Not many nine-year-olds can say they’ve been to the opera, let alone performed in one. As part of their Unit of Inquiry on How We Express Ourselves, exploring dynamic expression, the Grade 4 students went on a field trip to watch the UBC Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and support their fellow student Eddie, who was part of the cast!
Building Anticipation
The students were full of excitement as they loaded onto the bus and drove over to The Old Auditorium at UBC. The theatre, which is now 100 years old, was hosting a special abridged performance for local schools. A photo of Eddie with his biography greeted them in the theatre foyer before they took their seats.
The class was excited to find Eddie’s name on the program. There was much discussion before the house lights dimmed about which scenes they would expect to see him in, and their impressions of opera overall.
“I think of it as big singing. It has lots of long notes and a wide range of notes, from super low to super high,” explained Mason.
“It’s like the music game we played in class with the computer program where we could drag dots around the screen and see how the sounds changed,” added Sahil. “Opera singers can sing all of those notes.”
A Round of Applause
The Magic Flute was written in 1791, just three months before Mozart’s death. It follows the story of Prince Tamino and his boisterous companion Papageno on their quest to rescue princess Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, from the supposedly evil sorcerer Sarastro. Eddie played one of the three spirits who occasionally helps to guide the heroes on their quest and, with his fellow spirits, saves the main characters’ lives more than once.
The UBC Opera put on an impressive performance, filling the theatre with their voices even without microphones. The Head of UBC Opera and Director of the show, Professor Nancy Hermiston, provided narration throughout the performance so the audience could have context to each scene. There were also English translations provided on a small screen above the stage so the audience could follow along with the original German lyrics.
The students had many thoughts to share following the show:
“I think Eddie did a great job. He even had a little funny bit.” — Mason
“I thought the costumes were splendid! I think their voices are so pretty because of the high pitch they can reach. My favourite part was the song where the Queen of the Night ordered her daughter to murder the sorcerer. She was really talented.” — Natalie
“I really like how they used the piano to mimic the flute music, since the magic flute was important. It sounded really pretty.” — Renee
The Performer’s Perspective
Eddie made his opera debut with UBC Opera’s The Little Cunning Vixen in 2023, and joined them again for the 2024 production of Street Scene. He has also performed with the Vancouver Opera in Madame Butterfly as Sorrow.
“When I was about five years old I started singing, dancing and playing the drums and I fell in love with it,” explains Eddie. “I like these opportunities because I love performing, and there are lots of kind adults.”
When asked about what it was like working with the UBC Opera, Eddie only had praise to share, “It was nice because we made friends that were really kind.”
And while he was nervous that his classmates were coming to visit, he also says it’s important to push through the nerves. “I say don’t worry, because no matter what happens everyone will love you right afterward. The more I perform the less nervous I get, so I think practice helps too.”
Congratulations Eddie on your wonderful performance, and thank you to Mr. Florencio for organizing this special experience for the students.
