From the 2nd - the 10th of July I had the privilege of participating in the Gilbert and Sullivan Summer intensive directed by Michael Sokol in San Diego. What a whirlwind! We had ten days to learn, memorize, stage, and perform scenes and arias from some of Gilbert and Sullivan's most beloved operettas. Michael Sokol wasn't kidding when he decided to call this program an "intensive."
Luckily for me, I had the honor of working with some of the most talented vocal performers from San Diego State University. What a pleasure to be reunited with these wonderful and talented colleagues of mine for this experience.
A highlight for me was having the opportunity to perform "A Simple Sailor, Lowly Born," one of Josephine's arias from HMS Pinafore. This is the most difficult Gilbert and Sullivan aria I have ever learned. It requires excellent breath control and support. With so many quick and angular intervals and choppy lines, the difficulty is maintaining breath flow and beauty of line. It is definitely acrobatic and diaphragmatically energetic. Just like the other scenes we were assigned, I had one musical rehearsal to learn it (30 minutes), one rehearsal to stage it (30 minutes), and then the dress rehearsal and the performance.
Even with the stress of putting something like this together in such a short amount of time, I am very proud of the work that was done by us all in those ten days. The final product was well worth the effort.
Luckily for me, I had the honor of working with some of the most talented vocal performers from San Diego State University. What a pleasure to be reunited with these wonderful and talented colleagues of mine for this experience.
A highlight for me was having the opportunity to perform "A Simple Sailor, Lowly Born," one of Josephine's arias from HMS Pinafore. This is the most difficult Gilbert and Sullivan aria I have ever learned. It requires excellent breath control and support. With so many quick and angular intervals and choppy lines, the difficulty is maintaining breath flow and beauty of line. It is definitely acrobatic and diaphragmatically energetic. Just like the other scenes we were assigned, I had one musical rehearsal to learn it (30 minutes), one rehearsal to stage it (30 minutes), and then the dress rehearsal and the performance.
Even with the stress of putting something like this together in such a short amount of time, I am very proud of the work that was done by us all in those ten days. The final product was well worth the effort.
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