Going to Camp?

by Kathryn Bumpass

            Girl Scouts Camp, sports camp, church camp, opera camp . . . Opera Camp??!! Yes, OperaSLO holds a summer camp for kids ages 8-16. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to be involved. The camp will run for two weeks, July 18-29, Monday through Friday, 9am until 3pm daily. During that time children will learn singing and acting techniques, build their own sets and get acquainted with the arts of costume design and make-up.

This year's opera camp will perform the familiar fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, in the setting by Russian composer César Cui. Cui was a member of the "Mighty Five" of 19th century Russian music, whose other members were Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and Mussorgsky. The Five were so-named by Vladimir Stasov, an art critic who promoted the use of nationalist material including folk stories and fairy tales in high art forms. Works like Rimsky- Korsakov's Scheherazade and Borodin's opera Prince Igor exemplify this in music, as does Cui's Little Red Riding Hood.

Alan Boehmer, organist and choirmaster at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, is the camp's music director. I recently sat down with him for a talk about this year's program. He noted at the outset that while the other members of The Five worked primarily in large forms—such as symphony and opera—Cui's reputation rests primarily on his chamber music and four operas he composed for children.

Little Red Riding Hood is scored for two-part treble chorus, which, Boehmer emphasized, plays a large and important role in the drama. There are also roles for soloists; children who are interested in playing one of these will be chosen by audition. In preparing the children, Boehmer will work with longtime friend and colleague, Paul Woodring, University Organist and staff pianist at Cal Poly, who will serve as pianist and vocal coach.

Previously there was no English language score for Little Red Riding Hood. The only thing available was a Russian score. Even that was of poor quality, with both words and music obscured in many places. Getting a usable score and translation of the libretto was the first big problem to solve. A translation has now been done by Brent Robinson and Adam C. Wright.

The American premiere of this opera is planned for Dallas, but will be done with adults. OperaSLO's summer camp, Boehmer noted, will be the first performance using children as the performers, as Cui intended.

Through most of his career Boehmer has worked closely with children as a piano teacher and as an accompanist and composer for children's choirs. In 2005, one of his former students, David Stubbs, then an assistant professor at Western Theological Seminary, paid Boehmer a heartfelt tribute. When asked if any particular teacher had made a big impact on him, he answered, "Yes! My piano teacher Alan Boehmer. He taught me piano from elementary school through high school. He was also the accompanist for the Pasadena Boys Choir, which was an important place for me. Alan Boehmer and the boys choir gave me a vision of beauty, excellence, and a full human life that I had never had before."

Inspired by his interest in children's choirs, Boehmer studied with George Bragg, founder and director for many years of the famed Texas Boys Choir. Later he served as pianist and assistant director of the Pasadena Boys Choir. He has composed two extended works for children's choirs, Messe pour les Enfants du Monde and The Union Forever, inspired by the Civil War.

Boehmer said that the most intensely felt moment of his career came when he conducted the first performance of his Mass, in the great Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. The work was done not as a concert piece, but as a part of an actual Mass in the packed cathedral. Also part of that performance was Paul Woodring, who was the organist.

With two such distinguished musicians guiding the young singers, Little Red Riding Hood should add a particular sparkle to our local music scene this summer. Opera Camp will conclude with a grand performance on Friday, July 29, at 7pm. Rehearsals and the final performance will be held at the United Methodist Church, 1515 Fredericks Street. Registration cost is $375 for the first family member, and $350 for additional family members. For more information and registration materials, call OperaSLO at 805-541-5369.