Blog for Lachie

Lachlan, our assistant intern has encouraged me to write a blog.

As if I don’t have enough to do!

Coping with Victorian Opera on a day-to-day basis is really a full-time gig.

Taking time out, therefore to write a blog, whilst it may seem to be an imposition, is actually very refreshing.

On the other hand what do I say?

Straight after the most amazing week-end in Morundah in southern New South Wales, performing Hans Krasa’s opera Brundibar, with 68 children from all over that region.

Entartete Musik, the Nazis called it; debased music from the prison camp of Terezin.



In Germany during the 1930s there was a race of brain-dead, low-life Nazis who classified music as debased.

Naturally it was music composed by Jews.

The children of the Terezin prison camp, the camp which fooled the Red Cross and became the GREAT GERMAN LIE, performed Brundibar approximately opera fifty times.

Only a very few children survived; the Nazis made sure that they gassed as much culture as they could.

Lately this opera has been performed often to remind us of how inhuman human beings can be towards each other and my mate Bill says ‘blow, blow thou winter wind, thou art no so unkind as man’s ingratitude’

Even though we call ourselves civilized, human beings are still capable of hating and detesting each other.

Remembering that this is a blog I shouldn’t get too carried away with pet hobby-horses.

Auntie Josie, a favourite aunt of mine (she would be 109 this year had not her maker called her prematurely) loved singing and said if we all sang the world would be a better place.

Naturally, when I was a child I thought that this was a strange idea; now I think she was right.

The children of Terezin sang; they triumphed with song: this is an opera blog – we’ll be singing.



RG