BACKSTAGE WITH… Conductor Nicholas Kok
You’re conducting Opera North’s production of Kevin Puts’s Silent Night. What’s the story of the opera?
It’s based on the 1914 Christmas truce, when the soldiers left the trenches to play football with one another. It’s based on the French film Joyeux Nöel, which I’ve decided to not watch until we’ve finished the production so I can keep a clear mind. There’s a love story at the heart of the narrative between two opera singers, but there are lots of other characters featured.
Does this mean the chorus has more of a starring role?
Yes – there’s lots of individual vignettes and moments where the chorus members step out to perform solo roles. It’s why it’s so great that Opera North are doing this production, because they always fill the chorus with soloists. At chorus rehearsals, I’m struck by one amazing voice after another. This work is a real challenge for them too. The text is made up of four languages, and the main regiment is Scottish – it’s difficult to master singing English with a Scottish accent.
What soundworld does Puts create in this opera?
It’s very approachable, but I don’t mean that in a derogatory way at all. Contemporary classical music is searching for a language that can engage more people, and Silent Night achieves this while also having very rhythmically complex vocal lines. It’s got quite an American aesthetic – you have a real sense of where the music has come from. This is a work that will grab hold of you.