VIDEO: A night at the opera in Prince George

Fraser Lyric Opera will be hosting a concert to celebrate Northern students

It's another night at the opera at Knox Performance Centre on Saturday, July 18. Fraser Lyric Opera will present Voices Uplifted: Opera of the North, a celebration of talent and the culmination of a week of training for participants in the Fraser Lyric Opera Adult Opera Camp. In the week leading up to the performance, 21 participants of all singing experience levels have trained with Fraser Lyric Opera professionals to prepare for Saturday's performance.

Camp participants learned to perform well-known solo repertoire and collaborative choral works. They also received instruction in vocal technique, performance skills and stage artistry to prepare them for performances at Knox and beyond. Former student and current Fraser Lyric Opera teacher and performer Paige Marriott said participants have already made significant progress.

"The skills that our attendees have learned throughout the week," Marriott said. "It's already taken hold. We've seen major growth in just a short period of time, and that's kind of the goal throughout the week, is to allow people to just open up and be willing to try new things, scary things, but at the same time have a great, fun experience for an entire week."

Marriott will also perform in Voices Uplifted: Opera of the North, alongside pianist Deena Grier and local opera singers Melanie Nicol and Brenna Jacobson. They will be joined by guest performer Canadian mezzo-soprano Megan Reimer, one of Canada's standout opera performers. Reimer has performed as an oratorio soloist in projects including The Requiem and Requiem in D Minor in Winnipeg, as well as cantatas by J.S. Bach and performances of Allegri's Miserere, Händel's Coronation Anthems, Mozart's Vesperae solennes de Confessore and Händel's Messiah.

She has also performed with Camerata Nova, The Professor Bach Project, the Winnipeg Soloists Choir, the Mennonite Festival Chorus, the Winnipeg Singers and Manitoba Underground Opera. Ahead of Saturday's performance, the featured performers gave a preview for local media, performing the Barcarolle from Les Contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) by Jacques Offenbach and Dôme épais (the Flower Duet) from Lakmé by Léo Delibes. (Article continues after video)

Marriott said audience members will see both experienced performers and camp participants share the stage. "Everybody will get to see our society members and camp participants perform these chorus pieces together," she said. "Melanie Nicol, Megan Reimer and I will be performing and will be accompanied by Deena Grier.

We'll be singing solo pieces, some duets and some trio stuff as well, and we'll be featured in these group performances as well." For Marriott, one of the most rewarding aspects of the program is passing along the skills she learned as a student to singers from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels. "It's very rewarding and gratifying for me to get to take what I've experienced throughout my growth as a performer and share that with others," Marriott said.

"And help them through maybe some difficult situations when we're learning really hard pieces and really being able to help walk them through it so that at the end of the day they're better for it." Marriott, who holds a degree in musical theatre, said she has seen people from across the musical spectrum embrace opera training. "We actually have quite a strong community of opera lovers and just music performance lovers in Prince George," Marriott said.

"There is a bit of crossover. I myself live in both worlds. I also work at Sound Factory and I teach voice there, so I see a lot of metalheads coming through and wanting to learn how to do screamo stuff.

They actually learn what I learned when I went to university and what I learned when I was learning how to sing classical opera as well. It's all connected." Nicol, who is also the artistic director of Fraser Lyric Opera, helped organize this year's program at the Knox Performance Centre.

She said the camp and concert help emerging singers build confidence. "Opera can be intimidating and scary," Nicol said. "Everybody has come with a really open mind and a lot of enthusiasm for learning something new, and everybody has been rewarded for that.

There's been a ton of growth and we've seen singers come out of their shells and take risks, and it's been wonderful to hear them all sing and grow this week." Nicol said this year's camp attracted a record number of participants, reflecting the continued growth of the local opera community. "We had record attendance both at last year's concert and for this year's camp as well," Nicol said.

"This is the most participants we've had. We're really feeling the momentum grow for opera in town. I even see it grow with the number of professional musicians we have that specialize specifically in opera in town has really grown this last couple of years."

Reimer also taught at the camp during the week leading up to the performance and said participants' willingness to be vulnerable stood out. "Their courage," Reimer said. "It is the most vulnerable thing to just open the voice and open the body to the sound that we all make and we all desire to make.

To see that courage and that growth as they learn more about how to do it, and then they take this giant leap to put their talents in front of people. That is the most encouraging thing, and that's what makes me come back to teaching and coaching." Reimer encouraged anyone unfamiliar with opera to attend.

"They should come out to the performance and see what it's about," Reimer said. "Even if you've never heard opera before, you're probably going to hear something you'll recognize. If you've seen any Bugs Bunny, you definitely know some opera.

Come on out and hear it and get familiar. Even if it's not your cup of tea, come see what it's about. You might actually maybe like it."

Doors open at the Knox Performance Centre at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 18. The performance begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30. Tickets are available for purchase at this link or at the door on the day of the event.