More Than Opera proudly presents Pieces of Margery,
an opera that delves into the complex challenges to relationships when confronted with a life changing diagnosis of dementia.
Concert performance 15th June 2024
After nearly forty years of marriage, the settled and perfect routine of Margery and Leonard is thrown into chaos by Margery’s early symptoms and diagnosis of dementia. Strong-willed and independent, she struggles with the fear of losing autonomy and dignity, as well as the humbling necessity of asking for help. Leonard, content with his routine, grapples with denial, fear of loss, and his inability to protect Margery.
"Composer May Lyon’s nuanced and emotional score reflects and creates moments of tenderness, light-heartedness, and adversity. The libretto by May Lyon and Julia Vogel explores the many layers of human emotions that can be experienced on the road to acceptance." - More Than Opera
Composed by May Lyon
Libretto by May Lyon and Julia Vogel
Conductor: Alan Cook
Cast:
Mrs Margery Rey - Liane Keegan
Mr Leonard Rey - Christopher Tonkin
Dr Matthew Briggs / French crooner - Adrian Tamburini
Kala / Ellie / chorus - Lisette Bolton
Tom / Frank / chorus - Matthew O'Leary
Pieces of Margery is a 90 minute opera in one act, written for five performers and an eleven instrument chamber orchestra.
Mrs Margery Rey
International artist, Liane Keegan is Australia born. She received scholarships from the Opera Foundation Australia, Shell Royal Covent Garden Scholarship, and a Bayreuth Bursary from the Wagner Society of Great Britain.
Liane came to the attention of both critics and public alike with roles including Azucena Il Trovatore for Opera of South Australia, Ulrica Un Ballo in Maschera for Opera Australia conducted by Simone Young. Mistress Quickly in the Minnesota Sommerfest production of Falstaff conducted by Jeffrey Tate. Suzuki Madame Butterfly with Opera North. First Norn, The Twilight of the Gods with English National Opera and Offreds Mother in The Handmaids tale. Rosa Mamai L Árlesiana, Marcellina Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Holland Park London. Filipjevna Eugene Onegin, First Norn with Staatstheater Stuttgart. Klytemnestra Elektra, Brigitte Die Tote Stadt, Leocadja Begbick Aufstieg und fall der stadt Mahagonny with Theater Hagen (ensemble member 2006-2008). As a member of the ensemble of Deutsche Oper Berlin from 2008-2012, Liane sang among many other roles.
Notable concert appearances have included Mozart Requiem with Sir Neville Mariner and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Barbara in the British Premier of Korngold’s Violanta at the 1997 BBC Proms conducted by Paul Daniels. Waltraute in Act 3 Die Walkure with Antonio Pappano at the Edinburgh Festival. Alto solo Janacek Glagolitic Mass for Sydney Symphony under Sir Charles Mackerras.
Liane appears as Erda, 1st Norn and WaltrauteDie Walkure on the 2004 Melba Records recording of the first Australian Ring Cycle conducted by Asher Fisch. Liane is also featured on a recording of The Royal Melbourne Philharmonic’s 2012 concert of The Music Makers and Sea Pictures by Elgar.
More recently Liane has performed at the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, launched her critically acclaimed one woman show “Judy Australia 1964” based on Judy Garland, Herodius (Salome) and Brigitta (Die Tote Stadt) for Victorian Opera, The Old Lady/Dutchess (Sleeping Beauty) , for Melbourne Opera, Leocadia Begbick (The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny) and in 2021 and 2023 Liane performed Erda in Der Ring des Nibelungen for Opera Australia.
https://www.kathrynmorrisonmanagement.com/artist-biography-liane-keegan
Mr Leonard Rey
Australian baritone Christopher Tonkin has appeared throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. His major roles include Marcello (La bohème), Silvio (Pagliacci), Il Conte Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Pollux (Castor et Pollux), Anténor (Dardanus), Robert (Iolanta), Ping (Turandot), Albert (Werther), Valentin (Faust), Tarquinius (Rape of Lucretia), Demetrius (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and Harlekin (Ariadne auf Naxos).
In Australia, Christopher’s performances have included Marcello, the Count (Capriccio) and Novice’s Friend (Billy Budd) for Opera Australia; the Black Minister (Le Grand Macabre) Adelaide Festival; Guglielmo, Belcore (L'elisir d'amore, Green Room Award nomination), Chou En-Lai (Nixon in China) for Victorian Opera; Silvio for West Australian Opera, Sam (Trouble in Tahiti) for Lost and Found Opera, and Don Giovanni for Melbourne Opera.
On the concert platform, notable performances include, Graun’s Der Tod Jesu (Lucerne Festival), Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (MSO and QSO) Duruflé Requiem (Auckland Choral Society), Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater (The Barbican Centre), Haydn’s Nelson Mass (Victoria Chorale), and Chou En-Lai in Adam’s The Nixon Tapes (Sydney Vivid Festival and Opera Australia.)
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, and the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, Christopher was resident principal baritone at the State Opera in Hannover, Germany 2010-2016.
Dr Matthew Briggs / French crooner
Adrian has enjoyed a long and varied career as an opera singer, concert performer, music educator, director and producer. Most recently, he won his second Green Room Award for his performance of Hagen in Wagner’s, Götterdämmerung. In 2017, Adrian was the winner of Australia’s prestigious singing award, the Australian Opera Awards (YMF, MOST). His singing has featured on cinema releases of opera, DVD, international recordings, motion picture soundtracks, radio, and television. He is proud to have worked with companies such as Opera Australia, Pinchgut Opera, West Australian Opera, Melbourne Opera, Lost and Found Opera, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Zelman Symphony Orchestra, Sydney University Graduate Choir, Melbourne Bach Choir, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the Inventi Ensemble. Over the past few years, he has focused on sharing his passion for music by teaching the next generation of musicians at Pure Harmony Music Studio in Melbourne. Over the years, Adrian has championed new Australian works and world premieres including Jane Hammond’s The Spare Room, Nicholas Buc’s Origins, Chistopher Bowen’s Redfern Oratorio and Luke Styles’ No Friend but the Mountains, which is based on the award-winning book of the same name by Behrouz Boochani which has been made into a documentary screened on ABC Television. Adrian has worked with renowned conductors and directors such as Asher Fisch, Andrea Molino, Andrea Battistoni, Jonathan Darlington, Pietari Inkinen, Carlo Montanaro, Renato Palumbo, Guillaume Tourniaire, David McVicar, and Francesca Zambello, as well as Australians Jessica Cottis, Erin Helyard, Barry Kosky, Bruce Beresford, and John Bell.
Kala / Ellie / chorus
Wagga Wagga-born soprano Lisette Bolton is a Masters student at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and an alumna of Opera Australia’s Regional Student Scholarship program, the Young Songmakers Development Program and Opera Scholars Australia. She has performed with Victorian Opera, Australian International Productions and the Albury Chamber Music Festival. Her performance as Olive (Fly, Barry Conyngham, 2020) with Lyric Opera and the Girl (Viktor Ullmann, The Emperor of Atlantis, 2022) with IOpera saw her nominated for two Green Room Awards. Her other roles include Laetitia (Menotti, The Old Maid and the Thief, 2023), Erste Dame (Mozart, Die Zauberflöte, 2023), Bird (Joseph Twist, The Grumpiest Boy in the World, 2023) and Second Woman (Purcell, Dido and Aeneas, 2022). She has also been study-cover for Contessa (Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro, 2019) and understudy for Blanche (Poulenc, Dialogues des Carmélites, 2018).
Instagram: @lisetteboltonsoprano
Facebook: Lisette Bolton – Soprano
Image: Jacqueline Cooper @jackofheartsphotos instragram
Tom / Frank / chorus
Alan Cook is a conductor, opera coach, and musicologist with many years of experience across a wide range of operatic and symphonic repertoire who, on the podium, is described as giving “…clear direction…. producing a lush, richly-coloured soundscape”.
A graduate of both music and philosophy, Alan began at the organ and developed his career as organist and choir master before completing a Grad.Dip. in Opera (VCA) as a repetiteur and Masters in Conducting. After winning scholarships from the Ian Potter Trust and Acclaim Awards, he went to Italy and studied with Bruno Aprea of the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome, during which time he also participated in international conducting masterclasses, and in festivals conducted operatic masterpieces in such as Aida, L’Elisir d'Amore, Pagliacci, and Cavalleria Rusticana.
During his ten-year sojourn in Europe, Alan performed in many countries including Austria, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, and Russia among others as both accompanist and conductor. He also worked extensively as an opera coach to many international singers including at the Liceu Opera of Barcelona where he was resident and the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. He was Principal Guest Conductor of orchestras in Ukraine and Russia for an extended period during which time he developed an expertise in Russian repertoire and language.
Returning to Australia in 2014 with fluency in five languages, Alan took up roles with various companies and returned to Melbourne Conservatorium to commence a PhD on the operas of Rimsky-Korsakov.
Recent performances include conducting the opening concert dedicated to the music of the Ballet Russes on the 150th Anniversary of Diagilev with the Kaliningrad Symphony, Russia as well as two concerts in collaboration with the legendary soprano Lyubov Kazarnovskaya with the Yaroslavl Symphony Orchestra, Russia.
Composer
Author of original play
Co-Librettist
Co-Librettist
Julia is Head of Humanities at Sandringham College. In 2018 Julia finished a Master of Teaching at The University of Melbourne, specialising in English and History.
More Than Opera (MTO) is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit company founded in 2000 using the power of opera as a force for inspiration and community well-being in Australia.