The Golden Thread / Medusa at The Cockpit

This event is part of Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2023

A double bill.

The Golden Thread

The Golden Thread is a contemporary cantata for mezzo soprano and large chamber ensemble. With themes of renewal, hope, and feminine strength, the piece depicts a young woman's encounter with the Green Man and his more sinister counterpart, the Erlking.

Inspired by Angela Carter's retelling of the Goethe myth, this dramatic cantata received a rare electrifying response at its first performance. Commissioned and premiered by the Green Man Gallery, Buxton; the piece explores the dualities of power and entrapment, destruction and creation, death and renewal.

Supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation, the first performance was given by mezzo-soprano Phoebe Haines and members of the Endelienta Ensemble.

Medusa

This show is, as of now, a stand alone piece that may in the future be part of a bigger project revolving around the whole story mentioned. This piece is of particular interest in people interested in mental health issues and the idea of the aftermath of a victim of emotional abuse and trauma, as the main character, Medusa, deals with feelings of abandonment in her childhood by her own mother, leading to her being taken in by Athena and developing trust issues. When she finally opens up to a man who visits her regularly, she is cursed by Athena, feeling betrayed and worried about what happened to the person she trusted after many years.