Stumped

Scottish Storytelling Centre - 02/08/24

‘Stumped’, chamber opera by Lewis Coenen-Rowe

 Thomas Butler, conductor | Shuna Sendall, Catherine Backhouse – soloists | Mark Elwis – trumpet | Symone Hutchison – trombone | Emma Lloyd – Violin | Laura Sergeant – cello.

‘Stumped’, Lewis Coenen-Rowe’s compact and impactful chamber opera for two singers and four instrumentalists, premiered to an appreciative audience at the Scottish Storytelling Centre this evening, launching its six-night run as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase on the Edinburgh Fringe.

 Weaving together ancient mythology and modern environmental concern, song and speech, drama and film, beaty and horror, lyricism and dissonance, ‘Stumped’ makes maximum use of limited resources in an intimate setting. Written towards the end of the Covid lockdown, it explores the devastating impact of deforestation through four scenes from ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’, ‘The Tale of Two Brothers’, ‘The Mahābhārata’, Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’, and ‘The Poetic Edda’.

 The starting point, however, is two late-night users of an internet forum puzzling about the truth and importance of deforestation as they battle with eco-anxiety, disinformation, mixed emotions and the search for hope. These two worlds, the past and the present, start far apart but eventually meet and converge.  

 Mezzo-soprano Catherine Backhouse and soprano Shuna Sendall alternate smoothly between narration, solos and duets against a sparse but imaginatively constructed backdrop of brass and strings. At the beginning of this 40-minute miniature opera the voices and instruments operate almost independently, producing moments of collision and competition which only heighten the points of intense fusion, especially at the opening of the fourth scene.

 The set for ‘Stumped’ comprises two desks, two chairs, two bare tree-like structures and two potted bushes – mirroring the two voices and two instrumental modes. Between the dramatic space and the chamber ensemble (fully visible alongside the action) sits a mediating film-projection screen. This navigates us from one scene to another, blending with the lighting.

 The whole is artfully constructed to take the audience on an emotional and musical journey which veers between tonality and atonality, punching emphasis and textural sophistication. In such a small setting there is absolutely no place to hide for the performers (or for the composer, for that matter), and they do not need to. Tiny departures from the surtitled libretto aside, this mini-epic is delivered with skill, confidence and commitment.

 ‘Stumped’ takes the operatic style to fresh places in an economical, mobile and contextual form. This is an ideal way to induct new audiences, given limited resources and funding – which is the unfortunate reality right now. In that regard, props to the Hope Scott Trust for supporting this little venture.

 Each evening ends with a tree-themed talk. For the opening night it was Amy Clarkson from the Applecross Community Woodland in the Highlands. With a little more time it would have been good to hear from the composer, performers, scenographer (Hunter Muir) and director (Edie Bailey), too. Altogether, a thoroughly enjoyable, thought-provoking, stimulating and sonically satisfying evening. Highly recommended.

* ‘Stumped’ continues its run at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 4, 6, 8, 11 and 13 August, from 6.45pm to 7.45pm. https://www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com/shows/stumped-by-lewis-coenen-rowe/