Liverpool Oratorio

Cincinnati Opera presented the world premiere staging of Paul McCartney’s 1991 “Liverpool Oratorio” over four performances in July 2024 (on July 18, 20, 21 and 27).

Directed by Caroline Clegg and conducted by Joseph Young, the production featured the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, and Cincinnati Boychoir.

While Paul himself didn’t attend, he sent a special video message to audiences before each performance.

I attended the Liverpool Oratorio performance today in Cincinnati at Music Hall.

The main gist here for those who aren’t aware is the full performance of Paul’s original Oratorio with the 4-singer lineup, choir, boys choir and orchestra. Except this new performance has been choreographed like a modern-day opera of sorts. The singers are performing the roles as they are singing now.

What did I like:

I mainly liked how the choirs were now embedded into the performance. They would do regular costume changes and act as extras in the scenes. Like for example the boys choir were all at desks during the school scene. During the scene where the father was buried, the choir were mourning at the cemetery.

I also liked the very subtle but clear imagery that Shanty was swaddled in a green scarf at birth and then wore that in scenes through his life. So you could always find him on stage among the throngs of others. Mary wore a distinctively-colored dress from the other women.

The set was also radically unusual but neat too and effective. Difficult to see in this shot but that billboard thing disappeared and the 3-D sloped map of Liverpool was the performance stage. Actually that billboard cityscape of Liverpool stayed for the opening scene in the bomb shelter as searchlights were moving on the city and bombs (aka red flashes) falling. Other set pieces were cleverly used as you would expect in a stage performance. But all was performed on the map.

Lastly, hearing the orchestra play the music live was great! This along with the performance aspect really brought the show alive.

What I was meh on:

One thing I thought was odd was there were two versions of the main characters Mary Dee and Shanty: a singing version who was acting out the performance but also an ‘expressionist’ version who danced or provided emotional displays as the characters felt things while they went through their lives.

At first this was interesting as the characters start as children so the singers were almost doing a Scrooge thing as they pseudo watched their lives unfold while singing the pieces. But as they moved into adulthood it just became weird having two adult versions of the same characters on stage. […]

Forum’s user Omikron – From Steve Hoffman Music Forums

Cincinnati Music Hall, Springer Auditorium

This was the 3rd concert played at Cincinnati Music Hall, Springer Auditorium.

A total of 4 concerts have been played there • 2024 • Jul 18 • Jul 20 • Jul 21• Jul 27

Setlist for the concert

1. War

1. Andante (Orchestra)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. 'Non Nobis Solum'

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. 'The Air Raid Siren Slices Through...' (Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

4. 'Oh Will It All End Here?' (Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

5. 'Mother and Father Holding Their Child'

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. School

1. 'We're Here in School Today to Get a Perfect Education'

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. 'Walk in Single File Out of the Classroom' (Headmaster)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. 'Settle Down'

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

4. 'Kept in Confusion' (Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

5. 'I'll Always Be Here' (Mary Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

6. 'Boys, This Is Your Teacher' (Headmaster, Miss Inkley)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

7. 'Tres Conejos' (Miss Inkley, Headmaster, Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

8. 'Not for Ourselves' (Headmaster, Miss Inkley, Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. Crypt

1. 'And So It Was That I Had Grown' (Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. Dance

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. 'I Used to Come Here When This Place Was a Crypt' (Shanty, Preacher)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

4. 'Here Now' (Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

5. 'I'll Always Be Here' (Mary Dee, Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

6. 'Now's the Time to Tell Him' (Mary Dee, Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

4. Father

1. Andante Lamentoso

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. 'O Father, You Have Given...' (Chief Mourner)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. '(Ah)'

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

4. 'Hey, Wait a Minute' (Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

5. 'Father, Father, Father' (Shanty, Chief Mourner)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

5. Wedding

1. Andante Amoroso - 'I Know I Should Be Glad of This' (Shanty, Mary Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. 'Father, Hear Our Humble Voices' (Preacher)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. 'Hosanna, Hosanna' (Mary Dee, Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

6. Work

1. Allegro Energico

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. 'Working Women at the Top' (Mary Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. Violin Solo

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

4. 'Did I Sign the Letter...' (Mary Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

5. Tempo I

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

6. 'When You Ask a Working Man' (Shanty, Mr. Dingle)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

7. 'Let's Find Ourselves a Little Hostelry' (Mr. Dingle)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

7. Crises

1. Allegro Molto

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. 'The World You're Coming Into' (Mary Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. Tempo I

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

4. 'Where's My Dinner?' (Shanty, Mary Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

5. 'Let's Not Argue' (Shanty, Mary Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

6. 'I'm Not a Slave' (Mary Dee, Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

7. 'Right! That's It!' (Mary Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

8. 'Stop. Wait.'

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

9. 'Do You Know Who You Are...' (Nurse)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

10. 'Ghosts of the Past Left Behind' (Nurse, Shanty, Mary Dee)

    Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

11. 'Do We Live in a World...' (Mary Dee, Nurse, Shanty)

    Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

8. Peace

1. 'And So It Was That You Were Born' (Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

2. 'God Is Good'

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

3. 'What People Want Is a Family Life' (Preacher)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

4. 'Dad's in the Garden' (Nurse, Mary Dee, Preachey Dee)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

5. 'So on and on the Story Goes' (Mary Dee, Shanty)

   Written by Paul McCartney, Carl Davis

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