The Hummingbird
Role: Librettist
Performances: Milton Court Studio, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London (2017)
Collaborators: Brian Hosefros (Composer), Martin Lloyd-Evans (Director), Dominic Wheeler (Conductor), Claire Lees, Michelle Alexander, Eduard Mas Bacardit, Jake Muffett, Guildhall Opera School
This was the first libretto I ever brought to completion, and probably the fanciest production I’m going to get of one of my works for a long time.
It told the tale of a hummingbird who returns to her forest from the town, only to discover that it is increasingly changed by humans. She considers flying away with a flock of roaming geese, before choosing a life of comfort in the town as the forest falls.
In this case, a picture would say a thousand words. But, it being my first opera libretto, I had not yet learnt the crucial lesson:
Take photos of everything, or else you'll be left with some sketches and a conceptual map.
“Many years have passed since I
Was raised by a lake
Far away in the warm South.
The year I grew up
Men drained the lake and we fled.
We’re bound by hunger
Knowing our journey won’t end.
Don’t follow until
You have nothing left to lose.”
- The Goose
“Simple yet solid”
- Guildhall Assessment
