Some Recollections of W11 Children’s Opera

Nicholas Kraemer 1983

I used to conduct a small orchestra of children aged 8-14 which met in Chris Ramsey's home in Clarendon Road, and which Serena Hughes organized along with Felicity and Royd Barker and countless others. After a few rehearsals, Serena confided to me that she had always wanted to put on Benjamin Britten’s Noyes Fludde and would I conduct it?

I had done very little conducting in those days but said I would -- not realising quite what a complicated piece geographically it was to conduct. One quickly became aware of how difficult communicating a beat to the back of a church could be (the Kyries of the animals marching up the aisle two-by-two would always start almost half a beat behind). The most astonishing thing about The Fludde was the organisation.

Here was a company of 100 or so children, plus set builders, costume makers (wonderful masks they were too), children's orchestra, professional musicians, producer, designer etc etc... all without having to make one phone call -- that was a luxury for me and a large phone bill for Serena.