Head's Newsletter 9 July 2021

TIFFIN BOYS LA BOHEME AT THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

After a challenging time for the Performing Arts it was with much excitement that 10 Tiffinian choristers were engaged to perform in La Boheme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The celebrated Richard Jones production returned to stage with a reduced capacity audience and an altered staging. Fortunately the boys were still able to perform on stage whilst most of the ROH chorus were offstage. A technical feat to relay the offstage voices in real time combined with the onstage singers was another unusual experience. Three boys were also chosen to perform the famous ‘Trumpet boy’ solo; Xavier Flambert, Oscar Crivellari and Leo Bullinger. La Boheme has become a regular feature in the Tiffin calendar and this performance, whilst different, achieved acclaimed success. The performance forms part of the ROH Live Stream and will remain available to watch for the coming months. After such an extended period of absence from the professional stage it was a joy to be back performing at the ROH once again. Two accounts of the La Boheme experience from our yr 8 choristers: Masks. Sanitiser. Distancing. La Boheme, arguably the most famous opera of all time, was put on during the COVID-19 pandemic! How could we have accomplished such a feat, with such exasperating limitations holding us back? Funnily enough, it was not as difficult as I thought it would be. The enjoyment, energy, and experience wasn't flooded with hand gel or sprayed with disinfectant... I loved every bit of it! The acting, singing, rehearsing, performing (and eating!). The part I enjoyed the most was witnessing all the "behind the scenes" magic. I still wonder how the director, actors, stage workers and singers pulled it off! At first the costumes, loud music and gruelling coach trips tired me out, but I soon fell into the rhythm of it all. As a group we played games, chatted, and made jokes. I was lucky, in that, I got some new friends too!