Baptist church hosts pop-up opera
Shipley Baptist Church hosted a pop-up opera as part of the Shipley Town Centre Christmas Lights switch-on
The Baptist building in the heart of Shipley is home to a Welcome Space, Bradford North Foodbank distribution and an open outreach project for youth. It had been asked by Shipley Town Council to host a refreshment centre and the pop-up opera as part of the Christmas Lights switch-on, on Saturday 25 November.
The 30 minute opera event presented by Bradford Opera Festival and Bradford Music Month featured two special opera sequences with local relevance.
The first was from the Opera "Perfume" by Kamal Khan (writer) and Alya Al-Sultani (composer) and told the story of the encounter between a salesman and a customer in the Broadway, Bradford's main shopping centre asking the question "Can they overcome fears and barriers to be truly themselves?"
The second short opera intertwined the story of Emperor Tewodros of Ethiopia who was deposed by the British in 1868 and his son, raised in Leeds as a ward of Queen Victoria.
Shipley Leadership Team member, the Revd Dr Keith Jones, said, 'This was a fascinating insight into a little known part of Black British history and was much appreciated by the audience who came to listen.'
As members of Bradford Festival Opera explained, it gave insight into the role of colonial Britain in undermining a free independent African nation.
Brenton Spiteri (tenor) and Neil Balfour (Baritone), accompanied by a quartet, explored the expression of a migrant's longing for home, his own history and identity in a place that had taken him in without, necessarily, accepting him.
An enthusiastic audience at this welcoming church centre appreciated the rendition. The church building was open throughout the afternoon providing hot drinks and cakes as part of the Christmas Lights switch-on.
Shipley Baptist Church is in the heart of the town and adjacent to the Market Square and is well used by many community groups. The pop-up opera was resourced by Bradford Music Month.
Baptist Times, 28/11/2023