Halloween Songs and Dances of Death and Kindertotenlieder kicks off NI Opera and Playhouse series in Derry

A set of six staged concerts will take place between October 2023 and May 2024, and this includes short opera, song cycles, cabaret and musical theatre from the golden age. All productions will be fully staged with singers in costume, accompanied by a pianist.

‘Songs and Dances of Death’ and ‘Kindertotenlieder’ will kick off the series at on Friday, October 28. With Tristan Russcher on piano, the performance will showcase dark, magnificent music by two legendary composers and powerful themes of life and death at Halloween.

In ‘Songs and Dances of Death’ by Mussorgsky, baritone Brendan Collins plays Death, performing four songs where the devil relives his success in calling over four people to be with him and lose their lives. In ‘Kindertotenlieder’ by Mahler, a mother, performed by Margaret Bridge, sings of her love for her lost children in five songs.

‘La Voix Humaine’, by Francis Poulenc will follow on Saturday November 18. This is a one woman, fully staged performance by Mary McCabe (with David Quigley on piano), and is based on a play by Jean Cocteau, which inspired ‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown’ by Pedro Almodovar. It offers a window into the world of a woman as her life falls apart while her boyfriend dumps her over the phone so he can marry someone else.

‘Les Nuits D’Éte’ and ‘A Chloris and other mélodie’ will then come to The Playhouse on Saturday January 27, 2024, featuring French songs by Berlioz and Hahn exploring universal themes of love and loss. 'Les Nuits' will be performed by mezzo Jenny Bourke, while 'A Chloris and other melodie' will be performed by soprano Anna Gregg with pianist Bryan Evans.

In Sea Wrack on Saturday March 2, 2024 four opera singers will perform well-known Irish songs by Irish and Northern Irish composers, from Hamilton Harty to Neil Hannon. This will include new arrangements of the much loved songs ‘Carrickfergus’, ‘Méilte Cheann Dubhran’ and the Neil Hannon classic, ‘Sunrise’.

Singers are soprano Susie Gibbons, mezzo Jenny Bourke, tenor Michael Bell, baritone Seamus Brady. Pianist is Frasier Hickland. This will be an evening of songs, songwriting, traditional music with a twist, songs loosely themed around emigration, nostalgia, water and the sea.

‘The Lost Boy: Street Scenes and Soldiers’ Tales’ on Saturday April 20, 2024 will bring cabaret and music theatre songs about loss, love and hope, performed by Conor Quinn. Featuring work from cabaret, music theatre, the small ensemble includes piano, drums and bass, 'The Lost Boy’ explores a young man’s journey into adulthood with themes of hope, loss of youth, and songs inspired by unrest and war.

‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ on Saturday May 25, 2024 will bring songs from the golden age of musical theatre, including works by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim and Rodgers and Hammerstein, performed by soprano Wendy Ferguson and pianist Ruth McGinley. Well-loved classics will feature with some hidden gems too over an hour of witty, heart-rending and spectacular songs performed by two legendary Derry musicians.

The Salon Series will run at The Playhouse Derry. To book tickets visit www.derryplayhouse.co.uk or contact The Playhouse Box Office on (028)71268027.