The Moon Hares - an evening of myth and musical story telling at the QEH

This evening I saw an extraordinary fusion of Purcell, contemporary music, and modern dance, performed by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, on stage with professional soloists, and singers, dancers and musicians from London primary and secondary schools (Netley, Gospel Oak, Christ Church, Acland Burghley), beautifully lit, designed and produced.  Purcell's music was intercut with James Redwood's engaging, catchy and frequently highly expressive and emotional music, in a score that somehow shape shifted, time travelled, but maintained amazing coherence.  

The concept of the Moon Hares was developed in various phases and productions during covid lockdowns. The story is a new myth by librettist Hazel Gould about a village run by a mayor fearful his subjects would turn into hares should they go out at night and see the moon. So a strict curfew is imposed. This fear is overcome by an inspirational teacher and her courageous pupils. The ensembles were sensational, particularly where the OAE were joined by the breathtaking children’s chorus and outstanding secondary school ensemble and rock band. There were two memorable dances by an ensemble of Acland Burghley students. The OAE and the soloists were all brilliantly on point, switching seamlessly between beguiling harmonies and punchy rhythms.

It shows music today at its best: balancing complex and detailed Baroque structures with powerful contemporary melodic and rhythmic sections. The arrangements and blends are attained with extraordinary skill by three conductors (Robert Howarth, Yshani Perinpanayagam and James Redwood) and the whole ensemble, musicians of many backgrounds and skill sets working together in a powerful collective with a moving story, about risk and freedom, that raises the spirits. It also shows the power and potential of professional music, with the right leadership and funding, to change lives for the better in schools.

I was intrigued to see Purcell providing inspiration for creative new music making and narrative invention, having seen in recent years Notes Inégales (Peter Wiegold/Martin Butler, 2016) transformation of King Arthur, and Errollyn Wallen's Dido's Ghost, both also absorbing and powerful in their very different ways). This production is a brilliant piece of education work but also a further remarkable twist in creative re-reading of Purcell, a star of late 17th century English music, whose lucidity, poignancy, depth and skills in movement, rhythm, harmony and polyphony are justly celebrated in these reworkings.