AN award-winning opera singer from Winsford is bringing classical music back to her roots by staging a children’s opera at 10 primary schools in the town.

Charlotte Hoather’s newly commissioned opera, Down the Rabbit Hole, is accessible to children from across the hearing spectrum, combining elements of musical performance and storytelling with British Sign Language, physical theatre, sign-supported English, and Visual Vernacular. 

Based on Lewis Carroll’s classic children's story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the performances aim to introduce children from hard-to-reach communities to classical music, improve deaf awareness, champion creativity for all regardless of ability, and make young people proud to live in Winsford.

Northwich Guardian: Charlotte Hoather (left) and pianist George Todica (right)Charlotte Hoather (left) and pianist George Todica (right) (Image: Charlotte Hoather)

Soprano Charlotte, pianist George Todica, and sign language actress Zoe McWhinney will bring the story to life in ways that make the visual story-telling techniques part of the show, instead of having signing actors at the side of the stage.

Charlotte said: “I want to take away any restrictions around classical music and opera for children in the area where I grew up.

“Down the Rabbit Hole is slightly different to a traditional opera because it is immersive. We really want to hear the children’s voices.

“There is going to be an opportunity for them to sing during the performance, and they learn a British Sign Language poem that will be accompanied by music.

“We really want to give them an opportunity to be creative and be part of the opera because too often, opera is seen as a genre for people from the upper echelons of society.

“I want children to realize that it is just a form of creative expression, and it is accessible to everybody. Anybody can do it, and everybody can enjoy it.”

The performances will take place between Monday, March 13, and Friday, March 24, 2023, and are funded by the National Lottery via Arts Council England. 

Further support was provided by Sameday PLC, Morrisons Winsford, Ovingdean Hall Foundation, Winsford Town Council, and Cheshire West councillor Michael Baynham. 

If people would like to support the project, please sign up to EasyFundraising, and the brands you shop with will donate a percentage to your selected cause.

Additional money raised on this platform will be used to provide supplementary learning aids for the schools.

Charlotte’s passion for opera began after she was taken to see ballerina Darcey Bussell perform in a production which also happened to include opera singer Catherine Jenkins.

Charlotte added: “I was a huge ballet fan, but Katherine Jenkins had these fantastic outfits, and I thought: I’d rather wear the sparkly ballgown - let’s get into that!

"And you don’t have to work so hard, doing all those pirouettes.”