Newcastle composer Ross Fiddes has taken one of the most difficult subjects in the human world, dementia, and turned it into a song cycle which will be performed by leading opera singers in Newcastle in September.
The performance, Closing Time, is based on a series of poems created by Karin De Novellis, while caring for her husband Corrado, who had dementia for the final six years of his life.
De Novellis is a friend of former international and Opera Australia principal soprano Ghillian Sullivan, a Newcastle resident.
De Novellis's collection of poems, Closing Time at the King's Head, has been published and she gives readings of the work throughout the UK to prompt discussion and elicit support for dementia research and for sufferers and their carers.
The poems are short, sharp and real, reflecting honest, emotional interactions between subject and carer, in this case, husband and wife.
In 2022, Sullivan referred the Closing Time collection of poems to Fiddes, to consider its potential for a musical presentation.
"After considerable reflection and deliberation I determined that many of the poems would make an extended song-cycle for a male/sufferer and female/carer with certain observations from a narrator, and that concept would be couched in a mini-dramatic staging," Fiddes said.
De Novellis agreed and the result is a song cycle by Fiddes created around the poetry, which will be performed for the first time on September 9 at ChristChurch Cathedral in Newcastle.
All proceeds will be donated to dementia charities in Australia.
The Newcastle performance will feature London-based Australian soprano Daniella Sicari, Newcastle baritone and conductor Christopher Allan and Sydney-based concert pianist Tonya Lemoh.
Sullivan will direct the staging of Closing Time and also act as narrator.
The work will premier in the UK in London on November 29 featuring Welsh baritone Ieuan Jones and expatriate Australian pianist Nicole Panniza.
Fiddes is one of the founders of the Newcastle Music Festival.
