'Coojeebear and the Monster' is a 55-minute story for young people performed by a narrator and symphony orchestra. There are seven songs in the score (sung by the narrator as various characters), and during the performance the story is illustrated by a sequence of over 500 pictures which are projected onto a large screen suspended over the orchestra. It has been performed many times by major professional orchestras in various parts of the world, as well as by several different youth orchestras.
'We Are Your Future" is the title of the compelling eleven minute cantata, composed by Barry Booth, who also conducted the orchestra and choir. The libretto, composed by Barry Fantoni, calls for a soprano and a rock singer as well as children's voices. As the title indicates, the song asks us all to consider the future of children everywhere in what seems to be an increasingly uncaring world, a point intentionally underlined by the choice of young musicians and singers who performed to perfection on the day.
For its inauguration as companion to Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet (formerly Western Theatre Ballet) commissioned two new ballets.
One of them, 'Breakaway', is a one-act ballet with music composed by Baz for a story and choreography by Gillian Lynne. It was first performed at the King's Theatre, Glasgow with the Scottish National Orchestra and later at Sadlers Wells Theatre with the English Chamber Orchestra. The conductor was Kenneth Alwen.
