When rock musician George Linacre died by suicide, his father Nigel started to write. Vladimir Miller, a contemporary-music band leader, began composing using George’s bass rhythms. Together, they created the Grief Opera.
The Grief Opera shines a spotlight on suicide, the most common cause of death in young men, and the consequent, harrowing grief. Its creators hope it will enable people to have potentially suicide-prevention conversations and to work with their grief.
Mr Linacre is business coach and occasional poet who didn’t see his son’s suicide coming. He lives near Bristol. George died on November 19, 2021, aged 32. Mr Miller lost a band member to suicide earlier in his career.
The Grief Opera will be performed by an ensemble that includes international opera singer Neil Latchman in at St. Paul's Church, Clifton, Bristol on July 3 at 1pm. Rather than being limited by a single genre, the Grief Opera uses classical and jazz forms, and is part-opera, part-concert, and part-musical. It moves from a father’s last conversations with his son, through the shock of the news, to the challenges of continuing to exist in grief. It is a journey from shock and pain to profound love.
At its preview performance in October 2022, it received a standing ovation and was described as “heart-breaking but hopeful” and “harrowing but ultimately uplifting”.
Mr Latchman will perform with Gandalf’s Fist vocalist Keri Farish - George Linacre’s aunt - and young soprano and composer Rebecca Dorey. Mr. Linacre will sing alongside Gavin Macrae, who lost his son Owen to suicide several years ago. Pianist Mr. Miller will lead the musicians: Wendy Clark on violin in Bristol; Sara Stagg in London; Susan Norton on cello, David Shepard on clarinet and Nigel Shires on double bass. Several of the performers have been affected by suicide.
George Linacre’s progressive rock band Eschar released Elements and Nova on Spotify. Music was George’s creative outlet but lockdown stopped his band rehearsing and playing. The surviving members of the band are completing a third album with more of George’s work.
