Welsh National Opera
Cenedlaethol Cymru
Schools Workshops and Performance

Schools Workshops
Performance
Credits

School workshops took place at Llanrhidian, Llanmorlais, Waunarlwydd, Cwmrhydyceirw, Morriston and Glyncollen Primary Schools and Gowerton and Morriston Comprehensive Schools. Images from the workshops at Llanrhidian and Llanmorlais Primary Schools and the performance at Gowerton Comprehnsive School can be seen by clicking the links above.

Hansel and Gretel

By a great forest dwelt a poor woodcutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and
the girl Gretel……….

begins the original fairytale by the brothers Grimm.

Welsh National Opera are thrilled to bring their chamber opera version of this enrapturing tale to Year 6 pupils at six Swansea primary and two comprehensive schools this autumn. The project involves a visit to the opera, cross-curricular preparation activity within the schools and a workshop with professional singers and players from the company.

They will be performing Hansel and Gretel at Gowerton Comprehensive School on 11th November 2003, and at Morriston Comprehensive School on 13th November.

Hansel and Gretel
Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera (1893) starts with the Grimm’s tale and leads us into an exciting and terrifying world of it’s own. Here, a not-so-wicked step mother battles with difficulty to control adolescent children, hunger drives Hansel and Gretel deep into the forest; the blood-curdling witch prepares her kitchen meticulously; and the oven explodes... This is a version of the story about children, about all of us, but not childish

The melodic and rhythmic sound world of the music is closely tied to folksong. This version is performed by a small ensemble of players from WNO’s orchestra and opera singers from the chorus.

Workshop
Up to 60 Year 6 pupils will participate in a workshop on the morning of the opera visit, and players from the show will get to know the children, prepare them for their role in the show and give them lots of insights into the world of opera.

After lunch, the pupils will come together at the comprehensive school, with other primary schools and the Year 7 pupils from the comprehensive school. All together they will watch and participate in the performance. The show is an hour and twenty minuteslong.

….When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel began to cry and said, “How are we to get out of the forest now?”…

Sharon Phillippo
Writer, Editor and Hansel and Gretel Project Manager

 

Ger fforest fawr trigai torrwr coed tlawd gyda’i wraig a’i ddau blentyn. Enw’r bachgen oedd Hansel ac enw’r ferch oedd Gretel..........

yw dechrau’r stori dylwyth teg wreiddiol gan y brodyr Grimm.

Mae Opera Genedlaethol Cymru yn awyddus iawn i gyflwyno’u fersiwn opera siambr o’r stori gyfareddol hon i ddisgyblion blwyddyn 6 mewn chwe ysgol gynradd a dwy ysgol gyfun yn Abertawe yr hydref hwn. Mae’r prosiect yn cynnwys ymweliad â’r opera, gweithgaredd paratoi trawsgwricwlaidd yn yr ysgolion a gweithdy gyda chantorion a chwaraewyr proffesiynol o’r cwmni.
Byddant yn perfformio Hansel a Gretel yn Ysgol Gyfun Tre-gwyr ar 11eg Tachwedd 2003 ac yn Ysgol Gyfun Treforys ar 13eg Tachwedd.

Hansel a Gretel
Mae opera 1893 Engelbert Humperdinck yn dechrau gyda stori’r brodyr Grimm ac yn ein harwain i’w byd cyffrous a brawychus ei hun. Yma, mae llysfam nad yw cynddrwg â hynny’n cael trafferth i reoli ei llysblant adolesent, mae newyn yn gyrru Hansel a Gretel yn ddwfn i’r fforest; mae’r wrach sy’n ddigon i oeri’ch gwaed yn paratoi ei chegin yn drylwyr; ac mae’r ffwrn yn ffrwydro... Dyma fersiwn o’r stori sydd am blant, am bob un ohonom, ond sydd heb fod yn blentynnaidd. Mae byd seiniau melodaidd a rhythmig y gerddoriaeth wedi’i gysylltu’n agos â chaneuon gwerin. Mae’r fersiwn hon yn cael ei pherfformio gan ensemble bach o chwaraewyr o gerddorfa OGC a chantorion opera o’r corws.

Gweithdy
Bydd hyd at 60 o ddisgyblion Blwyddyn 6 yn cymryd rhan mewn gweithdy ar fore’r ymweliad â’r opera, a bydd chwaraewyr o’r sioe yn dod i adnabod y plant, eu paratoi ar gyfer eu rôl yn y sioe ac yn rhoi llawer o wybodaeth iddynt am fyd opera.

Ar ôl cinio, bydd y disgyblion yn dod at ei gilydd yn yr ysgol gyfun, gydag ysgolion cynradd eraill a disgyblion Blwyddyn 7 yr ysgol gyfun. Byddant yn gwylio’r perfformiad ac yn cymryd rhan ynddo gyda’i gilydd. Hyd y sioe yw 75 munud.

....Pan ddeffroasant o’r diwedd, roedd y noson eisoes yn dywyll fel y fagddu. Dechreuodd Gretel grïo a dywedodd, “Sut gallwn ni ddianc o’r fforest nawr?”...

Sharon Phillippo
Rheolwr Prosiectau OGC, Hansel a Gretel

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Credits

A chamber version of Engelbert Humperdinck's opera adapted from the original by David Seaman. Oerformed by members of the chorus and orchestra of Welsh National Opera.

Supported by the Colwinson Charitable Trust

The Cast

Gretel
Hansel
Mother
Father
Sandman
Witch

Paula Bradbury
Amanda Baldwin
Joanne Thomas
Philip Lloyd-Evans
Philip Lloyd-Evans
Joanne Thomas

Piano
Viola
Cello
Clarinets
Horn

David Seaman
Cedric David
Dewi Watkins
Leslie Craven
Donald Clist

Music Director / Arranger
Director
Designer
Production Manager
Stage Manager
Projects Manager

Scenery built and painted by David Flinn and Mike Robinson and Cardiff Theatrical Services.
Properties, costumes and wigs by Welsh National Opera.
Tree made by Allen Jones.

Programme edited by Sharon Phillippo

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