Postcard from Opera Parallèle's production of Harriet’s Spirit
This week’s postcard features a variety of artists, including three choristers from SFGC’s Premier Ensemble, from Opera Parallèle’s production of Harriet’s Spirit, a new opera by Marcus Shelby that will premiere this weekend at the Bayview Opera House on November 13 (1pm and 4pm) and November 14 (1pm). Postcard guests include Marcus Shelby, composer of Harriet’s Spirit, Nicole Paiement, General & Artistic Director of Opera Parallèle, and soprano Christabel Nunoo. Inspired by the life of American abolitionist and humanitarian Harriet Tubman, Harriet’s Spirit is based on the story of a middle school girl who triumphs over the challenges of adolescence with the help of the Civil War-era legend as her role model and spirit guide.
MARCUS SHELBY, COMPOSER
How did you become a musician and composer?
I originally learned music informally through the church which also coincided with bass lessons in my youth orchestra class in junior high school. I didn’t get interested in composition until much later in my early 20s when my curiosity about using music to tell stories was encouraged and nurtured by a choreographer I met named Pat Taylor. She had a dance company called Jazzantiqua and pushed me to create new pieces of music for them based on black history and black heroes. It blew my mind to find the relationships between music, dance, theater, visual arts, and poetry. I really didn’t know what I was doing but I knew I had found a calling and a path to my future. That was back in 1991.
What artists have inspired you in your creative process?
There have been many people who have inspired me to do what I do. I have to say Wynton Marsalis was initially the most inspirational figure in my life. I saw him and his quartet perform back in 1988 and it changed my life. I was in college playing basketball and studying electrical engineering. For no particular reason at all, I went to a Wynton Marsalis concert and left wanting to become a full-time musician. I think it was the image of a young black, confident, and articulate young man that looked like me was the strongest influence. He had a suit on and the music was so high level and sophisticated that I had to get some of THAT. Later I moved to LA and met master drummer Billy Higgins who became a mentor and musical father figure who pushed me to become better and also to use music as a way to empower my community. I also have influences from others such as Harriet Tubman, Angela Davis, Nina Simone, Byard Rustin, Duke Ellington, and master percussionist John Santos who I admire and adore.
How did Harriet’s Spirit originate? Did the story come first or the music?
Harriet’s Spirit is based on a wonderful libretto written by Roma Olvera, so the story came first. Nonetheless, I had already written an oratorio and several other independent compositions and works in honor of Harriet Tubman prior to this opera. Her story is one I will continue to find ways for music to engage, uplift, and highlight her history.
Can you talk about the creative process for making Harriet’s Spirit? How did this idea flourish to become a full opera?
Harriet’s Spirit has been a 4-year process. I’m forever thankful to Maestra Nicole Paiement (artistic and music director for Opera Parallele) who invited me and pushed me to compose an opera. I had never done it before. I had performed acoustic bass in Terence Blanchard’s opera “Champion” which was produced by Opera Parallele and conducted by Nicole, but that was as close as I got to the world of opera. That was 6 years ago and soon after those performances the idea and challenge from Nicole and OP were presented to me. I of course accepted the offer as I do believe that one can do anything they want if they put their mind and soul to it, particularly if they are encouraged by someone with authority on the subject—like Maestra Nicole. I first created a vocal/choral piano score that was performed by our current principals and children from Rooftop School as part of Opera Parallele’s “Hands On Opera” program. We performed it 3 times in 2018 at the African American Cultural Center in San Francisco. After that experience, 2 years went by before we could go to the next step which was for me to orchestrate the piano score for a chamber orchestra, which I did during the pandemic from November 2020 until April 2021. We then workshopped the music with a live orchestra and with vocalists, which was a thrilling experience to hear the music with an orchestra for the first time. From May 2021 until September 2021, I made revisions and finalized the work based on the workshop we did earlier. In between, there were lots of meetings, consultations with the librettist Roma Olvera, and the Opera Parallele team to get the opera where it is now.
What is one thing you learned from this story or experience?
I do know Harriet Tubman's history and story quite well. Since this is not a “history” opera, it’s not necessarily based on the life and history of Harriet Tubman, but on how a brave young girl summons the spirit of Harriet Tubman to address bullying at her school. I learned a great deal nonetheless about how the music I wrote can serve the story (libretto) and how to get the most potential out of the orchestra to express the moods, characters, time, and space that was necessary to tell this story. I had A LOT to learn. I studied tons of scores of my favorite operas and had a great mentor in Maestra Nicole. For the most part, I have been writing for big bands for the past 20 years so this was a very different experience that was both a challenge and a joy.
What would you like audiences to take away from Harriet’s Spirit?
The power of how the intersection of art (music, theater, movement, visual and stage design) can express beauty, history, storytelling, and drama in the most complete format. Also, that opera is not exclusively for Europeans or white people in general. This is a production that has a diverse creative team probably not typical in the world of opera. I’m thankful to Opera Parallele for this intentional construct.
Why did you choose to create an opera for children?
Harriet’s Spirit is for children and adults. I responded to the story created by our librettist Roma Olvera, so I didn’t per se choose the age group. I simply tried to do my best to bring this story to life using all of the possibilities of what music can render from the complex to the simplified.
We are still in the middle of a pandemic. How do you think the pandemic has changed the world of arts? Do you think these changes will sustain beyond the pandemic?
My short answer is the pandemic allowed me the time to re-evaluate what I was doing and to build a new vision going forward. Not just as an artist but also as a person interested and concerned with the liberation of my community and how music and art in general can be a force in inspiring and uplifting my community.
What is the best advice or suggestion you have received from another musician?
The legendary vocalist Faye Carol told me 20 years ago to create music that celebrated and honored my history. That was the best advice and encouragement that I have received and continue to hold in my heart. Everything I do as an artist is for my community and in honor of my ancestors.
Is there anything you would like to add? Especially about the work with our choristers?
It’s a great honor to work with the SF Girls Chorus once again. They are a blessing that is bringing to life a dream of mine with their voices and incredible presence in this opera. I’m very thankful. I worked with the SF Girls Chorus several years ago having arranged a program of Duke Ellington material for them and also performing a holiday concert at Davies Hall. They have been a big part of my development and desire to become a more complete composer.
NICOLE PAIEMENT, GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF OPERA PARALLELE
Nicole Paiement
How did you become a musician and conductor?
I began to study music at a very young age and it became quickly an integral part of my life. As a young adult, I developed a passion for architecture and quickly realized that this artform had many things in common with music. A score is like a blueprint - dealing with structure, form, texture, balance, color. I realized that conducting would combine both of my passions.
What artist has inspired you in your creative process?
The Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet had a great influence on me as a young adult. He was curious, open and premiered many works of living composers. I read his correspondence and dreamed of making this kind of impact in the art one day.
What is your favorite part of conducting music? What about the creative process brings the most joy?
I love to study scores - hear the music inside and create a complete whole of the piece - and then bring it to life with all the talented artists I work with.
What is your ideal collaboration?
For me, the ideal collaboration is where there are opportunities to explore ideas, where there is a great deal of listening and where all are willing to take chances.
What is one thing you learned from the story of Harriet's Spirit?
We all need to find our "Harriet Tubman". Someone to give us inner strength when we need it.
What would you like audiences to take away from Harriet’s Spirit?
So many things- but this is up to them to decide. Of course, the idea of having a guiding force that helps you through challenges in life. But also that opera is a living artform that speaks to all of us, right now. That art has the power to bring us together and move us deeply.
Is there anything you would like to add? Especially about the work with our choristers?
It is always a privilege to work with young and talented women. These are the leaders of tomorrow in so many ways. Their focus in rehearsal, their capacity to quickly grasp ideas and concepts, and their positive spirit are very uplifting.
CHRISTABEL NUNOO, SOPRANO
Christabel Nunoo
How did you become a musician?
I actually started off playing clarinet at Piedmont Avenue Elementary School. It wasn’t until later on that I discovered I had a voice and love for opera when I joined the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra (formerly known as The Young Musicians Program). I played the clarinet for 9 years but after attending my first opera (Puccini’s Tosca) I was sold! I knew I wanted to be an opera singer.
What artist has inspired you in your creative process?
I grew up listening to many different artists ranging from Pavarotti to Fela Kuti, Ella Fitzgerald, and Stevie Wonder. I gain inspiration from artists who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable and use their art as a channel to tell a story or share a piece of themselves. Growing up, I didn’t see many opera singers who looked like me so discovering voices like Leontyne Price and Kathleen Battle was integral in my development as a black opera singer. It was the moment I realized I didn't have to reinvent the wheel but that I'm creating space for those who look like me to find this art form more accessible and just by doing what I love.
What does it mean for you to portray your character in this opera?
Portraying the character of Modesty in Harriet’s Spirit, in an ironic way, has given me an opportunity to rewrite a part of my childhood. I experienced bullying at a young age and similar to Modesty, I struggled to speak up despite having so many role models around me. I get to tap into the scared child I was with the understanding I have now, and in the opera, with Harriet Tubman’s strength and spirit as a guide.
What is one thing you learned from this story or experience?
Watching the piece grow over the last 4 years has been an awe-inspiring process. From the music to the libretto, down to lighting and phrasing, it is truly a team effort. I do not take for granted the amount of hard work it took to put this work on stage and I’m just so grateful to have been one of the many moving parts. It goes to show that collaborative creativity can birth magic!
What would you like audiences to take away from Harriet’s Spirit?
There’s a scene that was added to the work where the school Janitor observes Modesty standing idly by as her best friend Ben is teased on the playground and chastises her for doing nothing. This is a pivotal moment for Modesty because that was the first moment she recognized that her inability to act was part of the bigger problem. I hope that scene helps illustrate how important those moments can be once you are able to look through the blame or guilt you might feel. It's a call to action; you don’t have to stand idly by as the world happens around you. Even if you’re afraid, there is always something you can do. Don’t underestimate that power although the world does its best to make you think otherwise. That power grows exponentially, but only when you take the first step to do something.
We are still in the middle of a pandemic. How do you think the pandemic has changed the world of arts? Do you think these changes will sustain beyond the pandemic?
I would personally say that consuming art shared digitally was one thing that kept me going through the pandemic. I was able to stream concerts from some of my favorite artists on my couch and all of a sudden it was so much more accessible. As an artist myself, I gained a new appreciation for what it meant to gather live and share music and I sort of took it for granted. I'm hoping that the innovations implemented during the pandemic in hopes of creating wider access can be monumental because it keeps an art form of opera alive.
What is the best advice or suggestion you have received from another musician?
It sounds very cliche, but the best advice I’ve ever received from another musician is just to go out there and have fun! It’s always more engaging for me if I can tell that an artist enjoys their art or had fun creating it. Art has the power to make you feel so many emotions, so why not spread a little bit of your joy in the process.
Is there anything you would like to add? Especially about the work with our choristers?
Some of the best friends I have made in my life are people I met singing in chorus in school. It’s been a sweet experience to watch the SF Girls Chorus work because not only are they talented musicians, but they are also a tight-knit community. Their dedication to their art and cultivating friendship inspires me to foster the same in the workspaces I am a part of.
PREMIER ENSEMBLE CHORISTERS
(L-R) Premier Ensemble choristers Azaria Stauffer-Barney, Elinore (Ellie) Pett-Ridge Hennessy and Linda Ye
Premier Ensemble performing in Harriet’s Spirit
How does it feel to be involved in this opera?
AZARIA: It’s been a great experience getting to meet new people and try things I’ve never done before
LINDA: It feels amazing to have this opportunity especially since we've gotten right out of quarantine; I didn't realize how much I miss working on a production. This production is also so special because of the messages it gives, you don't often find operas being written about historical figures like Harriet Tubman, and I am so grateful to be a part of this creation.
ELLIE: I really like being involved in this opera, I have enjoyed staging and singing with the orchestra and principals as well as learning about how opera works
What is one thing you learned from this story or experience?
AZARIA: I’ve learned about what it is to be in a small group working together to create something huge.
LINDA: That you can create opera out of anything. That you don't need to have elaborate props or stages to create opera.
ELLIE: One thing I learned is that working with completely new people can be challenging because everyone has their own way of thinking but once you adjust to it it becomes really interesting to try and figure out what the purpose of a scene or an interaction is.
What would you like audiences to take away from Harriet's Spirit?
AZARIA: I would like audiences to take away that everyone has power inside them, and sometimes it takes the right person or thing to push you in the right direction.
LINDA: Opera is diverse, and can vary from a wide array of topics and artists.
ELLIE: I would like audiences to take away a feeling of empowerment and ability to stand up for themselves.