Madeleine Choir School celebrates 30 years with immersive opera depicting Noah's ark

SALT LAKE CITY — The Cathedral of the Madeleine will soon be transformed by music, costumes and spectacle as the choir performs a community opera embodying hope and renewal, just in time for the spring season of rebirth.

The Cathedral Choir of the Madeleine and the Madeleine Choir School will join together to perform Benjamin Britten's "Noye's Fludde," a rare opera depicting the biblical story of Noah, the ark and the flood. The performance, held on May 7 and 8, is part of the Madeleine Festival of the Arts and Humanities.

The cast includes 166 elementary and middle school students performing alongside professional singers and musicians. With choristers, singers, dancers and actors, the performance utilizes puppets, animals, choreography and sets to create an immersive experience that even asks the congregation to join in at times.

"Britten calls for everything but the kitchen sink," guest conductor Ryan Tani said, calling it a "larger than life production."

Performing "Noye's Fludde" has become a tradition for the Madeleine Choir School. The school first performed it in 2006, at its 10th anniversary, and again in 2016, for its 20th anniversary.

"Celebrating this 30th anniversary milestone ... and re-engaging with the message of this piece. Renewal and commitment to renewal is one of the most meaningful ones, and of course, hope and faith, and sort of just humanity," Tani said.

As an alumnus of the Madeleine Choir School, Tani is excited for this "full circle" experience of conducting the opera after singing in it 20 years ago as a child.

"Since it's only done every 10 years, each generation of choristers probably hasn't done it before. It's something so new for everybody," Tani said. "It really does take an entire village to build the ark, so to speak."

School founder and director of cathedral liturgy and music, Gregory Glenn, was the conductor when Tani was singing in the choir. He said "Noye's Fludde" is a "fantastic thing" and a perfect way to celebrate the school's 30th anniversary.

"Noye's Fludde" is just one of many public performances the school puts on to "celebrate the human spirit," Glenn said, but this performance strongly rings in the importance of hope.

"There is that potential covenant sealed by the rainbow, which Britten fantastically conveys at the conclusion of this work. It's really breathtaking every time you experience it. That message that despite challenges, difficulties, foibles, humanity's mess that we create, there is this hope," Glenn said.

Having the entire student body participate has been fun for the students as it exemplifies inclusivity across ages.

"Usually there are different performances for different choirs, so it's really good to have one whole performance with everybody," said student Anaya. She will be portraying one of the gossips who mock Noye for building a boat.

Bell player Colin agreed, saying the show is "pretty exciting," and it's "so fun" having everyone involved.

"I haven't really done anything like this before, and it's cool to include myself in a performance like this that is important to the school," Colin said.

From the 9-year-olds just learning to sing to eighth graders being spotlighted as soloists, the piece "really resonates with us because it allows us to highlight what our program is about as well," said school music director Melanie Malinka, emphasizing the growth students experience as they go through the school.

Tani agreed, saying it's surreal to get to participate in the show again. He can't wait to continue seeing how the school grows over the next decade.

"This is not only an anniversary, but it also looks forward to, with a tradition of doing it every 10 years, 'What will this look like 10 years from now?' and to see where students have come. It's just been such a marvelous, continued journey," Tani said.

He said the school's teachers, such as Glenn and Malinka, are great at encouraging students to be the best version of themselves while sharing their talents with others.

"All of the experiences, musically and otherwise, I had as a student, I think, have given me a really clear opportunity to see that there is no ceiling," Tani said. "I never, ever felt that anything was out of reach."

As an educator, Malinka is so proud to see her students walk away from performances with a sense of achievement. She hopes they all learn the importance of involving themselves in their communities, in "whatever way that takes shape."

Besides Tani, several other alumni are involved in this year's performance, helping with the choreography and portraying some of the older characters. Malinka is ecstatic to know her students have continued contributing to the arts in their communities.

"Through our concert series, through the liturgies or going to a senior living center or other events within our community, that's something we try to instill in our students early on — to build true, meaningful connections with people through what you can offer," Malinka said.

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