Waltham Forest Music Festival
Our annual Music Festival celebrates the fabulous musical achievements of children from across Waltham Forest.
'This Is Carmen' children's opera
Waltham Forest Pupils Celebrate 150 Years of Bizet’s Famous Opera Carmen
This July in ‘This Is Carmen’ over 600 young people from Waltham Forest will perform in a special celebration of Carmen, one of the world’s best known and loved operas.
The production will feature members of the Little Choir of Joy, Waltham Forest Youth Orchestra and Guitar Groups, a massed Primary Schools Choir as well as professional opera singers.
Carmen is the third opera Waltham Forest Music Service have worked on in partnership with Royal Ballet and Opera, introducing young people to the rich musical and storytelling world of opera.
The unique production will retell the story of Carmen through the life of the composer George Bizet and how he came to write the opera which was first performed 150 years ago in 1875.
Alongside the popular ‘Habanera’ and the rousing ‘Toreador’, this production will also showcase newly composed music created specifically for it.
'This is Carmen' will be performed at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow on 2nd and 3rd July.
About Carmen
Carmen is a French opera written by George Bizet and was first performed in 1875. A
A story of love, passion and jealousy, Carmen tells the story of Don José, a soldier who falls in love with Carmen, a free-spirited woman involved in smuggling. He abandons his childhood sweetheart and his military career to pursue Carmen. However, Carmen soon falls for a bullfighter named Escamillo, leading to a dramatic and tragic ending.
About the project
The project ‘This Is Carmen’ has been created, written and directed by soprano and choir leader Maya Sapone and produced by Waltham Forest Music Service in partnership with Royal Ballet and Opera.
During rehearsals the young performers are encouraged to contribute and develop their own ideas to create a truly unique production.
Carmen will be performed at Big Penny Social at 1 Priestley Way, Walthamstow, E17 6AL on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd July at 6pm.
‘This Is Carmen’ is part of the Waltham Forest Music Festival which runs from 30th June to 12th July. The festival hosts pupils from over 20 Waltham Forest schools who come together to perform in a series of workshops and concerts .
Create & Sing is Royal Ballet and Opera’s national schools singing and drama programme. It provides comprehensive resources to support young people`s creative learning and giving voice to their creativity.
Watch an animation of the Carmen story:
