A Trip to the Moon in words and pictures

On Sunday 9 July 2017 Andrew Norman's "opera for all" A Trip to the Moon received its UK premiere at the Barbican Centre in London. The concert also featured a performance of Sibelius Symphony No 2, with students from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama sitting side-by-side with the LSO.

The latest in our series of joint opera for all commissions with the Berlin Philharmonic – The Monster in the Maze by Jonathan Dove and The Hogboon by Peter Maxwell Davies – spearheaded by Sir Simon Rattle, A Trip to the Moon was designed to showcase our community and education programmes and for musicians of different musical standards to perform together. The London performance featured a cast of hundreds ranging from professional soloists through students at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama to adults and children who live and work in our local area who formed a chorus of moon people and moon children. 

See the cast list and read the opera's synopsis in the concert programme (PDF)

 
Here is a round-up of the evening in words and pictures.

In pictures

• A Trip to the Moon stage A Trip to the Moon stage
• The moon children The moon children
• Sir Simon Rattle takes a bow Sir Simon Rattle takes a bow
• Sir Simon Rattle and Simon Halsey Sir Simon Rattle and Simon Halsey
• The enlarged orchestra of Guildhall School and LSO in rehearsal The enlarged orchestra of Guildhall School and LSO in rehearsal
• Sir Simon Rattle Sir Simon Rattle
• Sibelius 2 in rehearsal Sibelius 2 in rehearsal
• LSO and Guildhall School cellos LSO and Guildhall School cellos
• Sir Simon Rattle Sir Simon Rattle
• Guildhall School violinist Guildhall School violinist
• Queen of the Moon people with her subjects Queen of the Moon people with her subjects
• The astronomers The astronomers
• Georges Melies and the moon princess Eoa Georges Melies and the moon princess Eoa
• Moon children Moon children
• Moon people: LSO Discovery Choirs and LSO Community Choir Moon people: LSO Discovery Choirs and LSO Community Choir
• Moon children surround Georges and Eoa Moon children surround Georges and Eoa
• Fear and suspicion Fear and suspicion
• Fixing the rocket Fixing the rocket
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In your words