my first opera, then I will attract the attention of established opera companies, and so attract collaborations. Things will become fore enabling for me to then return to writing, as others can focus on making operas of my other 7 (to date) libretti. Who knows, perhaps I will develop a passionate taste for repeating the opera business-side of things, WHEN my first one gets staged. I am having to curb my impatience, as all things come in their own way, and their own time. 2025 WILL be a successful year, I feel. This form of opera (like my 'Colour My Number' song project) is entirely a new concept. A paradigm manifesting takes time. I thank those following this project, for you have a belief in my vision. What I believe I am doing is making art that has potential to attract the participation of others. Whether as players, production staff, writers, composers, musicians, all the people working directly in making opera, in otherwords. Or whether they be audiences, coming to shows, else following - like yourselves - on social media. If an art work carries a strong enough attraction to attract many to it in the community, then it carries a strong potential to make culture. To be adopted (imitated) by the community. I believe this form of industrial, pub opera has such potential. Let us hope, and pray 2025 sees its manifestation wholly come about.
