Nov. 12, 2014
For Immediate Release
By Candice Boone, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — On Saturday, Nov. 22 and Monday, Nov. 24, Campbellsville University will be filled with song as two operas will be performed at 8 p.m. at The Gheens Recital Hall at 210 University Drive, Campbellsville.
Both operas are free and open to the public.
Dr. Mark Bradley, professor of music, is the director, and Juliana Moura, assistant professor of voice, is assistant director. Chia-Yin Chen of Taiwan, a master’s student, is pianist.
The first opera to be performed is titled “Amahl and the Night Visitors” by Gian-Carlo Menotti. This opera is one act long and will be performed in English. It was the first opera commissioned especially for TV.
The story is that of a young cripple boy, named Amahl, who lives in poverty with his mother during the first century. They are visited one evening by three kings who are traveling with gifts for the long prophesied Messiah who has just recently been born in Bethlehem.
The three kings are in need of a place to rest for the night. As the kings sleep, the mother attempts to steal some of their gold that the kings are taking to the Christ child. A miracle takes place, and Amahl is allowed to accompany the kings on their journey.
There are six characters along with a chorus. The characters include: Amahl by Colleen Ames of Elizabethtown, Ky., and Ellen Merrick of Marion, Ky.; Mother by Lidiane Macedo of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Fern Thomas of Madisonville, Ky.; King Kaspar by Jericho McCoy of Campbellsville, Ky., and Jim Davis of Campbellsville;
King Melchior by Ian McGuffin of Bardstown, Ky.; King Balthazar by Rafael Laurindo of Juazeiro de Norte, Brazil; and Page by McCoy and Davis.
The following students make up the chorus: Amelia Weber of Campbellsville; Abby Caudell of Frankfort, Ky.; Amelia Chase of Frankfort; Sarah Gilbert of Hodgenville, Ky.; Connie Gough of La Ceiba Altantida, Honduras; Jessica Blakeman of Campbellsville; E.J. Pavy of Campbellsville and Matt Macon of Bedford, Ky.
Also a one-act opera, “False Fernando,” an opera for girls, will be performed. This opera will have four characters who will also be accompanied by a chorus.
The story of “False Fernando” is one of two young men, both named Fernando. They entrust Nina with love letters to be delivered to the girls they love, Dolores and Isabella. For fun, Nina decides to switch the letters so the girls will receive the wrong letters. Each young lady discovers they have the wrong letter and switch back to get the right letter but, of course, the problem isn’t solved there.
They discover that both letters were written by the same hand and signed Fernando. Both girls decide that Fernando is being false to them and curse the young man and fight one another as well.
Nina, thinking her joke has gone far enough, lets both young ladies know there are two Fernandos and neither is false. Joy returns and all is well.
“False Fernando,” is a libretto by David Stevens with music by Roy S. Stoughton.
Characters include: Nina by Amelia Chase of Frankfort, Ky.; Inez by Connie Gough of La Ceiba Altantida, Honduras; Isabella by Amelia Weber of Campbellsville; and Dolores by Sarah Gilbert of Hodgenville and Abby Caudell of Frankfort.
The chorus consists of Lidiane Macedo of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Fern Thomas of Madisonville; Colleen Ames of Elizabethtown; Ellen Merrick of Marion and Jessica Blakeman of Campbellsville.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master’s degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.