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Opening Stockholm’s Baltic Sea Festival, professionals and amateurs came together for a joyous and ultimately hopeful performance of Benjamin Britten’s story of Noah’s Ark.

The co-existence of amateurs and professionals is weighted firmly towards the latter.

This was the first of three community performances of Noye’s Fludde to be put on by New Zealand Opera this month to celebrate this year’s Britten centenary. Britten wrote this work to be performed predominantly by a cast of amateurs with professional singers filling the roles of Noah, his wife and as the voice of God.

The Benjamin Britten centenary has inspired many groups into performing his works. The opera Noye’s Fludde was written to give amateur children a chance to perform and engage in operatic music alongside a smaller group of adult professional soloists. This performance was part of the Cheltenham Music Festival as their nod to Britten in the composer’s special year.