A group of professional opera singers and opera students are getting into the Christmas spirit, holding a series of performances in Geelong and Melbourne to raise money for Ukraine.
The Cameo Community Opera, formed for this series of concerts, will perform Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors at St Luke’s Uniting Church in Highton on Saturday, December 2 at 3pm, with a second show possible in the evening.
The Geelong date will follow three performances in Melbourne the weekend before, with all proceeds going to the World Vision Ukraine Appeal.
Amahl and the Night Visitors tells the touching story of a poor young shepherd boy and his widowed mother who are visited by the three kings on their way to witness the birth of Jesus Christ.
Geelong opera singer Lisa Breen, who plays Amahl’s mother, said the cast and crew were keen to spread some Christmas cheer and hope to Ukraine with whatever money they could raise.
“My sister (musical director Susan Breen-Clarke) was very moved, as we all are, but the Ukraine situation and wanted to do something about it,” Ms Breen said.
“She thought, what better way than to put something on. We’ve got the talent to do it, so many friends who are professional singers, and she has a lot of student singer that are very good.
“We’ve had to pay for some things, but everyone’s been terrific. Most of our costumes have been given to us quite cheaply.
“After we’ve covered everything we have to pay for, every cent is going to World Vision.”
She said the work, which runs for an hour and is sung in English, was the perfect introduction to opera for those unfamiliar with the genre.
“Often people are a bit scared (of opera), they think it’s going to be in another language, it’s going to be all highbrow, but this one’s not like that at all,” Ms Breen said.
“You can come in your jeans and enjoy it, the story is very easy to follow. And it’s lovely, there’s a Christmas miracle in it, it’s a message of hope and that’s why we’re doing it.”
Visit trybooking.com/CKSLK for tickets and more information.
