Fallen Leaves – Snippet The Boats 222.58

Another snippet from the new opera, The Boats: Fallen Leaves. Post Turkey. Led Zeppelin III. Sticking out like a sore thumb. It’s all about frustration. Are we there yet? Turning in the keys. Alternative Opera Showcases. Health update. St. Christopher.

Roger CortonA rockin’ snippet. This sure doesn’t sound like no stinkin’ opera to me.

Fallen Leaves (Snippet)

JC HarrisIt sure doesn’t.

RCHow come? I mean. Won’t it stick out like a sore thumb?

JCHI think that’s a good observation. As I’ve ranted many times, the last thing I want is to create the impression that the orchestra is just slapped on to the end of a rock band. Hopefully, just the one aria won’t take listeners out of the whole experience. But it’s a risk.

RCSo why even take the risk? Why does the opera need to sound like Led Zeppelin III?

JCHAnother good question. You’re just FULL of good questions today, sonny! And […]

America – Snippet The Boats 200.32

I guess the last one wasn’t the last snippet from the new opera, The Boats. America. Permission to leave. Emigration. John Wayne is one funky, dude. Black beer. James Brown. Mega-snippet. How it all fits together. One combo platter, coming up.

Roger CortonWell, I guess that wasn’t the last snippet. Maybe this is the last snippet?

America

JC HarrisHey, don’t sound so thrilled with some NEW MUSIC!

RCYeah, yeah. Look, where have you been for the past month?

JCHHealth stuff.

RCIt never ends.

JCHTrue dat.

RCSo, first things first. I thought there were no more snippets.

JCHBookkeeping? (laughs) So, each of the three sons has their own aria–where they think about where they imagine themselves going to. I realized that I hadn’t included the aria for the youngest son, Cian.

RCYou remind me of when I was a kid. I wasn’t happy until I had every baseball card in […]

To The Bank – Snippet The Boats 178.07

Another snippet from the new opera, The Boats: To The Bank. Puns. Irish Rebellions, Ballintubber, Shakespeare. Chorus. Henry V. More on recitative v. aria. The fortunes of campaigning for office. Kick Drum. Dropping Bombs. Bill Bruford.

Roger CortonAnother new snippet. Marching right along.

To The Bank (Snippet)

JC HarrisYou’re such a punster.

RCNot really. So what’s the story?

JCHWell actually, the title is one big pun.

RCI think I get the pun. In the beginning you talk of a river bank, but at the end they marching to a bank where the money is kept.

JCHYes. The story is, again, one of those ‘truths’ I keep talking about. This didn’t literally happen, but it could’ve happened. All the captains and crew are sitting in the bar after the first day of the auction feeling pretty helpless. And one old guy has the nerve to chastise them for taking it all lying down. […]

I Dreamed Of You Tonight – Snippet The Boats 155.81

Another snippet from the new opera, The Boats called I Dreamed Of You Tonight. Rock Opera vs. Real Opera. Naked Lunch. Slippermen. Relationships. Inigo Montoya and The Princess Bride. Bohemian Rhapsody. The Elevator Pitch.

Roger CortonA new snippet. This is exceptionally beautiful. I’m starting to hear a theme in the all the snippets you’ve put up.

I Dreamed Of You Tonight (Snippet)

JCHOh, it’s all connected, that’s why it’s taking so damn long. It’s just so personal.

RCBecause it’s your family story?

JCHWell there are also lots of things going on in my ‘real’ life, right now, but yeah, it’s been tough teasing out the story. See the thing I keep trying to get across to fans is that these are ‘for reals opera’, not ‘rock opera’. Progressive Rock fans talk about ‘rock opera’ all the time and I find myself channeling Inigo Montoya

RCFrom ‘The Princess Bride’?

JCHYes. As he […]

Transition LAST – Snippet The Boats 155.81

It’s the last Transition from the opera The Boats. So let the pigeons loose! Outrageous French Accents. Yet another explanation of ‘Transitions’. The Crying Indian reference. We need a montage. Team America.

Roger CortonLast time you said we were almost there. So is this really it?

Transition (I’ve Got A Story For You)

JCHThis is really it, Tonto. Let the pigeons loose.

RCWell Hot Damn! What does ‘Let the pigeons loose’ even mean? You say it a lot.

JCHYa know, I’ve forgotten. I remember it from movies when I was a kid. Like The Three Musketeers. That must’ve been it.

RCThey would send out pigeons to inform everyone that freedom had returned to the land, etc.

JCHExactly.

RCWell, for future reference, it shows up exactly zero times on Google.

JCHWell, huh. Anyhoo, I’m sure your enthusiasm is because I’ve reached such […]