2020 - The Cunning Little Vixen
This short film combines our orchestra and soloists with the creativity of the children of Longborough primary school, and the Longborough Youth Chorus - who would have been singing in The Cunning Little Vixen in 2020, and who have contributed as artists and singers.
It started with a call out to local children from Longborough School and the Longborough Youth Chorus to draw some pictures of foxes. We were deluged with hundreds of pictures of foxes, cubs, traps, poachers, landscapes and hedgehogs from children and young people aged 4-18. Film artist Will Duke has woven their drawings together into a natural landscape.
A microphone was toured across the region, catching members of the orchestra at home to record their parts.
The Longborough Youth Chorus (our fox cubs) then took turns to sing in a pop-up recording studio set up backstage at Longborough (socially distanced of course).
Over a hundred people will have contributed to the finished film. We do hope you enjoy it as a flavour of Janáček's opera, and that we can all look forward to the full production, conducted by Justin Brown and directed by Olivia Fuchs, in 2021.
With thanks to the many players, singers, youth chorus, staff and illustrators who made this film possible. See a full list of credits below.
Orchestra
VIOLIN 1
Katharine Gittings
Barbara O’Reilly
VIOLIN 2
Kelly McCusker
Jacqui Allen
VIOLA
Isobel Adams
Helen Roberts
CELLO
Elaine Ackers
Juliet Tomlinson
Ulrich Heinen
BASS
Marcus Willett
FLUTE
Diane Clarke
OBOE
Victoria Brawn
CLARINET
Alison Lambert
BASSOON
Jonathan Price
HORN
Richard Lewis
Francesca Moore-Bridger
ORCHESTRA MANAGER
Philip Head
ASSISTANT ORCHESTRA MANAGER
Stuart Essenhigh
Soloists
VIXEN
Julieth Lozano
FOX
Frances Gregory
Youth Chorus
Amelia Balhatchet
Becky Chilcott
Dominic Clements
Freddy Minett
Jessica Barber
Kitty Hudspith
Kobi Nobes
Stella Harrison
Verity Wharton
Abi Routh
Agnes Warner
Ellie Roe
Darcey Henderson
Geordie Mackesy
Jessica Bradford
Maite Capper
Martha Davey
Oliver Norris
Youth Chorus Staff
Jessica May
Maria Jagusz
Julian Harris
Florence Cain
Mollie Smith
Charles Matthews
Illustrators from Longborough Primary School
James Regan
Poppy Regan
Alfie Dacosta Hanks
Charlie Ellis
Fergus Robinson
Max Harris
Evie Hayles
Layla Davison
Henry Holder
Sienna Cooke
Phoebe Ford
Clara Beer
Tilly Hourihan
Bella Harrison
Caitlyn Baylliss
Isabel Brown
Kobi Nobes
Max Bayliss
Mya Hyndman
Oskar Domagala
Ruby Brown
Dan Driver
Illustrators from the Youth Chorus
Amelia Balhatchet
Dominic Clements
Flora Hudspith
Freddie Minnett
Islay Milles
Jessica Barber
Kitty Hudspith
Kobi Nobes
Mathilda Christopher
Stella Harrison
Verity Wharton
Agnes Warner
Daisy Brown
Darcey Henderson
Jessica Bradford
Maite Capper
Martha Davey
Oliver Norris
Tilly Brown
Tilly Minett
Charlotte Minett
Creative Team
Sound design and editing
Chris Bartholomew
Film and animation design
Will Duke
Hayley Egan
Company Manager
Remi Bruno Smith
Producer
Jessica May
Director
Polly Graham
Music Leoš Janáček
Story Rudolf Těsnohlídek
Libretto Leoš Janáček
Translation David Pountney
Many thanks to the CHK Foundation, members and parents of the Longborough Youth Chorus, and staff and pupils of Longborough Primary School.