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Gresford: Up From Underground - Schools Performance

Fri, 20 Sept

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St Giles Church

A performance of a new community opera - Gresford: Up From Underground - allowing school children to learn about Gresford and its legacy in an engaging and immersive setting.

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Gresford: Up From Underground - Schools Performance
Gresford: Up From Underground - Schools Performance

Time & Location

20 Sept 2024, 13:00 – 14:00

St Giles Church, Church St, Wrexham, LL13 8LS

About the event

NEW Sinfonia is inviting school children to come and see their brand-new Community Opera - Gresford: Up From Underground; providing youngsters with the chance to engage with the story of Gresford and to ensure the contuniation of its legacy.

On Sunday 22nd September 2024, 90 years will have passed since the fateful disaster at the Gresford Colliery, one of the worst mining disasters in British history. The disaster holds a resonance and significance to this day, not just for the people of Wrexham, but for former mining communities across Wales and throughout the UK. However, in its 90th anniversary year, living memory of the disaster will soon be committed to history.

The themes of loss, social injustice, and powerlessness, as well as those of triumph over adversity and celebration of cultural identity are all central to the Gresford story. We’re bringing this emotional story to life, in a way which stimulates conversation, brings people together, and helps audiences (from all corners of our community) connect the Gresford story with their own contemporary experiences.

The libretto by Grahame Davies from Coedpoeth has been set to music by Wrexham born composer Jon Guy and will be sung and performed by a cast of professional opera singers, our community opera chorus NEW Voices, and our chamber orchestra NEW Sinfonia conducted by Robert Guy.

The Gresford opera will form part of a city-wide festival of remembrance with organisations and artists across Wrexham to mark 90 years since the Gresford mining disaster. 

Cast & Creatives

Alan – Rhys Meilyr

Doreen – Kathy Macaulay

Gwyneth – Khrystyna Makar

John – Sam Snowdon

Margaret – Morgana Warren-Jones

Composer – Jon Guy

Librettist – Graham Davies

Musical Director – Robert Guy

Director – Ruth Evans

Chorus Director – Jenny Pearson

Designer – Bridget Wallbank

Wardrobe Assistant – Greta Baxter

Audio Visual Designer – Ant Dickinson

Répétiteur - Bethan Conway & Ben Attfield

Chorus & Project Coordinator - Kathy Macaulay

Tech/Sound Engineer - Olli Bentley

Stage Manager - Sioned Foulkes

Stagehand - Millie Whittle

Tickets

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