'Noyes Fludde' by Benjamin Britten presented as part of the Madeleine Festival

“I believe, you see, in occasional music,” Benjamin Britten said in a speech in 1964.  “Almost every piece of music I have ever written has been composed with a certain occasion in mind, usually for definite performers.” Whether those performers were the world’s great orchestras or a troop of enthusiastic children, Britten shaped his music to get the very best out of the resources at hand. So it was with Noye’s Fludde, a chancel opera that tells the story of Noah and the flood. With a cast of children, professionals, amateurs, and even the congregation joining in, Noye’s Fludde shows the true breadth of Britten’s creativity.

 

Written at the height of his career, British composer Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde is a creative and engaging one-act opera meant for a large cast of children combining the efforts of professional and young artists.  First performed on June 18, 1958, the work is a colorful pageant where children play all of the animal roles, parading two-by-two into the ark.  Regarded as Britten's most lovable work, the opera is based on one of the famous medieval Chester mystery plays, dating back to the15th century. With its familiar story, interesting costumes, gossips, raven, dove and multiple parts of musical participation at different levels, including the audience, this work has something for everyone. 

 

Performance dates and times are as follows:

Friday May 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM