As part of the celebration of its 35th anniversary, the San Francisco Girls Chorus (Girls Chorus) presented a rarely staged 20th century masterwork by Benjamin Britten, Noye’s Fludde, developed from a 15th-century mystery play and intended by Britten to be performed in a church rather than a theater. Noye’s Fludde is based on the biblical story of Noah and his ark. The performance took place at Temple Emanu-el in San Francisco.
The Girls Chorus works to be creative in all aspects of the choral art form, and to communicate the joy of singing through involvement in the community. In this project, it partnered with Richard Wright and 19 other artists from Creativity Explored—an organization that works to challenge cultural perceptions about persons with disabilities. Creativity Explored’s artists often highlight animals in their artworks and many of those works have been exhibited both in its gallery and off-site in juried exhibitions and museums. Richard Wright’s drawings feature detailed, multi-textured renditions of imaginary creatures, ancient masks, and monsters from the world of film. Since joining Creativity Explored in April 2012, Wright has been professionally exhibited at The Luggage Store Gallery.
Through this collaboration, participants from the Girls Chorus and Creativity Explored visited one another to learn more about one another’s processes, inspire the choral performance, and incorporate into it a range of imaginative animal artworks. Some 60 pieces were created for use as puppets, props, and headdresses. After the performances, the Girls Chorus auctioned the artworks, with proceeds divided between the Girls Chorus and Creativity Explored.
Photo credit: Michael Strickland