Ashbourne's reggae opera to be unveiled soon

A group of German musicians from the prestigious Musikho-chschule Hanns Eisler in Berlin, as well as the outstanding young soprano Nastassja Nass, will be part of a series of concerts beginning at the end of this month.

Nass and the German musicians will be joined by a wide range of local musicians and singers, such as Michael Sean Harris, June Lawson, Claudja Barry, Terri McLean, Jermaine Blake, Winty Davidson, and members of the Kingston Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Peter Ashbourne.

Many of these artistes are members of the faculty and student body of the School of Music at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

The concert series will not only feature exciting compositions of the German classical music repertoire, written by Bach, Handel, Beethoven and others, but also works by the two of Jamaica's most outstanding composers of the classical music genre, Samuel Felsted (1743-1802) and the contemporary Peter Ashbourne.

The Jamaican selections will include two arias from Felsted's historical work Jonah, which was the first Oratorio to be composed in the Americas, as well as some of the renowned songs written for soprano and piano by Ashbourne.

In addition, audiences will be offered a special treat with excerpts from Ashbourne's newest work, the Reggae Opera 'Mikey', slated to open to a world premiere in June 2013.

The potential artistic and historical importance of the Reggae Opera 'Mikey' promises to become another integral part of Jamaica's contribution to world culture.

The venues for the concerts are as follows:

• Seaford Town, Westmoreland - September 30
• The Lecture Hall Theatre of the Institute of Jamaica - Thursday, October 4,
• The Jamaica Conference Centre, Kingston, Waterfront - October 6
• 'Our Lady of Fatima' Church in Ocho Rios, St Ann - October 7
• School of Music, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts - October 8