Students turn divas at the opera (From The Oxford Times)

Students turn divas at the opera

10:30am Wednesday 7th December 2011 in Wallingford

A FAIRYTALE version of an opera featuring witches and Olympic champions will be performed by school pupils in Watlington today and tomorrow.

Sixty-three pupils from Icknield Community College have been working with Garsington Opera’s education team to produce an original work.

The pupils, aged 13 to 15, have created Heart in a Box, a version of Vivaldi’s rarely performed opera L’Olimpiade, which itself will be performed by Garsington Opera in June and July next year.

Following a dress rehearsal at the school yesterday the students will perform Heart in a Box to 150 primary school pupils from Ewelme, Lewknor, Stadhampton, RAF Benson, Watlington and Chalgrove today and tomorrow.

Garsington Opera spokesman Clare Adams said: “It has given the students a great insight into the workings of an opera company and putting on a production from scratch.

“The pupils have all worked incredibly hard and we are thrilled with the result.”

Emma Tucker, 13, pictured centre, from Chalgrove, said: “In a million years I would not have thought we would be doing opera at Icknield Community College – it is amazing what we have done in such a short space of time.”