Nicola Lisle looks forward to Garsington’s joint The Creation with Rambert

Garsington Opera is venturing into the world of dance this season as the company teams up with Rambert for a choreographed version of Haydn’s magnificent oratorio, The Creation.

This unique production – featuring the Garsington orchestra and chorus, three world-class soloists and around thirty dancers – runs for four performances from next Thursday and follows Garsington’s hugely successful collaboration with the RSC last summer.

The prospect of dance on the stage of the spectacular opera pavilion at Wormsley is an irresistible one.

Catching up with artistic director Dougie Boyd at the glorious Wormsley Estate – Garsington Opera’s home since 2011 - I find him excited at the prospect of another joint venture with a major company.

“I think collaborations and partnerships are incredibly important to a growing arts organisation,” he says. “It’s about profile building and finding organisations that buy into the same sort of artistic vision that we’ve got.

“We are fundamentally an opera festival, but we’re always looking at other art forms that complement what we do.”

For Dougie this collaboration is a particular thrill because The Creation is one of his all-time favourite pieces of music.

“I think the piece is so cinematic and so visual and so descriptive. If I had to do Desert Island Discs, Haydn would 100% be one of them, which surprises some people because he’s not the most fashionable of composers, but I think he’s one of the greatest composers that ever lived.

“The Creation, in particular, is just unbelievable because he’s painting this Biblical story of Genesis. When he says “And God said ‘Let there be light’ and there was light”, you get this great explosion of sound like the Big Bang.

“Or the beginning, which is an impression of the chaos, the void before the world was created, and the void that he creates in the orchestra score is sensational.

“Every single word is described in the music. How does he do that? It’s amazing. That’s why I love Haydn. It’s incredible what he does musically, and I think dance could be a really interesting idiom to do it with.”

As with the RSC production last year, the orchestra will share the stage with the performers.

“We’re celebrating the orchestra and the music equally with the dance,” Dougie explains. “There’ll be a screen which we’re behind, but you’ll be able to see through the screen to where the orchestra is.

Joining them are soloists Sarah Tynan (soprano), James Gilchrist (tenor) and Neal Davies (bass).

“I’ve done it with Sarah before, in America, and I know that she does it absolutely wonderfully,” says Dougie. “Neal Davies was Don Alfonso in our Cosi fan tutte last year. James Gilchrist has more of a concert career than an opera career but he’s a fantastic tenor and it’s an opportunity to get him to Garsington."

After months of preparation, how does Dougie feel as the first night approaches? “With something like this it’s a bit of a step into the unknown. We’ve had a lot of talk about how we’re going to do it but until you do it you don’t know.

“It’s a really exciting idea, I think, and it’s great to mix genres – voice, orchestra, dance – it’s what excites people. Touch wood I hope it will work beautifully.”

Haydn: The Creation

Garsington Opera/Rambert

Wormsley Estate

July 14-17, 6.40pm

Tickets & info: www.garsingtonopera.org