Tune Up - Music Touring Across Scotland

Tours: Differences in Demolitions

A magical and beautiful new chamber opera by Scottish composer Nigel Osborne with libretto by the eminent Bosnian poet, Goran Simic. Opera Circus returns to tour Scotland with this moving work which draws on the Bosnian music of Sevdah.

"Differences in Demolitions" presents a powerful story of conflict, greed and desire in a world surrounded by destruction and demolition. Hassan, a building worker, cherishes a secret love for Sevda. His family Han (an inn) is cursed. A mythical woman embroiders love, life and fate into a scarf which becomes torn. Sevda begins her journey which unravels, like the scarf, to reveal a tale of love, longing and revenge.

A full education programme is running alongside this tour which includes workshops with special needs young people, a master class on chamber music, working with youth music theatre groups, an Amateur Operatic Society, a percussion workshop and a day's residency with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama amongst others. The workshops will be run by members of the Opera Circus ensemble.

There will also be a film showing of a new documentary film made alongside this opera called The Balkan Blues. This was written and directed by the international film maker Robert Golden and explores Sevdah music through its artists and explains some of the background to the power and meaning that this music holds for the Bosnian people and others in the Balkan region. Screening venues and dates will be on the opera circus website in March.

Design by Enes Huseincehajic and Vedran Mujagic, Sarajevo, BiH

Education Programme

An education programme funded by the Youth Music Initiative will run alongside this tour which will include several workshops with special needs young people in Inverness and Edinburgh, a master class on chamber music through the Highland Chamber Orchestra in Inverness, partnering with Artsplay with music workshops for the under 5s, a day's residency with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow, working with 70 students from the music theatre, opera and drama faculties, a day's residency at the University of Edinburgh with the Opera Circus singers working with young composers and their new compositions, and then an evening of the Opera Circus band working with chamber and orchestral students; this will be led by Nigel Osborne. Other workshops will be run by members of the Opera Circus Ensemble. There may be a Sevdah workshop with the Bosnian musicians working with local Edinburgh bands and groups.

Talks including Nigel Osborne at macrobert's and Queen's Hall. David Glass, the internationally renown theatre director leading the residency at the RSAMD and some readings by our librettist, Goran Simic, the eminent Bosnian poet and writer.