Opera set for Oban Distillery – what a dram fine idea

In a first for Scotland, a new opera, Navigate the Blood, is being performed in distilleries across the country – and is set to come to Oban.

Sian Evans has written a story set in a small family distillery about a couple whose son has disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

Performed against an industrial background, Navigate the Blood is touring regions where there is no accessible opera house giving many people an opportunity to see live opera for the first time.

In a powerful new partnership, Scottish indie-folk band, Admiral Fallow, pictured, has joined forces with composer Gareth Williams, pushing their collaborative boundaries in new creative directions to create the music for this opera.

Working with Gareth and Sian, as well as classical opera singers, they have embraced an intense writing process, resulting in an exciting first new work of modern opera by these talented and versatile musicians.

Distilling is an industry that employs, directly and indirectly, 41,000 people in Scotland.

The past 10 years have seen a growth not only in the distilling of whisky but also a massive increase in the production of gin, with 70 per cent of the gin being produced in the UK now being distilled in Scotland. Two million tourists visited Scottish distilleries last year.

Told against this background of industry and employment, this new production of singing, music, theatre and storytelling has been created to reflect the lives of the distillery community in Scotland.

Touring to the traditional distilling regions of Lowlands, Highlands and Islands, it is designed to be relevant to the people living there and to welcome, engage and entertain new audiences for opera in Scotland.

The opera will be performed at Oban Distillery on November 8. It will then visit Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown, on November 11 and Ardnahoe Distillery, Isle of Islay, on November 16.