KENNETH DEMPSTER, Composer in Residence, Conductor and Lecturer at the Ian Tomlin School of Music, Napier University in Edinburgh, talks to ERIKA BRINCAT about conducting the upcoming opera Hansel and Gretel which is to be performed at St James Cavalier between 2 and 6 April, as well as a Workshop for Young Composers he will be giving on Saturday 5 April.



As a lecturer at the Ian Tomlin School of Music, do you enjoy your ‘Mediterranean’ collaborations with Maltese musicians and actors, and how did your ‘rapport’ with Drama Troupe begin?

In September 2003 I came to Malta for the first time in order to conduct four performances of my children’s opera, Faraway Pictures. In collaboration with the Edinburgh Quartet, I worked with some of the younger members of Drama Troupe and my experience of them was a wholly positive one. They had been very well prepared both musically (Gillian Zammit) and regarding stage direction (Malcolm Galea), and the performances we gave were of the highest standard. At the same time the Edinburgh Quartet were working with Lorraine Aquilina (director), other Maltese musicians and older members of the Drama Troupe in order to present performances of Benjamin Britten’s opera, The Little Sweep. While sitting in on several of the rehearsals for the opera, I was most impressed with Lorraine’s working method and insight into the dramatic possibilities within the opera – I came away from Malta on that occasion hoping that I would be able to return one day to work with Lorraine on a new production.

And so it is that we are now hard at work on Humperdinck’s wonderfully dramatic and tuneful opera, Hansel and Gretel. The cast comprises six Maltese singers, three of whom are currently students at Napier University on the Ian Tomlin Maltese Scholarship Scheme. The small orchestra also contains one Maltese student, as well as three Scots and one Pole – so quite an international mix all in all!

Probably one of the most important aspects of this collaboration is the practical, ‘hands-on’ experience of opera that it is allowing all the students. The three singers are being given the chance (at a comparably young age) to learn roles from one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the world. And to perform it on five successive evenings gives the young singers good experience of performing an opera in a ‘run’, and how they will have to build up stamina for each performance by resting carefully in between. From a cross-cultural standpoint as well, the four non-Maltese members of the orchestra are benefiting from visiting this beautiful, historic country and by rehearsing and performing in a completely different cultural environment.



What are the particular challenges when conducting an orchestra overseas… do you have enough time to connect with the director, actors and the rest of the team in order to create a harmonious production?

There is never enough rehearsal time! But this pressure really helps me to focus carefully on priorities, and to work quickly and efficiently. Singers and players have to do a lot of individual practise on their own parts at home, so that when we do all come together we can progress the opera speedily. In the performing arts we are used to forging close and intense working relationships over a short period of time; and with a public presentation at the end of it all, we have to be able to work quickly, and to deal with each other in an honest and productive manner in order to bring the final performance together. Conductor and director need to be able to get the most out of their performers, but without pushing them too far; and they also need to be able to get the most out of each other. Often the skill of diplomacy and the ability to hold your nerve through a bad rehearsal period are two of the most valuable personal attributes to cultivate. And one of the most exciting aspects of opera is the combination of so many artistic minds and skills – music, acting, costumes, make-up, sets, lighting, and so on – the opera house is truly a multi-faceted performance space!



How does Engelbert Humperdinck’s rendition of Hansel and Gretel manage to combine so effortlessly a fairy tale, musical, opera, drama and ballet, and is it the orchestra’s role to bring it all together? Yes, the music is the one constant throughout the opera: it acts as narrator and scene-setter. The musical overtures and interludes provide moments of reflection and anticipation throughout the opera as the drama of the narrative gradually unfolds. The huge success of this popular opera lies principally in its two universal features: i) the music has the capacity to communicate a range of themes and emotions such as innocence, love, children at play, fear, danger, the beauty and wonder of nature, and the triumph of good over evil – the music communicates to us instantly and powerfully; ii) the central theme of this children’s tale is one that terrifies all good parents the world over – children lost in a foreign environment and falling prey to the wicked intentions of a ‘Witch’.

The beauty and emotive power of the music is apparent within a few bars of the opening Overture. The latter aspect, with all its contemporary resonances, transports us at one and the same time back to those feelings of uncertainty in our own childhood, as well as forward to the natural protective instinct that we have towards our children and grandchildren. And I find it so touching that this story of sibling love and danger should have been written by a brother and sister creative partnership (Humperdinck’s sister, Adelheid Wette wrote the libretto based on the fairy tale by the Grimm Brothers).



Scotland itself is a country immensely rich in fairy tales, myths and legends of its own. Do Scottish lore and legends inspire you, and which stories are the ones that have influenced you the most profoundly?

There are so many from which to choose! My compositions are inspired by all sorts of events and experiences, tales and historical legends, including one or two of the following:

• The character and tenacity of the people of St Kilda – their way of life and traditions have inspired me to produce three very different compositions in recent years;

• The fidelity of the West Highland Terrier called Bobby, who after his master’s death attended his grave each day for 14 years, also visiting his master’s local inn where he was fed and clapped and became something of a celebrity. Eventually Bobby was given the ‘Freedom of Edinburgh’ – the only animal ever to gain this ‘human’ distinction;

• The fantasy (I think!) of the Loch Ness Monster and its many sightings and photographs;

• The pathos of Mary Queen of Scots’ life and her tragic end – executed by order of her cousin (Queen Elizabeth I). After the beheading, a small puppy dog emerged from under her petticoat (a smuggled companion for that final terrifying moment of life). I composed a three-movement work for orchestra which was based around the mythology of one of Scotland’s most loved and romantic figures;

• The national pride (and then calamity!) of the 1745 uprising under Bonnie Prince Charlie. It all ended in the bloodshed on the battlefield of Culloden and the ignominy of him having to flee first to the Isle of Skye, and eventually to Rome, dressed as the lady-servant of Flora MacDonald!



Tell us something about Sanctum your solo guitar composition written for classical guitarist, Simon Thacker… do you consider this a diversion from your usual path, or not?

My compositions far from being diversions are the substance, backdrop and principal focus of my musical endeavours. They allow me to spend long periods of time on my own, expressing a range of ideas and emotions in purely musical terms. Each new composition enables me to contemplate, and to respond to the world around me in my own way and on my own terms. The musical world that Sanctum inhabits is essentially one of solitude, spiritual contemplation and tranquility. The succession of musical ideas in the work are designed to form one continuous quasi-improvisatory flow, or train of thought, from start to finish. In composing for solo guitar, I wanted to exploit this most intimate medium (the guitarist sits facing the audience, instrument on his lap) in order to achieve a contemplative, even confessional, atmosphere. The combination of musical thought and the guitarist’s virtuosity, I hope, creates a sanctum (even in a public arena) where people can commune free from interference or interruption. At each stage of the work’s development I was able to consult Simon and receive expert technical advice from one of the best classical guitarists in the UK.



Do you find giving workshops for aspiring musicians a fulfilling and creative experience and why? What kind of advice would you give aspiring Maltese composers and do you believe it is essential for them to receive training abroad or not?

My own career has developed four distinct strands – my work as a composer, and a conductor, as a teacher in the areas of composition and orchestration at Napier University and also as a musical facilitator, going into schools (both primary and secondary) in order to make happen a range of musical experiences and performances. I enjoy meeting and working with people in a variety of different musical situations, and meeting other creative personalities always rejuvenates my own enthusiasm and love for music.

My principal advice to all aspiring composers is to enjoy each musical experience you have, to be positive and work hard. Try always to compose music for friends, colleagues and any other people around you who might then be able to play the music you have just written – you will learn a lot more that way. Other advice would be: don’t go into music in order to make lots of money and to become famous – you might be sorely disappointed! You need to be dedicated and honest, and if you’re lucky and have a bit of talent, then something might happen!

The more training a composer receives (whether at home or abroad) then the better placed they will be to enter the world of music professionally. Music is not an easy career in which to succeed, so it is important to have a broad range of skills at your disposal. Versatility is the name of the game – most musicians have various roles to play. On one hand, it is necessary in order to make a decent living, but on the other, it is fundamentally desirable so that the musician is a rounded individual who can perform/ improvise/ compose as well as teach and inspire others.

Who are the classic and modern music composers you admire the most, and given the choice what famous operas or musical compositions would you like to conduct in the near future?

There are three composers from the past whom I most admire; Beethoven, Mahler and Stravinsky. I grew up listening to a lot of Beethoven and Mahler through my father’s influence, then I discovered Stravinsky’s music for myself as a teenager. I have also been fortunate to have had periods of study with some highly significant contemporary composers; Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, James MacMillan, Paul Patterson, Jacob Druckman, Martin Bresnick, Frederic Rzewski, Earle Brown and Louis Andriessen. From all these composers I’ve gained so much – so many different ideas, techniques and approaches; and they compose their music so differently from one another. Their varied voices have been so hugely influential on my own career. There are a string of operas I would love to conduct in the future; Madame Butterfly and La Boheme (Puccini); The Rake’s Progress (Stravinsky); Peter Grimes, The Turn of the Screw, Death in Venice and The Rape of Lucretia (Britten). In the world of musicals, I would particularly love to be involved in productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney Todd and Oliver! – although there is hardly a musical in the world that I don’t love to bits!!



Musicians from Napier University will be in Malta under the direction of Mr Dempster, to perform the opera ‘Hansel and Gretel’. The score calls for a children’s chorus and children from Drama Troupe under the direction of Gillian Zammit will be joining a very talented cast of performers. Director Lorraine Aquilina promises that the opera has something for everyone – beautiful music, familiar melodies and a favourite story with a happy ending. Mr Dempster will also be holding an informal workshop for young composers on Saturday 5 April 2008 at 10am. During this workshop, participants will have the opportunity of bringing along a piece of their own music to show or play and to discuss with Mr Dempster, who will also be talking about his own music and working method so as to share his ideas and experience with those present.



Tickets for this opera which is being presented in collaboration with Air Malta, Bank of Valletta and Kyocera, are available from

St James Cavalier, telephone 2122 3216 or email boxoffice@sjcav.org. Further information may also be obtained by emailing dramatroupe@gmail.com.